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Odysseus as an Epic Hero

Odysseus also showed emotion when Odysseus was in Hades in search of Tiresias, Odysseus saw his mother, Anticlea, who had committed suicide because she couldn't bear the pain from not knowing what had happened to her son (Gr. 617). This shows that Odysseus loved his mother with all his heart. It also shows that he hates himself for leaving and causing his mother to have pain in her life. By the examples given and the further examples that have been left out of this thesis, you can conclude that the Greek society in the days of Homer cherished the characteristic emotion in their heroes.
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             The Greek society also strongly appreciate when their hero is beautiful. Odysseus shows the quality of beauty when Athena changed Odysseus from an old beggar to a hero. Even his son does not believe it is Odysseus because he is so beautiful, Telemachus thinks he is a god (BL. 1426). This shows that the Greek people liked to envision pretty people, it is the same way with Americans heroes today. Not one hero in any movie is not easy to look at. This also shows that the Greeks envisioned the gods as beautiful people as well, not one god even Hades is ugly. Odysseus shows the characteristic of beauty again when, Athena changed his appearance when Odysseus was talking to Penelope, it says "She made him tall and crisper too, with crisping hair. all red golden." ( BL. 1890). This shows that the Greeks wanted him to be like he was when he first left his home. None of the beauty changing was needed it was just because the people wanted it that way that it was so. It also shows that the people want more conflict in the story because, by his beautiful appearance Penelope might be skeptical and want more proof. It is clear that the Greek community needed beauty, because they couldn't stand for their role model and their hero to be ugly.
             In Odysseus's adventures he uses leadership as one of his many good traits.


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