Is Odysseus a Hero?

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You might think initially that the main character of a story is usually a flawless hero. However, I believe that Odysseus makes many decisions throughout the story that are very clearly selfish and inconsiderate towards the men that look up to him and need him. For example, when Odysseus and his men arrive on Polyphemus's island, Odysseus's actions are self-centered and at the expense of his men. That general situation happens repeatedly throughout the story, as his main objective is to reach his home. It makes you think that his men getting home is low on Odysseus’s list, which is proven when Circe tells him that he will be the only survivor, and he seems not to care. Odysseus could be considered a hero, but many of his actions say otherwise. Now in modern culture, a hero puts himself before others. The hero is the one that runs into the burning building; The one that saves the city. The one that you would least expect. The hero is not the strongest, most attractive, richest one who puts himself before others, as Odysseus consistently does. An easy example of Odysseus’s lack of devotion to his men is Odysseus's time on Polyphemus's island, where many of his actions were cowardly and put his men in harms way. I believe that a heroic person is someone who does courageous things for the people that he loves and and is responsible for. An example of this is when Odysseus and his men are trapped in the Cyclopes’s cave, Odysseus says “Now came the time to toss for it: who ventured along with me? Whose hand could bear to thrust and grind that spike in Cyclops eye” (279). Odysseus is saying that he wants to decide who is to aid him in killing Polyphemus simply with a toss of a coin. This is hardly a heroic decision, and it shows his lack of true leadership. Yet another example from Polyphemus’s island was when Odysseus watches and cheers as his men stab Polyphemus in
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