One man stands tall above the rest, the only man on the battlefield without a hint of fear in his eyes. Along with fearlessness, his determination and guile is simple to sense. These are just a few of the characteristics of an epic hero. One such hero is Odysseus, the central character of the epic poem The Odyssey by Homer. Odysseus is an epic hero who embodies many admirable traits but, not only, does he have all the characteristics of an epic hero. He also goes through the process of the hero's journey.
Odysseus, like all epic heroes, is a figure of great, sometimes larger than life stature. Among Odysseus's many titles, his title of King of Ithaca is most imposing. For this reason, all of his soldiers look up to him. Also, when he arrives back on Ithaca, though the suitors had an advantage, there was no doubt that they feared him.
Odysseus and Nausicaä by Charles Gleyre (19th cen...
ODYSSEUS karnavires 51
ODYSSEUS karnavires 66Even before The Odyssey, Odysseus proves to be an epic hero by earning fame as the master tactician of the Trojan War. By conceiving the plan of creating a wooden horse to ambush the Trojans, Odysseus's fame as a strategist spread like wild fire. People throughout history remembers Odysseus as one of the greatest generals of the time. Where ever Odysseus journeys, his title as "Son of Laertes and the gods of old, Odysseus, master of landways and seaways" precedes him (1009-1010). The title of "master of landways and seaways" is hard earned by Odysseus. Gods and men alike know him by this title and upon hearing the title they treat Odysseus with respect. Odysseus is an imposing figure, who built his reputation through valiant deeds and courage.
Another trait of an epic hero that Odysseus fulfills is that he is a wily and...