The concept of hero conveys to mind various images to different people. ... In the epic story of the Odyssey, Odysseus the main character was subjected to various life threatening situations such as when he and his men were captured by the Cyclops and held captive in his cave. ... In the epic of Gilgamesh, the Bull of Heaven was sent to earth for killing Humbababa, to cause famine and kill the people of Uruk. ... On the same note, the epic story of The Ramayana of Valmiki, Rama showed acts of selfless-service by protecting his counterpart in life Sita during the attack of the crow and saving h...

• Word Count: 797
• Approx Pages: 3
• Grade Level: Undergraduate

In Homer's The Odyssey, Odysseus portrays the perfect Homeric hero in possessing all the defining traits of an admirable hero and leader. ... The epic's protagonist, Odysseus, is immediately introduced as the hero whose sharp intellect and wit helped win the Trojan war. The Odyssey continues to exemplify his heroic traits in the epic of his homecoming. ... By his unnecessary taunts, Odysseus flaws his heroic character through excessive pride, whose consequences are manifested throughout the epic. ... His respect for the gods and xenia, overall loyalty to his wife and kingdom, as w...

• Word Count: 885
• Approx Pages: 4
• Grade Level: Undergraduate

The readers of these two stories must appreciate the epics of both. Within the poem The Odyssey, Odysseus is construed as the hero that eventually returns to his wife, Penelope. ... Us readers are adapted to these fairytales with heroes without the mystery of whether they are the protagonist or antagonist. ... The attraction to the author's portrayals and interpretations of Penelope and Odysseus show a sense of irony while both stories have the epic subject matter that the reader must appreciate. ...

• Word Count: 709
• Approx Pages: 3
• Grade Level: Undergraduate

Hogan March 7, 2002 Essay Question #4: In reading The Iliad by Homer, we were introduced to the many conflicting character traits of one of the epic's major heroic characters, Akhilleus. Although The Iliad portrays Akhilleus as a great warrior and a noble hero, his irrational and horrific actions can at times tarnish the image of this great character. Akhilleus possesses all the marks of a great hero, and throughout the story proves to us that he is, if not the mightiest, one of the mightiest military warriors amongst both the Achaean and Trojan armies. ...

• Word Count: 725
• Approx Pages: 3
• Grade Level: Undergraduate