Is Odysseus a Hero? Essay -- Homer, Odyssey Essays

Throughout the epic, Odysseus is portrayed by his friends and peers as a vivid humanness, a godlike figure. But, throughout the journeys of The Odyssey, Odysseus true char comporter shows. Heroes are no exception to human nature all people tend to act differently in public than in private. A commonly accepted definition of a admirer is, a man of distinguished bravery or ability, admired for his brave deeds and direful qualities. Odysseus has not shown the noble characteristics of a hero by acting cowardly, barbaric, selfish and greedy in certain situations such qualities do not deserve such a title. To be a hero, you must have a noble and resolute purpose. As The Odyssey moves along, Odysseus is revealed not to be a hero through his base acts. Homer uses the character of Odysseus to depict false morality which undermines the concept of his heroism. A main reason why Odysseus is not a hero is because he manipulated the truth and achieved his victories through lies. Achilles, t he hero from the Iliad explains his thoughts on the matter, I hate that man like the very Gates of Death / who says one thing entirely hides another in his heart (Knox, 37). Bernard Knox who wrote the introduction to the Odyssey explains how Odysseus prides himself on his ability to crosscut and manipulate the truth. Bernard also says, He will gladly employ fraud to win victory (Knox, 38). A hero is a man of enjoy with a noble purpose and heart, but Odysseus has neither. The main characteristics of a hero are that they can do heroic things, but retain their nobility. If we move over the truth for progress then we are no better than the monsters that we fight. finesse and cheating to get things done is wrong and usually has bad consequences. other reaso... ...did not fight with morals. As Odysseus is killing the suitors he explained how he hated the fact that they had drained his estate and courted his wife. You dogs You never imagined Id coming derriere from Troy - so coc ksure that you bled my house to death, ravished my serving-woman - wooed my wife behind my back while I was still alive (Homer, 22.36-39). What is very interesting close this line is that the first thing that he accused the suitors of was using up his estate. This line is also very important because the last crime he charged against them was the wooing of his wife. This line proves that Odysseus cares more about his wealth than blush his family. No hero should care that much about personal possessions. ground on the facts that Odysseus cares more about himself and that he has no moral enactment I strongly believe that he should not be wedded the title of hero.