Odysseus As An Epic Hero Analysis

670 Words3 Pages
What qualities does an epic hero have that the average person may lack? In The Odyssey by Homer, Odysseus is poised under pressure, brave, and intelligent but can sometimes rush through his plans and not think them through all the way. A modern day hero that I can compare to Odysseus would be Sgt. Salvatore Giunta, the only Medal of Honor winner to survive the actions that earned him the reward since the Vietnam War. Sgt. Salvatore Giunta is poised under pressure and brave like Odysseus. Unlike modern day heroes, Epic heroes like Odysseus tend to have more skills than the average person and show no weakness or fear but modern heroes can be just as courageous as an epic hero. In The Odyssey, the main character, Odysseus, is poised under pressure, brave, and intelligent but like a modern day hero, he can sometimes rush…show more content…
Salvatore Giunta, a twenty-five year old staff sergeant from Iowa, is the first person from the Vietnam War to have survived the actions that earned him the reward. Sgt. Giunta showed how brave he really was when he and his men were attacked on their way back to base. Giunta saw several of his men get shot. As he rushed to his men’s aid, he noticed that one of his men was missing. As he ran over a nearby hill, he saw the man being carried away by two members of the Taliban. He killed one of them and the other ran away. This act of courage is what makes Sgt. Salvatore Giunta similar to an epic hero. The qualities of ancient Greek heroes do align with modern day heroes. Both modern day heroes and epic heroes are able to be brave when they need to be. Odysseus, an epic hero, was a brave warrior who risked his life for his men when they needed him. Sgt. Salvatore Giunta, a modern day hero, was also able to be brave when his men needed him the most. Sgt. Giunta was also had good instincts like an epic hero which kept him alive. Odysseus also had good instincts like all other epic heroes. His instincts are what kept him alive in bad

More about Odysseus As An Epic Hero Analysis

Open Document