Odysseus as an Epic Hero

Odysseus as an Epic Hero In an gun for hireical poem, epic hired gunes exist. An epic wiz, an stunnedstanding figure from a history or legend, has to tinct to society. By having similar traits as hu existences, people will look up to the hero. In the epic poem, Beowulf, the epic hero, Beowulf, has the ability to die. Since he has this trait, he stirs to the acculturation and they look up to him. The Odyssey, another epic poem, has a hero also. Odysseus, the hero in the Odyssey, fits a model of an epic hero beca consumption he has the distinguished traits of an epic hero and relates to society.His traits include the ability to feel fear, his blind, and physically telltale(a) traits. Odysseus fits the model of an epic hero because he feels fear. The epic hero cannot relate to society unless he has the ability to feel fear. In having something to lose, the epic hero must demonstrate courage by overcoming the source of his terror. Odysseus experiences this terror custodytall y and physically, he faces it, and ultimately overcomes it. As Polyphemus, the Cyclops, speaks, Odysseus and his manpower feel a constrict on their hearts, in dread / of that deep rumble and that mighty man (246-7).Odysseus and his work force face the possibility of death when the encounter the Cyclops. Odysseus actions show his valet because of his ability to feel fear mentally. He also expresses his fear physically when he raises his custody in supplication to Zeus, crying out lifting our hands to Zeus, / powerless, looking on at this, appal conduct (284-5). Because Odysseus experiences fear physically and mentally, he relates to his men, Greek society, and the reader. Like all men, Odysseus must face his fear in order to overcome it. As Homer says, Now, by the gods, I . . . cheered my men along with battle talk / to keep their courage up no quitting now. . . . So with our brand we bored that great eye socket / while declivity ran out around the red-hot bar (368-83). In this case, Odysseus and his men use physical force to conquer the Cyclops. In doing so, he secures safety for his men and motivates them to face other obstacles on their journey. Having faced and defeated Polyphemus, Odysseus shows that he fits the consecutive epic model of a hero. Odysseus demonstrates how he fits the replica of an epic hero because of his cunning. An epic hero associates with the society around him because of his craftiness and cunning. Odysseus displays this by acquire out of dangerous ituations, leading his men out of danger, and using flattery. Odysseus and his men, pin rase in a cave, needed to get out so they could live. He drew on all his wits, and ran through tactics, / reasoning as a man will for dear life, / until a trick came (418-20). To get out of the cave, he tied himself and his men to the underside of each ram. Clever Odysseus shows his men how cunning can get you out of dangerous situations quickly. He expresses cunning another way by leading his cr ew out of danger. He does this by keeping his men away from eating the Lotus top that made them forget their homeland.To save them, he drove them to the ships, / tied them down under their rowing benches, / and called the rest (211-13). This showed his cunning saved his men. Thus, a comfortably captain and epic hero, like Odysseus, should have a cunning personality. Calypso, the goddess nymph, detain Odysseus on her island. He uses his cunning to flatter her into letting him return home. He does this by telling her My lady goddess / my quiet Penelope / would seem a shade in front your majesty, / death and old age being abstruse to you, / while she must die (114-17). His ability to flatter Calypso led him of the island and allowed him to go home.An epic hero would need all these examples of cunning to perish and lead his men. To become an epic hero, it would help if he had physical strength, accuracy, and striking looks. Odysseus shows he has strength when he so effortlessly / in iodine motion strung the bow (1190-91). Odysseus could only string the bow. No cardinal(a) else could because of the heftiness of the bow. A hero must have accuracy. When Odysseus says, Now find out me hit a target that no man has hit before (1225) and hits the target, he proves that has accuracy. Odysseus and the other epic heroes should have impressive looks.According to Telemachus, Odysseus son, Odysseus looks like one of the gods who rule the sweep of heaven (1001-02) and stands like one of the immortals (1019). Since he has these traits, it proves that he exemplifies an epic hero. Odysseus has proved that he fits the model of an epic hero because of his traits and how he associates with the society. Because of all these traits, he can finally get home. This becomes very important because he needed to accomplish his goal, to get home. Works Cited Homer. The Odyssey. Austin, Texas Holt, Rinehart and Winston, 2003