The Odyssey Final Project

Imagine you and some companions are trapped in a cave with a dangerous beast with no
way to escape. You watch as the beast snatches some of your friends, and there is nothing you
can do to stop it; you are practically helpless. In order to live, you and your companions must
find a way out. What would you do? This is a situation that forms and defines a hero. A true hero
cares for their companions, leads them through difficulties, and never stops until they reach their
final goal. In the epic The Odyssey, Odysseus and his companions are faced with the same
circumstances. Odysseus is a true hero because he displays leadership in times of trouble and
perseveres through numerous obstacles to keep his crew safe. As Odysseus journeys through the
Mediterranean, he becomes more and more heroic.
Odysseus and his men encountered many different obstacles throughout their journey to
return to their homeland, Ithaca. Odysseus leads his companions through all these challenges.
While in the land of the Laestrygonians, Odysseus and his men are caught in a battle. During the
battle, Odysseus drew [his] sword and cut the cables of [the] dark-prowed ship, barking out
orders for the crew to start rowing and get out of there (Homer 82). Here, Odysseus displays
leadership qualities while helping his crew escape danger. He takes charge of the situation, cuts
the cables to the ship, and barks orders at his men. Without his heroic actions, they may not have
made it to safety. No matter what the obstacle Odysseus faces, he always persevered through it.
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Throughout the epic, Odysseus and his crew faced many different obstacles. Although, no
matter height of the hurdle, Odysseus always persevered through. He realized his end goal and
never wanted to give up until it was accomplished. After his crew disobeys him by slaughtering

the Sun Gods cattle, Zeus sends a hurricane to wipe them out. Although, he spares Odysseus
who was blown on the remanence of the ship back to the rocks of Charybdis and Scylla. There,
he grabbed onto the fig tree on Charybdis rock and held on for dear life. Odysseus just grit [his]
teeth and hung on until [Charybdis] spat out the mast and keel again (Homer 128). He
persevered through all the pain because he knew he had made it too far to give up. He had come
too far to just let go and perish in the waters. Without his perseverance, Odysseus would not have
made it back to Ithaca in the end.
Odysseus is a true hero because he led his crew through numbers of obstacles and
persevered through each of these challenges. Ever since the Trojan War had ended, he and his
crew had been traveling through the Mediterranean Sea, searching for Ithaca. Odysseus was the
leader that they needed. He was their brains and brawn. He came up with clever plans and fought
heroically in the scuffles they got into. He kept on going even when the odds were against him.
All in all, Odysseus is a true hero for his leadership and endurance. In the end, Odysseus finally
returned to Ithaca, despite being the only one left. He defied the odds that were against him and
could finally grasp the goal that he had spent so long working for. Although, upon returning to
Ithaca, the road to a normal life for Odysseus is anything but smooth.

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Works Cited
Homer. The Odyssey. Indianapolis: Hackett Publishing Company, 2007. Print.