The Epic Hero

The Epic Hero Long, dangerous adventures Accomplishes great deeds Shows courage, skill and strength Helped and hindered by divine beings Faithful to family, his country, and his god Will seek revenge for any injustices and

wrongs committed against them or him

What makes Odysseus a classic Greek hero?

Odysseus is intelligent, but his intelligence is of the cunning, sly type….not the book-smart type.

Odysseus is a man of deceptions and disguises.

Odysseus is a man of “twists and turns…”

Odysseus is a wanderer who seeks to return home.

The sharpness and intelligence with which he led his men in the Trojan War is the same intelligence that he uses to find his way back home after the war.

It is also the same intelligence and wit he uses to outwit monsters and other foes who block his path and threaten his men’s lives.

Physical Strength Odysseus demonstrates

cunning, farsightedness, adaptability and other aspects of intellectual prowess.

He is not enormous, but he is powerful, and he is both an excellent athlete and a formidable soldier.

This combination of intellectual and physical excellence is called “arete” in Greek.

Leadership In order to use his cunning and his strength, Odysseus

must be willing to face danger with courage.

He does not shrink away from his leadership role in times of great peril.

Fortunately…… Odysseus also has the help of the gods at times. Athena favors Odysseus

and helps him in his journey.

Zeus helps Odysseus rule peacefully once he finally arrives home.

Poseidon makes Odysseus’s journey a true test of his wit and valor.

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Faults Odysseus has faults that lead to disaster.

Odysseus is able to use his “twist and turns” to escape the ultimate price although others have to pay for his mistakes.

Review… Odysseus possesses a cunning wit, and he uses it more than he

uses his aging physical strength. He is brave, but he prefers to defeat his enemies with clever

deception rather than meet them head-on. He is on a journey home, and he must pass many trials to reach the

safety of his home. He must take the hero’s journey into the underworld and return,

emerging as a new, wiser and more mature man. He has weaknesses, but he manages to overcome them to

complete his journey and reclaim his home and family. He interacts with the gods and receives both their favors and their

curses. He is ultimately a heroic figure, a literary icon and an adventurer’s

idol.