Odysseus, An Unconventional Hero Depicted in The Odyssey...

An Unconventional Hero According to Greek mythology, a hero is one who values glory above life itself and honorably dies in the battle during his prime period of his life. After the gods and demi-god of Greece, heroes probably are the most admirable figures in society. However, Odysseus seems to defy the conventional definition of a hero. He is overwhelmed with tremendous obstacles and difficulty, often beyond that a normal man could endure but he determines to stay alive rather than die young. Achilles states in Book 11 â€Å"I’d rather be a hired hand back on earth†¦, | Than lord it over all these withered dead†(Odyssey 11.510-512). Achilles’ statement appears to solidify Odysseus’s determination to live and†¦show more content†¦283-284). The strength and brutality of Polyphemus is certainly unquestionable. However, Odysseus plans to draw his â€Å"sharp sword and [drive] it home,| Into his chest†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Odyssey 9.293). For they would all have perished if Odysseus had drawn his sword since none but Polyphemus could shift the boulder which closes the entrance of the cave. Odysseus clearly understands that he cannot overwhelm Polyphemus and thus devises around his drawback by taking advantage of the Cyclops’ foolishness. Odysseus appears to realize the importance of trickery and its inseparable connection with survival, which is contrasted with the sheer brute strength that the Cyclops employs. Despite Odysseus uses strength to drill a stake into the single eye of Polyphemus, this illustration of force may seem to be his part of plan to deceive the savage. In addition, Books 9 to 12 appear to have no divine figures intervening Odysseus’s recreation of stories except in Book 10 where Hermes digs up â€Å"moly† (Odyssey 10.325) to prevent Circe from casting her spells on Odysseus. Divine intervention seems to be an iconic feature of ancient Greek literature. Gods appear to play an immense and important role in the lives and fates of the mortal dwellers of the earth. 3 An attribute of being a