Definition of a Hero
If I asked you to think of your hero, who would it be? The president? A sports legend? Batman? Your mom or dad? The answers are limitless depending on how you define the role. When looking at Greek culture and literature, we must think of the traits a hero embodied at that time: honor, loyalty to the state and family, intelligence, physical strength, bravery, respect for the gods, and wit. A hero was respected by all. This person seemed to transcend human traits and was someone who fought for good and noble purposes.
Epic Hero Characteristics
In ancient Greek culture, there are stories relating to mythological creatures and gods that ruled the people. In these stories we find the archetype of an epic hero. Odysseus is considered an epic hero for his role as King of Ithaca, his participation in the war, and his journey home. Let's dig a little deeper into the definition to decide whether Odysseus fits the epic hero profile.
A hero is of mixed or divine birth: Odysseus's genealogy is unclear, but hints in The Odyssey and The Iliad say that Odysseus is the great-grandson of Hermes, the messenger of the gods, and Aeolus, the god of wind. In later recordings, it is said that Sisyphus was his true father.
Evil forces/villains try to keep the hero from completing his quest: Odysseus had bad blood with Poseidon, who in turn caused Odysseus's ships trouble every time they sailed from shore. He also encountered mythical creatures such as the Cyclops, the dead, Scylla and Charybdis, and the Sirens, who tested him during his time at sea.
Tragic flaw: Because the hero is not solely divine, his tragic flaw stems from the fact that he is human. Odysseus's hubris, excessive pride, caused him great trouble along the way.
Explanation:
A hero is someone who knows right from wrong, is selfless, and protects others without thinking about personal consequences or gain. A tragic flaw is a defect which leads to a downfall. A tragic hero is a hero who has the characteristics of bravery, integrity, nobility and possesses a tragic flaw which leads to a downfall. In the epic poem, The Adventures of Ulysses, by Bernard Evslin, Ulysses is a tragic hero. His tragic flaw is hubris, or excessive pride, which in Greek culture is a highly punishable offense. Ulysses is regarded as a classic example of a tragic hero with special characteristics that make him both a protagonist and antagonist.Ulysses noble birth, integrity, and bravery makes him a great hero and helps him get through his troubles. Ulysses was born of a noble birth. For example, (p.37) Ulysses is about to reach Ithaca and he can see the hills and columns of his castle. He “saw the white marble columns of his own castle on the cliff.” This shows that Ulysses is a rich king because he owns a castle made out of marble. Ulysses has integrity when he promises Aeolus that he will not open the bag of winds, no matter what (p. 36). “I shall not open your bag of winds.” This shows that Ulysses has integrity when he promises to not open the bag of winds. Ulysses shows bravery when he blinds the giant cyclops Polyphemus(p. 26). “Ulysses stabbed the golden spike in the giant’s eye.” This shows that Ulysses is brave because he risks his life to help him and his crew escape the giant. It would be easier when the cyclops was blind, he would not see Ulysses and his men escape. Ulysses being born of noble birth, having integrity, and having bravery, which in the book, helps him through his many troubles.While Ulysses’s noble birth, integrity, and bravery help him get through troubles, bad luck and his hubris make his journey harder. His excessive pride can get him into a lot of trouble. For example, (p.29) Ulysses taunts Polyphemus and Ulysses tells the cyclops his name. “Poor fool! Poor blinded, drunken, gluttonous fool- if anyone else asks you it is Nobody, but Ulysses who has done this to you.” This quote shows Ulysses hubris, and it shows that he foolish to tell Polyphemus his name because it can cause him harm in the future. (Poseidon, Polyphemus’s dad curses Ulysses.) Another example his pride can get him into trouble is when Ulysses thinks he won the battle between him, and the Ciconians, and celebrates, with food and wine, but he is unready when the Ciconians’ allies attack (p.10-11). “...roasted the cattle, and had a great feast.” “Ulysses men were full of food and wine, unready to fight,” This shows that Ulysses hubris leads to his downfall because he thinks that the battle is over, but the Ciconians’ allies attack, and Ulysses and his men are not ready because they are full of food. Ulysses hubris or excessive pride causes all his troubles.
Explanation:
