Courage and Wits are the main characteristics into becoming a hero. In the movie The Lion King, Mufasa says “I’m only brave when I have to. Being brave doesn’t mean looking for trouble”. Mufasa just wants to protect his kingdom and his family, that’s what Odysseus wants to accomplish as well. This quote displays Odysseus’s courage towards the journey he embarks on as well as his courage to protect his men. Odysseus is a natural-born leader who people listen to. Odysseus fits the dictionary definition of a hero which is “a mythological or legendary figure often of divine descent endowed with great strength or ability; an illustrious warrior; a man admired for his achievements and noble qualities; one that shows great courage”. He is a mythological creature who defeats other mythological creatures to better the earth. His wits and courage are his great strength and ability as well as many more qualities. He is a man that his crew know they can trust. This helps him to encourage his men to keep going even when they are doubting. Homer uses the dauntlessness and wits of Odysseus to prove the Greek’s idea of a hero.
Odysseus uses his wits to protect his men and himself. He is considered a hero and thinks about his men before himself. A hero is someone who fights for others before protecting themselves and someone who is brave as well as selfless. Homer convinces us that Odysseus is a hero and these traits are what makes him who is. Odysseus and his men were trapped in a cave with a Cyclopes when he comes up with an idea and says “My name is Nohbdy: mother, father, and friends, everyone calls me Nohbdy” (Homer 263-264). Odysseus tells the cyclopes that his name is nobody so he cant call for help when they stab him. Thinking on his feet that quickly is why people follow him as a leader and trust him to get them out of situations. Being such an effective leader helps him as a hero. Odysseus and his men were preparing for the right time to strike. Odysseus explains his plan when he says “I drew it from the coals and my four fellows gave me a hand, lugging it near the Cyclopes as more than natural force nerved them; straight forward they sprinted, lifted it, and rammed it deep in his crater eye.” (Homer 276-280). Homer uses imagery to show how they brutally stabbed the cyclops in the eye. Odysseus shows his intellect when he warmed up the big piece of wood or it might not have gone into the eye so smoothly. His crew workers helped him to kill the cyclops, this shows their dedication towards the one they call their hero. Homer wants us to know that Odysseus’s mind and wits are what lead him to become a hero that everyone trusts. Odysseus proves to the Gods that he can go through all of the hard and difficult journeys that they made him go through. He never loses and part of himself including his hope. He perseveres even when times get tough and thinks that he might not see his son and wife again. Although Odysseus’s mind is what helped him the most through his journey his courage was another part of him that he could not have done without.
Odysseus’s fearless acts are all due to his courage. Courage is defined as the quality of mind which allows one to face danger without fear; courage; fearlessness. In a successful man, the characteristic of courage is important because it allows him to have confidence, and not to be afraid of what happens or will happen in his life. This helps him to feel as though he could do anything. Odysseus shows us courage many times throughout the odyssey. He uses his courage to protect his men as well as himself. Odysseus men were being killed by circe so he listened to Hermes and ate the plant that would stop her magic from working. Homer writes “When Circe has used on Odysseus the magic which had always hitherto been successful and her amazement saw him stand unchanged before, her, she so marveled at the man who could resist her enchantment that she loved him” (Homer 306). Odysseus proves that he was courageous and would do anything to protect his men. He risked himself by eating the plant and standing up to her not knowing if he would be protected by the plant or not. Odysseus’s courage awarded him when circe helped him and his men after she saw what Odysseus did. Homer explains “She treated them all with such kindness, feasting them sumptuously in her house, that for a whole year they stayed happily with her”. (Homer 306). Because of Odysseus all of the men did not die and were spared. He is the one who made her happy. He didn’t only help himself he also helped Circe not meaning to. These characteristics show us that Odysseus is a hero and he cares about others more than he cares about himself. One other characteristic that Odysseus uses during his journey is his dauntlessness.
Odysseus has displayed his courage as well as his wits. One of his major qualities that helps him to jump into danger without even thinking. He does this to make sure that others are safe before he saves himself. Odysseus and his men were passing the sirens island he knew what they could do but kept it to himself to protect his men. Homer explains“Odysseus told his men about them and that the only way to pass safely was for each man to stop his ear with wax”(Homer 310). He protected his men from the siren song so that they wouldn’t be consumed by their charm. His dauntless side induced him into wanting to hear the sirens. Odysseus’s dauntless side also affects Odysseus in a bad way as well. He didn’t need to hear the song he could have put beeswax in his ear. He would never have beeswax in his ear due to his need to be fearless. Odysseus needed to find a way to keep himself from being killed by the sirens so he came up with the idea of “He himself, however, was determined to hear them, and he proposed that the crew should tie him to the mast so strongly that he could not get away however much he tried” (Homer 310). He knew that he would not survive if he was not restricted. Making his crew tie him up was a precaution that he took to save himself. His crew trusted him and knew that he would survive this so they did as he said and tied him up. Odysseus’s needs for danger and to participate in adventures that are dangerous is so he can have a self victory. This is not to show off its something that he does for himself. Odysseus is not a selfish person he wants the best for everyone and that’s why he completed the hero’s journey.
Odysseus’s heroic abilities and personality allow him to achieve hero status. His leadership throughout the journey shows his dedication to his men. His never-ending courage and strength encourage him to continue this journey without having to take a step back or fray away from the fight. These characteristics prove that Odysseus is truly a hero. Saving his men from the Cyclopes by using his wits, showing is courage by defeating circe, and giving his men Beez wax to stop his men from hearing the sirens displays his dauntlessness. He defeated many enemies that the Gods threw at him. Odysseus proved himself not only to the Gods but to his son that his abilities will get him through anything and that you should never give up. In the world people are always giving up or not believing in themselves to do anything. Odysseus shows us that it doesn’t matter who old you are or how smart you are, you can still do anything that you put your mind to. That’s what Odysseus did and he got what he wanted he didn’t lose faith or give up he persevered through the tough times. His road of trials is over and he returned home to his family. The dauntlessness and wits of Odysseus were used to prove that he has completed his hero’s journey.