Is Odysseus a Hero? Essay

The Odyssey, written by Homer and translated by Robert Fagles, is an epic poesy focused on Odysseus, an Ithacan soldier, and his journey that helps him fire as a cuneus. Odysseus makes idiotic mistakes that barricade up costing his crewmembers lives. His immature ship canal argon sometimes interrupted by occasional courageous acts, barely do not outweigh the negative ones. fifty-fifty though he possesses some hero archetype qualities, Odysseus is not a hero. one way Odysseus proves himself to not be a hero by having an affair with fairy-slipper while married. And now, withdrawing into the hollow outrns robust recesses, long in each differents arms they lost themselves in love. (250,159) This shows that even though Odysseus is so earnest to get home to his family, he is will to make love with another charwoman kinda of staying faithful, bid a hero would.We are also shown this through his acts in the Cyclopss cave. Although he was warned by fellow shipmates to leave the island as short as possible, Odysseus refuses to leave with the thought of creation able to stay there and eat on the food found in the cave of the Cyclops, Polyphemus, the son of Poseidon. Polyphemus is at origin a polite host, until the men overstay their wel interpose. The Cyclops then blocks the exit from the cave so Odysseus and his crew may not leave, but not before putting to death some of the shipmates. Lurching up, he lunged out with his hand towards my men and snatched two at once, rapping them on the ground he knocked them dead like pups (325, 220) This shows that if Odysseus had not acted selfishly by staying in the cave, his crewmates would be alive.A final deterrent example of Odysseus not fulfilling the hero archetype is when he refuses to trust his men and does not control them the content of the suitcase of winds. This causes the men to come up with the idea that the bag holds wealthiness of coins and treasures. The men are so last to home they can see battalion on the shore, but the men are too curious and open the bag of winds. Upon the opening of this bag, the ship of Odysseus is then direct back to sea. They loosed the sack and all the winds detonate out and sudden squall enamored and swept us back to sea, wailing, in tears, far from our own native land. (53, 232)This cataclysm could have been avoided had Odysseus shared with the shipmates what was being contained in this bag, instead of being secretive and move to be the man of the hour. In conclusion, Odysseus may be learning from the mistakes he has make and growing as a hero, but is not at all a hero yet. He makes decisions based on selfish desires that cost numerous lives end-to-end the story. A hero is supposed to fill-in his peers and stand up for what is right instead of making choices based on what he wants, and Odysseus does not. Although Odysseus may be perceived as a hero through many readers eyes of The Odyssey, he is not at all a hero.