Is Odysseus a Hero Final Essay

A hero is a person who is brave and protects others out of the kindness of their own heart. Odysseus isn't a hero because he only protects a few people. He only protects others for his own benefit or selfish reasons on the few occasions he does so. While people may think Odysseus is a hero because he defeated the suitors, he did so for his own personal gain; Odysseus is not a hero because he is self-centered and selfish.

To begin, Odysseus is not a hero because he is selfish. Book 9 describes how Odysseus brought his crew into the Cyclops' cave because he was curious. Then, six of his best men were eaten by the Cyclops. This demonstrates his selfishness because bringing people that have decided to follow and trust you somewhere they could be murdered just because you are interested in something is highly selfish. In this book, Odysseus lacked selflessness and compassion, which are characteristics of heroism.

Others may, on the other side, believe that Odysseus is a hero. People may assume this since he protected his wife and son from suitors. Even if he protected them, he also killed a hundred others, therefore this evidence is problematic. Killing people is always wrong, but especially the amount that he killed.

Odysseus, unlike my heroes, is not a hero. Batman is a hero who I admire. Batman is selfless, and his basic rule is that no one should be killed. Odysseus is not a hero since he murders people and is egotistical. Something Batman has done that demonstrates his selflessness is to save his major foe, The Joker, from a potentially fatal fall. Odysseus was responsible for the deaths of numerous individuals, even those who trusted him. Odysseus is not a hero, as shown by this contrast.

Since he is egotistical, Odysseus is not a hero. Even if he vanquished the suitors who tried to marry his wife, he still committed a crime by murdering 100 of his citizens. Odysseus is a self-centered individual who only thinks about himself, his wife, and his son. He killed 100 suitors and his men were also killed by the Cyclops simply for the reason that he was curious. In today's environment, I do not believe Odysseus would be regarded as a hero. Odysseus, I believe, would be deemed a criminal and imprisoned.

Response Letter to Ms. Klein 

My name is Maddox Matthews, I am from Kingston, Jamaica and I moved to Georgia in 2009. I lived in Kirkwood for a few years before I moved to the west end and I am just now moving to cascade. As a child I was very hyper and energetic. Other than that I don’t really remember anything else significant from when I was younger.

As a student I have a tendency to talk a lot in class when I have friends in that class. I also missed quite a few deadlines during virtual school since it was harder to keep myself focused. Some things I like about this school are that it challenges the students or if they need help they get help. I also like how they are accepting of you.

All that has changed about me in the past sixteen months is my physical appearance. I have gotten taller and my hair is longer. My hopes for this school year are to keep up with my work and get good grades. My hopes for my future are to get into Georgia Tech and get a good job.