Question: Is Odysseus or anyone else in The Odyssey a hero? If so, what does this tell us about western ideas of heroism? Do any of these ideas remain in place today or have they changed? If so, how or how not and why or why not?
Answer: I believe Odysseus is a hero. Western ideas of heroism has somewhat remained in place throughout history. However, in today’s society, a hero can be defined not only by his/her bravery and courage but also other aspects such as selflessness and other humanitarian values. A veteran that fought for his/her country today, is tantamount to being a hero in greek mythology. But, a surgeon, or a philanthropist can also be defined as a hero even though they display different aspects of heroism.
I agree with your statement. Heroes are defined more than just being brave. It is more about their moral values and how they display their emotions. Anyone can be brave or courageous, but that doesn’t make them heroic.
I agree with your perspective of what a hero is like in society. I think it’s more important that one has the intentions to contribute or do a good deed for someone else or society in general, not necessarily caring about their own benefit. A hero can come in many forms and it definitely doesn’t take much for one to be considered a hero in the eyes of another.
I agree. Heroes do have a multitude of admirable characteristics, like those you mentioned. Even though heroes can have many different heroic characteristics, there is one characteristic that all heroes have. This is courage. Courage is what allows heroes to gain their own individualistic traits that make them stand out more. Many heroes do not even need to assess skilled attributes, all they need is courage. An example: if someone isn’t as skilled as another in billiards but versus the more skilled individual in eight-ball, they are considered a hero because they had the courage to play against the more skilled individual in the first place. The hero may even win because they worked up enough courage to play, but then realized they were actually more skilled than their opponent.