Not everyone in the universe possesses unwavering courage, compassion, or diligence, but a hero does. He has all the allegiance and sacrifice that an average man could never acquire, and the selfless dedication and courage that comes with it. Those who possess these reputed traits should be considered heroes, but those who lack them should not. Similarly, in the epic poem The Odyssey written by Homer, the Greek leader Odysseus fails to meet the standards of a hero by not being able to possess the appropriate qualities. Odysseus' traits of lack of leadership, pride, and disloyalty reinforce that he does not deserve the title of hero. Due to the many failures he encountered during his journey, Odysseus's ineffective leadership proves that he is not worthy of being a hero. His lack of control is evident in several instances, notably when his men devour and slaughter livestock on Thrinakia. Although Zeus punishes the crew and Odysseus for their illegal act, it is essentially Odysseus' blunder that allows these events to occur. Odysseus understands that his crew is not primarily made up of the most loyal and faithful men and, judging by their previous actions, they are not always known for following their leader's orders. Knowing this, Odysseus should have expressed concern and initiative to ensure that his companions do as he advises, and doing a pleasant activity like sleeping represents none of that. Based on reasonable past events, a true hero would map out the possibilities of what may happen in the future and stay awake, willingly tending to his men to prevent such events from happening. Not only does this demonstrate inadequate leadership, but also a critical failure middle of paper......ro. Once again, Odysseus fails to live up to the expectations of a hero with his infidelity towards Penelope and his frequent affairs with other women. In summary, through Odysseus' unheroic behavior of acting unfaithfully, showing excessive pride, and failing in competent leadership, he cannot be considered a hero. From not being able to hold back his revenge to "killing" his entire crew, his average man personality is clearly on display from start to finish. The incompetent leadership he embodies and the adultery he commits cannot be ignored in evaluating his hero. By far, being considered a hero is not a simple task to accomplish, but there are heroes who are rightly deserving of this title. In conclusion, whether a person's desire is to become a hero or they already have the title, either way it serves one main purpose: to change the world for the better..