Odysseus as an epic hero

Odysseus as an epic hero

The Odyssey by the ancient poet Homer is an epic poem about Odysseus, a Greek soldier during the Trojan War. Because of his own arrogance, Odysseus is left behind, far away from his island kingdom of Ithaca. The poem tells the story of Odysseus’ journey home and the struggles he faces along the way. Odysseus is a king, a soldier, a father, and a husband. He is also an epic hero because of his cleverness, devotion, and bravery.

Odysseus is a very clever person. This is demonstrated to us in several instances. Prominent among these instances is Odysseus’ encounter with the Cyclops Polyphemus. After landing on an island, looking for supplies, Odysseus and his crew encounter a less-than-hospitable Cyclops. This Cyclops, named Polyphemus, traps the group of sailors within his cave, occasionally bashing out one of their brains and gulping them down with whey. Odysseus decides that they must get out of this place as quickly as possible. One night, after Polyphemus had milked his ewes and ate his grisly lunch, Odysseus offers him some wine from his stores. The Cyclops accepts and overindulges to the point of collapse. Before crumpling in his drunken stupor, he asks Odysseus’ name.
On page 904, line 360, Odysseus says,
“My name is Nohbdy, mother, father, friends; everyone calls me Nohbdy,”.
Long after Polyphemus had fallen into a deep slumber, Odysseus and his men sharpen a stake and pierce the Cyclops’ great eye.
When, on Page 905, Line 403, Polyphemus woke up, vehemently exclaiming,
“Nohbdy’s ruined me! Nohbdy’s tricked me!”
The other Cyclopes thought nothing was wrong, and went back to sleep instead of running to help Polyphemus. This event clearly illustrated Odysseus’ sharp wit.

Another trait of Odysseus is his strong devotion towards his family and friends. This is portrayed during Odysseus’ 7 year imprisonment with Calypso, the nymph. One day, Hermes, the messenger god, comes to tell Calypso to let Odysseus go. Calypso is reluctant, but ultimately agrees.
On Page 892, Line 73, we catch a glimpse of the forlorn Odysseus, “He sat alone…Eyes wet, scanning the bare horizon of the sea…”
This shows us his desperate longing of home. He has been held back far too long, and his yearning is too great to contain any longer.
When Calypso asks him why he would want to leave her, a perfect godess, for his imperfect mortal family, Odysseus’ loyalty and devotion is once more revealed.
On Page 893, line 115, Odysseus replies, “My Quiet Penelope, would seem a shade before you…but each day, I long for home…”
This shows that his devotion towards his family and home is great enough to overcome even the most tempting situations.

The last heroic trait discussed in this essay is Odysseus’ bravery.