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Essay / Heroism and humility of Odysseus in Homer's Odyssey
In Homer's poem entitled "The Odyssey", the protagonist, Odysseus, undergoes a twenty-year sentence of suffering tolerated by the Greek god Poseidon following the death of one of his beloved Cyclops. Throughout this intriguing epic poem, Odysseus encounters everything from being trapped on an island to tempting compromises such as the gift of immortality in an attempt to return home. Ancient Greek themes in mythologies emphasized a noble hero that Homer was able to portray in this epic poem. Homer managed to realize many Greek morals commonly used in mythologies which gave the audience the perspective of the ideal man in the perspective of the Greeks. Alongside Odysseus, many supporting roles such as Athena and Telemachus all display the concepts of heroism, humility and resistance to pride, Greek themes constantly emphasized and evoked differently by each character. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get an original essayAn example of Odysseus' heroism evolving throughout the poem is when Odysseus expresses his displeasure and hatred towards the disrespectful suitors. In this case, Odysseus is seen more as the stereotypical image of a hero who rushes to save his wife, Penelope. However, if he was still an arrogant character like at the beginning of the poem, he would have been killed instantly by the suitors if he showed that he had finally returned home. Instead, he disguises himself with the help of Athena to fight the suitors. Athena plays an important role in Odysseus's journey home, as she guides him to make better choices and also warns him of potential dangers on his path. This pattern is very apparent in the epic poem. However, under his leadership, Odysseus is able to symbolize a Homeric hero who resists combat when: Melanthius, crossing their path, / guarding his goats with the help of a pair of herdsmen, chooses his herds to prepare the suitors' meal . as soon as he saw them there, he gave way to a flood of brutal and vile insults which made Odysseus' blood boil. “Look!” – he sneered – “scum scents scum, Dirt finds dirt by the will of God – it never fails!” You miserable pig, where are you taking your dirty pig, that sickening beggar who licks the pots at parties? all this said by a miserable suitor, it took a lot for Ulysses not to punish him since he is the king after all. Odysseus also has loyalty ingrained in his heroic code, so that when Melanthius mocked Eumaeus, he was prompted to confront him himself. Disregarding his power, he allowed Melanthius to kick him after scorning him and Eumaeus, who is Odysseus' trusted friend whom he met upon his return to Ithaca. Therefore, Odysseus becomes heroic and non-prideful as he overcomes his temptations to discipline his own subject in order to properly reestablish his position at home. A second example of Odysseus evolving throughout the epic poem as a hero is when he humbly resists the temptations of the sirens. Odysseus becomes wiser during his journey through the island of the sirens as he evolves into a more mature character after challenging the seductive sirens. Even though it was one of the biggest temptations, his desire to go home eventually outweighed his other desire. Odysseus even prepared to resist them when Athena warned him: The shrill and throbbing song of the sirens will pierce him, lounging there in their meadow, around them piles of rotting corpses, shreds of skin shrivelling on their bones. .. Fair breed.