{"content":{"sharePage":{"page":0,"digests":[{"id":"40048454","dateCreated":"1307542975","smartDate":"Jun 8, 2011","userCreated":{"username":"sicama","url":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/view\/sicama","imageUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/i\/user_none_lg.jpg"},"monitored":false,"locked":false,"links":{"self":"https:\/\/johngruesser240311i.wikispaces.com\/share\/view\/40048454"},"dateDigested":1531982893,"startDate":null,"sharedType":"discussion","title":"essay number 2","description":"There are many people in stories who fight for a cause and are classified as heroes.  What constitutes a hero is defined by the society that reads about him or her.  In the Odyssey, Odysseus is the hero in that epic poem, according to the Greeks who herd it in there time.  I believe for a person to be a hero they must be humble and selflessness and I believe pride and vengeance do not constitute a hero.  I believe Odysseus was not a hero according to the behaviors I believe a hero to have.  <br \/>\n    I believe Odysseus is not a hero because he was not humble but prideful in the way he handled things.  For example when he finally escaped from the Cyclops Polyphemos, as he is sailing away he mocks him and the blind Polyphemos throws a huge rock at them which barely misses the ship.  Then when Odysseus\u2019s crew finally gets the ship under control and underway Odysseus is about to mock him again a second time but his crew begs him not to saying, \u201cHard one, why are you trying once more to stir up this savage man, who just now threw a missile in the sea, forcing our ship to the land again, and we thought once more we were finished; and if he had heard a voice or anyone of us speaking,  he would have broken all our heads and our ship\u2019s timbers with a cast of a great giant jagged stone, so strong is his throwing.\u201d \u201cSo they spoke, but could not persuade the great heart in me ( IX, 494-500).\u201d  Odysseus does not listen or care about the well being of his crew and mocks Polyphemos again.  Then Polyphemos prays to his father Poseidon to put a curse on him and his crew and everything that he says in his prayer all come to pass a few books later.  One of the things he says is that Odysseus\u2019s crew would be wiped out and all of them due die in book XII.  Through his arrogance and selfishness he got put his crew in danger and his adventure home would be delayed another 10 years making his wife at home which causes the problem with the suitors anyway.  His arrogance not only affects the people around him but also his loved ones like Telemachos and Penelope.  His crew said hard one, it reminds me of Pharaoh in the book of Exodus when he harden his heart not to let the children of Israel leave Egypt and it got himself and his whole army drown in the Red Sea.  Unlike Moses, who humbled himself and stood for the children of Israel and obeyed God and lead the children of Israel out of Egypt.  <br \/>\n    Another reason I think Odysseus is not hero is his brutality at the end of the book.  When Odysseus reveals himself to the suitors, by shooting an arrow threw Antinoos\u2019s neck, the suitors are shocked.  Eurymachos, a suitor steps up and pleads with him for forgiveness and mercy.  Odysseus disregards his plea and for forgiveness and takes his revenge and kills all the suitors.  Not only does he kill the suitors he also kills the disloyal servants.  In my opinion this is selfishness and vengeful.  He could have forgave them or punish them less harshly because there crimes I believe did not constitute death.   I believe a hero should have forgiveness and mercy.  A hero in my life is Jesus Christ, when he willing gave up his life for mankind, for the remission of sins, to reconcile man to God.  He said to Peter before they took him that he could pray for more then 12 legions of angles to fight upon his behalf.  As he was being crucified he didn\u2019t plot his revenge for the Jews that crucified him, but said they don\u2019t know what they are doing forgive them as he prays while he is on the cross.<br \/>\n    In conclusion I believe a hero must be humble and selfless in his or her endeavors.  Qualities that are not heroic are pride and vengefulness.  Through his pride he gets his men killed by mocking Polyphemos and his vengeance by killing all the suitors and disloyal servants.  Just because one is cunning and a good fighter and comes out the victor does not make him a hero.","replyPages":[{"page":0,"digests":[],"more":0}]}],"more":false},"comments":[]},"http":{"code":200,"status":"OK"},"redirectUrl":null,"javascript":null,"notices":{"warning":[],"error":[],"info":[],"success":[]}}