The Odyssey: Odysseus
The most admired classical hero is most certainly Odysseus, the
mythological Grecian subject of Homer's epic tale, The Odyssey. This
legendary figure displays excessive amounts of brains and muscle, seeming
almost superhuman at times. He embodies the ideals Homeric Greeks aspired
to: manly valor, loyalty, piety, and intelligence. The popularity of
Odysseus transcends time. To this day he remains greatly admired as both a
hero and an ordinary man who must deal with great adventures and retrieving
the life he once had. For twenty years Odysseus overcame each obstacle the
gods handed to him. He was always respectful to the gods, acknowledging
their control of fate and realizing that he ...
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a husband, father, and son. He takes on the very
human roles of athlete, warrior, sailor, storyteller, carpenter, beggar,
and lover. He vividly displays human qualities like brutality and boldness,
while being sensitive and shy at the same time. It is these human
qualities that people can relate to. While he is no doubt a hero, Odysseus
is also viewed as a modern man, the pragmatic survivor. He must struggle,
suffer, and deal with the inescapable fate handed down to him from the
great beings atop Mt. Olympus. The average human can relate to Odysseus'
human qualities, while admiring him for the heroic traits they can only
hope to attain, making him so popular. Odysseus has the skills, strength,
and intelligence to qualify him as a hero, yet he still possess the
emotional constraints of a human, which together enable him to survive the
chaotic disorder of his adventure. His journey was rich with people and
places and totally unpredictable, just as life is for everybody. ...
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the time he was trapped
in the Cyclops' cave. He came up with the ingenious plan to take an olive
wood poll and, “rub it into his eye while he was sound asleep.” (106).
This way, the Cyclops would be blinded and the sailors could make their
escape. Odysseus also displayed the strength of a hero through his epic
journey. He was an, “indomitable man…” (49). He really was incapable of
being subdued or overcome, possessing great amounts of physical strength.
Most men would succumb to the exhaustion of twenty years of obstacles, but
not Odysseus. His strength never faltered, and the Greeks figured, “he
must be made of iron…” (143). When sailing away from Calypso's island, he
was ...
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"The Odyssey: Odysseus." Essayworld.com. October 9, 2005. Accessed November 22, 2024. http://www.essayworld.com/essays/The-Odyssey-Odysseus/34596.
"The Odyssey: Odysseus." Essayworld.com. October 9, 2005. Accessed November 22, 2024. http://www.essayworld.com/essays/The-Odyssey-Odysseus/34596.
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