Prompt: 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?
In my opinion, true hero is someone who can stand up for what is right and who can lead other into right direction even in situation where everyone else remains silence for various reasons. One of the most common reason would be security risk. Sometimes, people lose their jobs, friends and trust among others as a consequence of standing up for righteousness. In this respect, I believe Athena is a true hero in the story. She was a vehicle that enable Odysseus to escape from captivity in Ogygia and encourage Telemakhos to begin his journey to find his father and to oppose to suitors by giving them courage, advise and opportunity. Although she knew that her assistance might provoke a storm of Poseidon’s anger, she led father and son into right direction and motivated them to do the right things. However, unfortunately, there are less true hero in modern world. Fiercer competitions in this dog-eat-dog society put so much burden on individuals to survive and make people not to care about society. We are living in the world where people need only successful outcomes rather than right procedures. This is a generation that whistle blowers, who are brave enough to stand up for what is right, are blamed by majority and must be protected by the law.
I totally agree with your argument. I think Athena is the true hero in the Odyssey. Without her guidance and protection, Odysseus would probably be dead by now. You can tell that she has good intentions because she keeps her identity secret while helping Odysseus.
In my opinion, I agree with you that Athena is one of the main heroes in this epic. She was Odyssey’s guiding light and fought to keep him safe throughout his journey. I feel that you can consider Odyssey a tragic hero. The epic revolves around his journey home while facing a plethora of challenges. Although he has his flaws, he has the best interest of the people of Ithaka in mind.
In regards to your definition of a hero, I completely agree that Athena is one of the few heroes in The Odyssey. In my opinion, I believe that a hero is a renowned figure that people praise and idolize, and therefore I think Odysseus is another hero. Odysseus can be seen as a hero for defying all odds with his cunning and audacious decision-making during his long journey back to Ithaka. Moreover, I agree that the western ideas of heroism today is drastically different from the heroism described in Homer’s epic.