RSSOdysseus, the Hero
November 6th, 2008 by eclouserOdysseus, the Hero
Odysseus, the Greek hero, is known for his intelligence, and bravery; he used reason and cleverness to outwit the Cyclops and escape his capture. What people in our society possess similar character traits to Odysseus? Explain your choice.
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November 7th, 2008 at 10:37 am
Many politicias are just like Odysseus because they are brave and outwit their opposing politicians. They sometimes use lies to tell the public that they other politician would not be a good person to be elected. This takes bravery because they if the public doesn’t believe the lie then they will lose most of their respect.
November 7th, 2008 at 10:37 am
Honestly, how can we really know that Odysseus is a hero? A hero to me is not only someone who does heroic things but also someone who has a positive attitude throughout. Odysseus did do amazing things, but how do we know how he responded to these situations. Some of the best heroes are pessimistic. Then, is that person a real and true deserving heroes. There are many other deserving people out there who can be viewed as heroes. After all, we don’t even know if he is actually real!!!!
November 9th, 2008 at 11:07 am
To me Odysseus is similar to any type of person in the army. The main reason i think this is because the story, “Odysseus” talked about how he was brave. He had outwit a cyclops that could have easily killed him. He got him and his men out of danger many times including against a sea-monster and the cyclops. In my opinion, I think that this explains bravery already. In the army, you have to say goodbye to your family maybe even for the last time and head off to fight in a war. They usually dont return for years if they return at all. This is exactly like Odysseus. He had left for the Trojan War along with many other men. He had fought for 10 years but it took him 20 years to return. but even though he returned, a large amount of his men never did return. This is why I think the army is very similar to the story, “Odysseus”.
November 10th, 2008 at 4:36 pm
Odyesseus should not be referred as a hero. He was just doing what he could do stay alive. Would you just cower if your life was on the line??? Of course not!!! He’s just doing what a normal person would do. And the Noman trick? Pfft, I think almost anyone could come up with something better. As for the answer to the question, I would have to say lawyers. They have to outwit the other side of the argument and twist the story to their way. They have to be clever, and brave since they must twist the truth, costing their career. Are lawyers nessicarily heroes? I think not. Most just do it for money, like defending for the obviously guilty. Some say they do it for justice, but of course they also want the money. Odysseus may be brave, intellegent, and like lawyers, but that doesn’t make him a hero.
November 10th, 2008 at 4:42 pm
I would say that the soldiers are great examples of people like Odysseus. They have to be quick witted and very smart and have to figure out of problems a lot. Whenever they are in combat or maybe even captured, they are always thinking about the way out, the way to win. That takes a lot of skill.
November 10th, 2008 at 8:20 pm
I think that firefighters would be a great example of bravery and intelligence. Firefighters risk their lives to help save others. While many people may be trying to run out of a burning building, firefighters are going in. They have to use their wits and bravery to stay alive and help others get out. As for Odysseus, I’m not sure that he could be considered because of the quest home. He might be because he ended the war with the trojan horse trick, but the bulk of the “Odyssey” is not very heroic.
November 10th, 2008 at 8:26 pm
Heroes similar to Odysseus are soldiers fighting in Iraq. They are brave and selfless, and use quick thinking to keep us safe. Firefighters and cops also fit into the public safety category; their job is to keep us safe.
November 10th, 2008 at 9:00 pm
There have probably been debates world wide over what makes a villian or a hero. The fact is simply that we don’t want to recognize that the face of evil is not so red and horned as…human. Oddysseus could be classified as a hero, but honestly, who can really be sure? If he’s even real, then who says that he didn’t just spread around these rumours to gain fame in a time when more people were gullible? After all, who’s seen a cyclops or a giant sea monster in the past three hundred years–Nessie doesn’t count, he hasn’t been proven–or found a written document that proves Oddysseus’s existence? But to answer the question, there are so many different people who embody those different characteristics. Firemen, armed forces, police, lawyers, politicians, doctors, even teachers sometimes, all have to rely on their physical or mental strength to achieve what they need to. Firemen have to outwit burning buildings and hack walls apart; the armed forces are obviously battling other people who may be just as smart and dangerous; police are domestic armed forces; lawyers have to outwit stories to win their case; politicians…do I have to say it? (lie, don’t lie, make your pick) Moreover, doctors have to outwit diseases, think on their feet if a person is bleeding to death, rack their brains for something in the many years of college they went through,and explain to a family that their daughter is going to die. Teachers actually may have to think on their feet a lot, too. Like if a student comes up with a different perspective on something that the teacher hasn’t thought about. The teacher will have some options; ignore the suggestion, shoot it down, shrug, nod and say “maybe,” or say, “tell me more,” and start a whole new conversation. If you get technical enough, almsot anyone can exhibit these traits that Oddysseus has been labeled with. Even convicts have to use their wit to lie about whatever they did–how many thieves or murderers turn themselves in[very few]? Look around you–Oddysseus is everywhere.
November 11th, 2008 at 7:34 am
I think police officers and fire fighters have the same characteristics of Odysseus because Odysseus was brave and very smart. Police officers have to be smart to outwit the bad guys. Also, police officers obviously need to be brave to be risking their lives everyday and knowing it. Firefighters have to be brave also because of risking their lives everyday by going into burning houses. I think this, but I also feel the way Olivia said. she said, “that a hero is more than bravery. It’s the way they go about doing it”.
November 11th, 2008 at 9:26 am
I think that policemen are like Odysseus because they have to be clever and try to find a way to outwit the bad people and catch them. They’re also brave, just like Odysseus because they don’t know when they could be killed when they’re doing their job, they could be get shot anytime but they keep going anyways and risk their lives for others and that’s very heroic.
November 11th, 2008 at 9:29 am
My hero is Rosa Parks. She is my hero because she is determined, brave and modest. One day, after a long day of work, Rosa got on a bus to get home. The rules for busses back then were that if there were no more seats, and a white person got on the bus, an African American would be the one to give up the seat. But one day Rosa Parks decided it was crazy to make someone give up a seat because of their color, so she sat there and did not give up her seat. She was hauled off to jail, and there she stayed until her trial. Rosa Parks stood up against this racial inequality because it was the right thing to do, not because she wanted fame. Rosa Parrks will always be my hero. She is determined, brave, and modest.
November 11th, 2008 at 9:32 am
Odysseus is like a soldier in the marines to me. He is like the private who saves everybody and gets his medal.But is he really a “hero”. He could be known as a hero to his men on the journey he took, but to everyone else, he i just doing something to save his own life and get back home. A hero is someone who nearly dies or dies in an attempt for somebody else who needs help. In some ways he could be considered a hero, but he could also just be doing his job. It all depends on what you consider a hero. I consider a fire fighter to be a hero because they risk their lives too save people in burning houses. And they volunteer. So Odysseus could be a hero or not, depending on what you think a hero is.
November 11th, 2008 at 9:35 am
Steven, i really agree with your comment. Polititians remind me of odysseues because the have to lie to get what they want. Also they hae to outwit their oppenet to get the public to believe they ae the better candidate to vote for.
November 11th, 2008 at 9:38 am
I don’t think Odysseus is a hero because he was only on his journey for him and his crew members. A hero to me is someone that helps other people and want something better for the people around him/her. Odysseus is not a hero because he is not helping other people to make a better life for the people around him.
November 11th, 2008 at 9:43 am
Olivia M, I completely agree with you. To me, Odysseus isn’t a hero. A hero isn’t someone who can get him/herself out of a scarey situation, it is someone who is willing to help others without regard for their own health. I don’t believe that Odysseus was very concerned with anyone else’s safety for the most part. In fact, in our mythology books, I do believe that about 4 soldiers were eaten by the cyclops before Odysseus decided it was time to go. If Odysseus was a true hero, he would have tried to save them. I guess it’s kind of like the question:Is a sport’s fgure a hero? They’re athletic, I’m sure they’re great people, but are they heros?
November 11th, 2008 at 9:47 am
Hazel, i agree with you completely. If Odysseus was a hero, he would have tried to save everyone by attempting to get everyone back home safely. He let most of his men die and he was the only one to survive. A hero would have saved more.
November 11th, 2008 at 9:48 am
I believe that people that serve in our military, and in any other military are heroes. People risk their lives for what they believe in, that is one of the largest traits of heroism, whether it be the bank teller that presses the burglary button or the man that warns a crowd of a terrorist bomber. There are many heroes that are similar to Odysseus.
November 11th, 2008 at 11:13 am
Oydssues is not a hero. He is a fictional character, and heroes have to be people who are real and who have done somthing for society or for someone.
November 11th, 2008 at 11:18 am
I agree with Steven that Odysseus displayed traits that were similar to many politicians. Odysseus was strong willed like many politicians, and was determined to get home to his wife like some politicians are determined to get what they promised to the people that they represent. Politicians are also clever in running their campaigns and sometimes tell lies to get votes, similar to Odysseus tricking the cyclops so that he and his men could escape.
November 11th, 2008 at 11:21 am
I think that Barack Obama also has similar traits. I think this because he is intelligent,and brave, just like Odysseus. I know Barack Obama is brave because he doesn’t care what other people think about his race. For examle I heard that their was a death threat for Barack, I would think he would of heard about this, and maybe he would give up. But no, not even someone who was trying to kill him would stop him, he kept going untill he won the election. To me that is a great sense of bravery.
November 11th, 2008 at 5:56 pm
In my opinion Odysseus is not a hero. He doesn’t do anything to better people around him or benefit other people. He was just smart and got people out of tough situations and that doesn’t necissarly make him a hero. Real heroes are people who help charities and make a real sacrafices, like American soldiers.
November 11th, 2008 at 7:42 pm
There are a lot of people that possess the same traits as Odysseus and they are required to have those traits to do their job correctly. Policemen, firemen and doctors. They have to be smart and they have to be able to “think on their feet”. Policemen and firemen have to be ready to go to a crime scene/fire and know what to do. Doctors have to be able to tell what is wrong with their patients and how to treat them with either medications, surgeries, and other forms of treatment. I think cleverness, and intelligence is a very valuable trait to have in a hero.
November 11th, 2008 at 7:55 pm
Many people in our society today display characteristics similar to Odysseus’. The first two that come to mind are the presidential candidates, John McCain and Barack Obama. They show intelligence because they both went to top schools that are difficult to get into and you obviously have to be brilliant to run or even become president. They both showed braveness when they made speeches in front of TONS of people. They went up on stage and stated their case unlike most people who would be too scared to stand up and state what they believe in. The candidates were also being clever with their bashing commercials. These are commercials made by the opposing candidate stating what is wrong with the other and what they’ve done wrong. These were clever because they were being sneaky trying to get peoples votes even if they had to lie. Barack Obama and John McCain both show similar characteristics to Odysseus.
November 11th, 2008 at 8:01 pm
-reply to Olivia M.
Olivia you make a very good point to whether Odysseus is even a real hero. Truly how can a fictional character be a hero? He never really did any of the acts it states in the stories in real life. For example, he can’t be considered clever for outsmarting a cyclops because cyclops don’t really exist!
November 11th, 2008 at 8:08 pm
I believe the people that serve our country are similar to Odyseus. They have to be clever and on their toes all the time in order to survive. Most of them always come up with clever tricks to get out of a bad situation. So, that’s why i think the armed forces men and women are as Odyseus.
November 11th, 2008 at 8:26 pm
The real heroes in the world are firefighters, doctors, and people that serve our country. They possess similar character traits such as brave, strong, and smart just like Odysseus. But, I don’t think that Odysseus can be considered a hero because how do we know that he even exist or not. All he did was just get himself out of a bad situation, and survived. But,can that really be considered a hero.
November 11th, 2008 at 8:53 pm
I agree with Ryan and Rachel. Cops, and Firefighters should be considered heroes by everyone. They help keep us safe whenever there is an emergency. Also if were in a bad accident, the EMT’s are there to get us to the hospital were the doctors keep us alive. Without firefighters and cops, there would be chaos everywhere, if there would be even a small fire it would turn out to be a disaster. With no cops, bad guys could steal and kill and get away with anything. This is why policemen and firemen are heroes.
November 11th, 2008 at 8:56 pm
reply to oliva m & rebecca m
You have really good reasoning.
Was odyseus really a hero, and how could he be if his most heroic expeciance must have been fictional? I completly agree, and I say no hero can be compared to one that has no heroic experiance.
November 11th, 2008 at 10:11 pm
Honestly, i think odysseus is a hero. I believe this because like fire fighters and the armed forces, he risks his life to save other people around him. Also Odysseus probobly did not get paid like firefighters or the armed forces who do not get paid that much to risk their lives. He was doing what he thought was right, and he ended up getting all of his troops to where they needed to be. Overall, Odysseus is a hero because he risks his life for the sake of other people, and he does it because he knows that it is right, not for the profit he will make from it.
November 12th, 2008 at 8:59 am
Through the writings of many bards and poets, today we know the story of the great man Odysseus. Though, there is controversy. How do we truly know that Odysseus lived hundreds of years ago? For the most part, it is safe to say that the Odyssey is a fictitious story. But, a man may have lived who was named Odysseus. He may have fought in the Trojan war. He my have had a hard time getting home, and may have had a long journey, but I doubt that he actually fought mythical creatures. Whether or not he actually lived, we can still learn from the story and the examples set in it. The man became a hero because he always put the well being of his men before his own. He was quick thinking, and intelligent. He never gave up on his clearly defined mission. That is what makes a hero. To me, there are many people today that fits this definition, but one that really sticks out in my mind in Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Like Odysseus,he always put the well being of his followers, and his race before his own. He also knew how to use his words to make a clear point. This man was great man, and he helped to end segregation in America. He, like Odysseus, is a hero.
November 12th, 2008 at 11:20 am
In my opinon, police men and women are like Odysseus. They are like Odysseus because police officers are clever. They know, or have an idea, of where to find their next criminals. Police men and women are brave. They have to be associated with weapons and things that could harm them, every day. Police officers are intelligent. They know how to handle most situations that come at them maturely and without anyone getting majorly injured.
November 12th, 2008 at 11:29 am
soldiers are also like Odysseus.Soldiers are trying to help as many people as they can and serve their country to protect us and our freedom. Odysseus also fought in a war to protect his people.
November 13th, 2008 at 5:48 pm
I agree totally with Rachael W’s comment. The soldiers in Iraq show the exact same characteristics that Odysseus showed. They are selfless people who are fighting for our freedom, as Odysseus did for the Spartans.