Heroic action in Odyssey

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Heroic action in Odyssey

Heroism generally has been characterized with qualities such as courage, determination, self-sacrifice and taking risks. Furthermore, a hero is most of the time seen as reflecting the ideals of the community or a country and as a person who has performed a thing that other people have not achieved but they wish that one day they would do it. Mostly, heroes are known to engage in extraordinary and unique actions. Heroes may be noticed while still alive or long after they have passed away. Their ways of exploitation are always perceived as the source of moral teachings or even institutional legend (Lombardo 12). However, it is recognized that heroes lie in the eyes of the beholder meaning that one person may view someone as a hero, yet in the eyes of another, that person may not be a hero. Heroism was invented by the Greeks who had a belief that all heroes must be obedient at all times. Odysseus is taken to represent the best example of a hero according to the Greeks. For instance, Odysseus was able to motivate great loyalty in his men, although sometimes he used these men for his own selfish desires. He demonstrated a good example of heroism by showing respect to the gods yet sometimes he could act defiantly towards the mortals. However, although Odysseus was seen as a hero in the eyes of many, he liked taking everything and giving nothing in return, demonstrating the idea of selfishness. Such a character disqualifies a person from being a hero. Odysseus is a heroic character and thus meets the standard of being a hero because he was respectful, obedient, caring, risk-taker, determined and full of courage. Though not perfect enough, Odysseus was a hero and he demonstrated the values of the ancient culture of Greek clearly.

Odysseus’s most qualities are cherished by both the modern and the ancient times. Loyalty is the most vital and central theme in the Odysseus and it is one of the qualities of a hero. This is seen when he receives reward for his servitude and sacrifices to the gods. He also portrayed the quality of faithfulness to Penelope when he had sex with Calypso, although he never expressed ill will. “Though he fought shy of her and her desire, he lay her each night, for she was compelled of him” (Bloom 45). Therefore, his faithfulness represents the character of a hero since not many men are ready to be honest with their wives concerning their actions outside marriage.

A good number of actions portrayed by Odysseus were heroic although others still illustrated non-heroism. His heroic nature was seen when he saved his men from the Cyclops. Nevertheless, his ambush of Antonius showed cowardice and unwillingness to fight his enemies. Odysseus’ heroism was also demonstrated during the time of Homer. His behavior and qualities are those of a hero. He deserves to be called a hero because he was able to possess the characters of both a god and human being. In Book 12, Odysseus portrays a character of power and strength. He has a hard time in making decision when his ship passes between Scylla and Charybdis. He takes full responsibility to ensure that his men are safe and protected from any harm. He is also told to be listening to the song of the Sirens, which he lives to narrate about in a supernatural way. This shows him as a man with an active mind. “Odysseus was able to safely sail past the island of the Sirens and become the only mortal who had heard their seductive song and lived (Odyssey, Book 12, line 37-56).

However, to some extent, we can say Odysseus was not a perfect man thus not a hero. This is because he never cared much about the lives of other people but what he wanted was for his own satisfaction. For instance, in the story of Odysseus, he is demonstrated only seeking to meet his desires, which includes returning home faster so that he could murder the people who were trying to replace him by taking his house and wife. He uses stories that make him look like a real hero since he is the one narrating the story with the help of the gods. For instance, “Odysseus narrated his story concerning his adventure to the Phaeacians in order to portray himself as a hero so that they could help him in returning home” (Bloom 45). Therefore, Odysseus’s non-heroism qualities are clearly illustrated throughout Homer’s epic.

Works Cited

Bloom, Harold. Homer’s the Odyssey. New York, NY: InfoBase Publishing, 2006. Print.

Lombardo, Stanley. Odyssey. New York, NY: Indianapolis, IN: Hackett Publishing, 2000. Print.