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JordanAdloff
Ms.Bengtson
EnglishI
24February2015
HeroicOdysseus
Whatmakesahero?Isithisbraveactions?orisithisselflessbehavior?InThe
Odyssey,byHomer,amannamedOdysseusmustspendtenyearsatseatryingtogettohim
homeonIthaca.Duringhisjourney,heexperiencesdangers,difficultdecisions,anddifficult
sacrifices.Theargumentstowhatmakesapersonaherohasalwaysbeenpresent.PeterStillman
writeswhathethinksarethedefiningcharacteristicsofaheroinDefiningaHero.Melissa
Dribbendoesthesameinherarticle,titledWhatMakesaHero.Throughout
TheOdyssey
,
Odysseusmakesaseriesofchoicesthataffecthimbothpositivelyandnegatively.When
consideringStillmansandDribbensperspectiveinthequalitiesofahero,aswellasOdysseus
ownactions,onecanseethatOdysseusisahero.
Eventhoughaudiencesargueabouthisherostatus,itisobviousthatOdysseusisnota
hero.Forexample,whenOdysseusandhismenaresailingawayfromCyclops,Odysseusyells,
Cyclops,ifevermortalmaninquire/howyouwereputtoshameandblinded,tellhim/
Odysseus,raidersofCities,tookyoureye...(9.54342).Odysseusletshispridetakeover
withoutthinkingabouttheconsequencesthatmaycome.Heisputtinghismenslivesatrisk,
justtoletCyclopsknowwhohaddonethebadthingstohim.AnotherreasonwhyOdysseusis
notaheroisbecauseofhowOdysseusdidnottellhismenaboutScylla,Itoldthemnothing,as
theycoulddonothing(12.161162).OdysseusissecretiveaboutScylla,sixmenaregoingto

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die,yethesaysnothing.Hedoesnotwarnthemthattheyhaveachanceofdying.Afinalreason
whyOdysseusisnotaheroisbecauseOdysseusisoverlycurious.HeheardaboutCyclopsand
wantedtogoseehim,soOdysseustook[his]twelvebestmen/andwentahead(9.9596).
Again,Odysseusputshismenslivesindanger.Heislettinghiscuriositygetthebetterofhim.
Hedoesnotknowwhatdangerliesahead,yetheiswillingtorisktwelveofhismeninorderto
satisfyhiscuriosity.DuetoallofOdysseusactions,heisclearlynotahero.
DespitethefactsOdysseusshowthatisheisnotahero,hehasheroicqualitiestoshow
thatheisinfactahero.Forexample,Stillmanclaimsthatahero...mustsufferdangersand
agoniesbeyondthoseweareabletoendure...(3).Odysseusfacesmanydangersthatany
ordinarypersonwouldnotbeabletoendure.Forexample,Dribbenreportsthataperson...can
bestupidandheroicatthesametime(12).Odysseusmakesstupidchoicessometimes,buthis
actionsalwayshaveaheroicintentiontothem.AnotherexamplethatshowthatOdysseusisa
heroisthefactthatheishumble.CalypsooffersimmortalitytoOdysseusifheliveswithher,
Odysseusdeclinesheroffer,claimingIlongforhome,longforthesightofhome..
.(5.8589).Odysseuschoicetochoosehisfamilyoverimmortalityisveryhumble.Allofthese
examplesclearlyprovethatOdysseusisahero.
Odysseushasmanyothertraitsthatshowthatheisinfactahero.Forexample,Stillman
claimsthataheromustfacea...difficultgoal,whichhewillreachonhisown(3).Odysseus
lossesallofhismensohehastofacedifficulttimesbyhimselftogetbackhome.Another
examplewouldbeDribbenpointingoutthatHeroes[arenot]saints(25).Odysseusmessesup
anddoessomeactionsthatarelookeddownupon,butOdysseusovercomeshiswrongdoingsto
dotherightthing.AfinalexamplethatprovesOdysseusisaheroishisresourcefulness.When

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heandhismengettrappedinCyclopscave,Odysseushastofindawayfortheytomakeitout
oftherealive,sohe...[hangshimself]under[therams]kinkybelly/[Cyclops]stroked
eachram,thenletitpasses(9.33254).OdysseusnoticesthatCyclopsletshisramsoutside,so
hetiedhimandhismenunderthebelliessoCyclopswouldnotbeabletofeelthem.This
allowedthemtoescapewithoutbeingnoticed.AllthesequalitiesprovethatOdysseusisahero.
InadditiontoOdysseushumbleandresourcefulactions,Odysseushasothertraitsthat
proveheisahero.Stillmanclaimsthataheromust...overcomeweaknessesandtemptations
wegiveinto...(3).Odysseusignoresmanytemptationssuchasbeingofferedimmortalityby
decliningsohecangohome.AccordingtoDribbin,Herosaresupposedtobehumble(19).
Odysseuschoicetogobackhomewithhisfamilyoverimmortalityisanactofbeinghumble.A
finaltraitthatshowsOdysseusisaheroisthefactthatheisclever.WhenCyclopsasks
Odysseuswhathisnameis,Odysseusrespondswith,MynameisNohbdy.../everyonecalls
meNohbdy(9.27475).OdysseusknowsbetterthantotellCyclopshisrealname,soheusesa
namethatmakeshimanonymessowhenCyclopstellssomeoneabouthim,noonewillknow
whoCyclopsistalkingabout.Duetoallthesefactors,Odysseusisahero.
Odysseusisaherobecauseofhischoices,suchaschoosinghisfamilyoverimmortality.
Althoughthereareaudienceswhichthinkodysseusisprideful,secretive,andovercurious.The
considerationofStillmanandDribbensclassificationofaheroproveOdysseusisahero.Heros
areresourceful,humble,andclever,Odysseusisallofthesethings.Hisactionsproveallthese
thingsaretrueabouthimandthatheisahero.