I do not think that Odysseus should be considered a hero for modern times. He may be a war hero, but I consider a hero to be someone who sets a good example or goes out of their way to do something tough. Odysseus shows his lack of heroism when he stays with Circe for a year. He was unfaithful to his loving wife Penelope, and was setting a bad example to his crew. Circe had turned some of his men into pigs, and the next thing you know Odysseus is her lover. What type of protagonist almost kills his enemy and then becomes her lover? It is shows how easily Odysseus can be swayed in his beliefs. His morals must not have been very likable. It also shows how disloyal he was to his wife, and disloyalty is not a characteristic of a hero. Another time Odysseus didn’t act like a hero was when Odysseus visits the dead in Hades. At first Odysseus met with his mother and war friends, but when more people wanted to talk with him he became alarmed and went back to the other world. This shows a cowardly and impatient side to Odysseus. He just raced back up to the ship and was on his way, without helping the people. Odysseus could have stayed and talked with people, and maybe they would have helped him on his journey, but he just ran away.
Odysseus also was unable to resist a duel. In book eighteen, a beggar insults Odysseus and challenges him to a duel. Odysseus accepts and fights the beggar and almost kills him. I think this was an overreaction. Odysseus could have ignored the beggar and kept peace, but he refused to be insulted and had to defend his “honor”. I think it would have been more honorable to ignore the man, which would have perhaps even given Odysseus respect from the suitors. Odysseus was also unable to control his anger in a situation with the suitors. When the time came for Odysseus to defeat the suitors, he murdered them all, not leaving one man alive. I think this was very rash and foolish. He could have just ordered them out of their house or even just threatened them, and they probably would have left, but he killed them all. This was a bad decision, because most of the men lived in the community. Time after time Odysseus made many mistakes. He was disloyal, dishonorable, and just didn’t think things through all the way. Odysseus may have conquered people by strength, but that does not make him a hero in my opinion.
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Andrea, I agree with you that Odysseus should not be considered a hero for modern times. You make a good point on how even though he is a war hero, that isn't the same as a modern hero. You also made another good point on how at the begining of the epic poem Odysseus hated Circe and then he starts to love her. If he loves Circe, that means he is not being true to his wife, Penelope, which isn't a characteristic a hero should have. I liked your example of how Odysseus acted in a coward and impatient way while visiting the underworld. Those are for sure not ways in which a hero should act. I agree with you on how Odysseus overreacted by killing the beggar. He acted to quickly and did something that was unheroic. Overall, you did a great job at explaining why Odysseus shouldn't be considered a modern day hero!
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