Now that you’ve had a chance to familiarize yourself with the traditional epic hero and had the chance to see one in action in the passage from the Oddysey, let’s talk about them!
How is Ulysses’ method for overcoming the cyclops an example of one (or more) of the seven characteristics of an epic hero?
Take a modern hero from film, literature, or television (except Batman) and identify one similarity and one difference. between them and Ulysses
Excerpt from Book IX of The Odyssey
Ulysses and Polyphemus
…”While we were feasting we kept turning our eyes towards the land of the Cyclopes, which was hard
by, and saw the smoke of their stubble fires. We could almost fancy we heard their voices and the
bleating of their sheep and goats, but when the sun went down and it came on dark, we camped down
upon the beach, and next morning I called a council.
“‘Stay here, my brave fellows,’ said I, ‘all the rest of you, while I go with my ship and exploit these
people myself: I want to see if they are uncivilised savages, or a hospitable and humane race.’
“I went on board, bidding my men to do so also and loose the hawsers; so they took their places and
smote the grey sea with their oars. When we got to the land, which was not far, there, on the face of a
cliff near the sea, we saw a great cave overhung with laurels. It was a station for a great many sheep and
goats, and outside there was a large yard, with a high wall round it made of stones built into the ground
and of trees both pine and oak. This was the abode of a huge monster who was then away from home
shepherding his flocks. He would have nothing to do with other people, but led the life of an outlaw. He
was a horrid creature, not like a human being at all, but resembling rather some crag that stands out
boldly against the sky on the top of a high mountain.
“I told my men to draw the ship ashore, and stay where they were, all but the twelve best among them,
who were to go along with myself. I also took a goatskin of sweet black wine which had been given me
by Maron, son of Euanthes, who was priest of Apollo the patron god of Ismarus, and lived within the
wooded precincts of the temple. When we were sacking the city we respected him, and spared his life,
as also his wife and child; so he made me some presents of great value—seven talents of fine gold, and a
bowl of silver, with twelve jars of sweet wine, unblended, and of the most exquisite flavour. Not a man
nor maid in the house knew about it, but only himself, his wife, and one housekeeper: when he drank it
he mixed twenty parts of water to one of wine, and yet the fragrance from the mixing-bowl was so
exquisite that it was impossible to refrain from drinking. I filled a large skin with this wine, and took a
wallet full of provisions with me, for my mind misgave me that I might have to deal with some savage
who would be of great strength, and would respect neither right nor law.
“We soon reached his cave, but he was out shepherding, so we went inside and took stock of all that we
could see. His cheese-racks were loaded with cheeses, and he had more lambs and kids than his pens
could hold. They were kept in separate flocks; first there were the hoggets, then the oldest of the
younger lambs and lastly the very young ones[80] all kept apart from one another; as for his dairy, all
the vessels, bowls, and milk pails into which he milked, were swimming with whey. When they saw all
this, my men begged me to let them first steal some cheeses, and make off with them to the ship; they
would then return, drive down the lambs and kids, put them on board and sail away with them. It would
have been indeed better if we had done so but I would not listen to them, for I wanted to see the owner
himself, in the hope that he might give me a present. When, however, we saw him my poor men found
him ill to deal with.
“We lit a fire, offered some of the cheeses in sacrifice, ate others of them, and then sat waiting till the
Cyclops should come in with his sheep. When he came, he brought in with him a huge load of dry
firewood to light the fire for his supper, and this he flung with such a noise on to the floor of his cave
that we hid ourselves for fear at the far end of the cavern. Meanwhile he drove all the ewes inside, as
well as the she-goats that he was going to milk, leaving the males, both rams and he-goats, outside in
the yards. Then he rolled a huge stone to the mouth of the cave—so huge that two and twenty strong
four-wheeled waggons would not be enough to draw it from its place against the doorway. When he
had so done he sat down and milked his ewes and goats, all in due course, and then let each of them
have her own young. He curdled half the milk and set it aside in wicker strainers, but the other half he
poured into bowls that he might drink it for his supper. When he had got through with all his work, he lit
the fire, and then caught sight of us, whereon he said:
“‘Strangers, who are you? Where do sail from? Are you traders, or do you sail the sea as rovers, with
your hands against every man, and every man’s hand against you?’
“We were frightened out of our senses by his loud voice and monstrous form, but I managed to say, ‘We
are Achaeans on our way home from Troy, but by the will of Jove, and stress of weather, we have been
driven far out of our course. We are the people of Agamemnon, son of Atreus, who has won infinite
renown throughout the whole world, by sacking so great a city and killing so many people. We therefore
humbly pray you to show us some hospitality, and otherwise make us such presents as visitors may
reasonably expect. May your excellency fear the wrath of heaven, for we are your suppliants, and Jove
takes all respectable travellers under his protection, for he is the avenger of all suppliants and foreigners
in distress.’
“To this he gave me but a pitiless answer, ‘Stranger,’ said he, ‘you are a fool, or else you know nothing of
this country. Talk to me, indeed, about fearing the gods or shunning their anger? We Cyclopes do not
care about Jove or any of your blessed gods, for we are ever so much stronger than they. I shall not
spare either yourself or your companions out of any regard for Jove, unless I am in the humour for doing
so. And now tell me where you made your ship fast when you came on shore. Was it round the point, or
is she lying straight off the land?’
“He said this to draw me out, but I was too cunning to be caught in that way, so I answered with a lie;
‘Neptune,’ said I, ‘sent my ship on to the rocks at the far end of your country, and wrecked it. We were
driven on to them from the open sea, but I and those who are with me escaped the jaws of death.’
“The cruel wretch vouchsafed me not one word of answer, but with a sudden clutch he gripped up two
of my men at once and dashed them down upon the ground as though they had been puppies. Their
brains were shed upon the ground, and the earth was wet with their blood. Then he tore them limb
from limb and supped upon them. He gobbled them up like a lion in the wilderness, flesh, bones,
marrow, and entrails, without leaving anything uneaten. As for us, we wept and lifted up our hands to
heaven on seeing such a horrid sight, for we did not know what else to do; but when the Cyclops had
filled his huge paunch, and had washed down his meal of human flesh with a drink of neat milk, he
stretched himself full length upon the ground among his sheep, and went to sleep. I was at first inclined
to seize my sword, draw it, and drive it into his vitals, but I reflected that if I did we should all certainly
be lost, for we should never be able to shift the stone which the monster had put in front of the door. So
we stayed sobbing and sighing where we were till morning came.
“When the child of morning, rosy-fingered dawn, appeared, he again lit his fire, milked his goats and
ewes, all quite rightly, and then let each have her own young one; as soon as he had got through with all
his work, he clutched up two more of my men, and began eating them for his morning’s meal. Presently,
with the utmost ease, he rolled the stone away from the door and drove out his sheep, but he at once
put it back again—as easily as though he were merely clapping the lid on to a quiver full of arrows. As
soon as he had done so he shouted, and cried ‘Shoo, shoo,’ after his sheep to drive them on to the
mountain; so I was left to scheme some way of taking my revenge and covering myself with glory.
“In the end I deemed it would be the best plan to do as follows: The Cyclops had a great club which was
lying near one of the sheep pens; it was of green olive wood, and he had cut it intending to use it for a
staff as soon as it should be dry. It was so huge that we could only compare it to the mast of a twenty-
oared merchant vessel of large burden, and able to venture out into open sea. I went up to this club and
cut off about six feet of it; I then gave this piece to the men and told them to fine it evenly off at one
end, which they proceeded to do, and lastly I brought it to a point myself, charring the end in the fire to
make it harder. When I had done this I hid it under dung, which was lying about all over the cave, and
told the men to cast lots which of them should venture along with myself to lift it and bore it into the
monster’s eye while he was asleep. The lot fell upon the very four whom I should have chosen, and I
myself made five. In the evening the wretch came back from shepherding, and drove his flocks into the
cave—this time driving them all inside, and not leaving any in the yards; I suppose some fancy must
have taken him, or a god must have prompted him to do so. As soon as he had put the stone back to its
place against the door, he sat down, milked his ewes and his goats all quite rightly, and then let each
have her own young one; when he had got through with all this work, he gripped up two more of my
men, and made his supper off them. So I went up to him with an ivy-wood bowl of black wine in my
hands:
“‘Look here, Cyclops,’ said I, you have been eating a great deal of man’s flesh, so take this and drink
some wine, that you may see what kind of liquor we had on board my ship. I was bringing it to you as a
drink-offering, in the hope that you would take compassion upon me and further me on my way home,
whereas all you do is to go on ramping and raving most intolerably. You ought to be ashamed of
yourself; how can you expect people to come see you any more if you treat them in this way?’
“He then took the cup and drank. He was so delighted with the taste of the wine that he begged me for
another bowl full. ‘Be so kind,’ he said, ‘as to give me some more, and tell me your name at once. I want
to make you a present that you will be glad to have. We have wine even in this country, for our soil
grows grapes and the sun ripens them, but this drinks like Nectar and Ambrosia all in one.’
“I then gave him some more; three times did I fill the bowl for him, and three times did he drain it
without thought or heed; then, when I saw that the wine had got into his head, I said to him as plausibly
as I could: ‘Cyclops, you ask my name and I will tell it you; give me, therefore, the present you promised
me; my name is Noman; this is what my father and mother and my friends have always called me.’
“But the cruel wretch said, ‘Then I will eat all Noman’s comrades before Noman himself, and will keep
Noman for the last. This is the present that I will make him.’
“As he spoke he reeled, and fell sprawling face upwards on the ground. His great neck hung heavily
backwards and a deep sleep took hold upon him. Presently he turned sick, and threw up both wine and
the gobbets of human flesh on which he had been gorging, for he was very drunk. Then I thrust the
beam of wood far into the embers to heat it, and encouraged my men lest any of them should turn
faint-hearted. When the wood, green though it was, was about to blaze, I drew it out of the fire glowing
with heat, and my men gathered round me, for heaven had filled their hearts with courage. We drove
the sharp end of the beam into the monster’s eye, and bearing upon it with all my weight I kept turning
it round and round as though I were boring a hole in a ship’s plank with an auger, which two men with a
wheel and strap can keep on turning as long as they choose. Even thus did we bore the red hot beam
into his eye, till the boiling blood bubbled all over it as we worked it round and round, so that the steam
from the burning eyeball scalded his eyelids and eyebrows, and the roots of the eye sputtered in the
fire. As a blacksmith plunges an axe or hatchet into cold water to temper it—for it is this that gives
strength to the iron—and it makes a great hiss as he does so, even thus did the Cyclops’ eye hiss round
the beam of olive wood, and his hideous yells made the cave ring again. We ran away in a fright, but he
plucked the beam all besmirched with gore from his eye, and hurled it from him in a frenzy of rage and
pain, shouting as he did so to the other Cyclopes who lived on the bleak headlands near him; so they
gathered from all quarters round his cave when they heard him crying, and asked what was the matter
with him.
“‘What ails you, Polyphemus,’ said they, ‘that you make such a noise, breaking the stillness of the night,
and preventing us from being able to sleep? Surely no man is carrying off your sheep? Surely no man is
trying to kill you either by fraud or by force?’
“But Polyphemus shouted to them from inside the cave, ‘Noman is killing me by fraud; no man is killing
me by force.’
“‘Then,’ said they, ‘if no man is attacking you, you must be ill; when Jove makes people ill, there is no
help for it, and you had better pray to your father Neptune.’
“Then they went away, and I laughed inwardly at the success of my clever stratagem, but the Cyclops,
groaning and in an agony of pain, felt about with his hands till he found the stone and took it from the
door; then he sat in the doorway and stretched his hands in front of it to catch anyone going out with
the sheep, for he thought I might be foolish enough to attempt this.
“As for myself I kept on puzzling to think how I could best save my own life and those of my
companions; I schemed and schemed, as one who knows that his life depends upon it, for the danger
was very great. In the end I deemed that this plan would be the best; the male sheep were well grown,
and carried a heavy black fleece, so I bound them noiselessly in threes together, with some of the
withies on which the wicked monster used to sleep. There was to be a man under the middle sheep, and
the two on either side were to cover him, so that there were three sheep to each man. As for myself
there was a ram finer than any of the others, so I caught hold of him by the back, esconced myself in the
thick wool under his belly, and hung on patiently to his fleece, face upwards, keeping a firm hold on it all
the time.
“Thus, then, did we wait in great fear of mind till morning came, but when the child of morning, rosy-
fingered Dawn, appeared, the male sheep hurried out to feed, while the ewes remained bleating about
the pens waiting to be milked, for their udders were full to bursting; but their master in spite of all his
pain felt the backs of all the sheep as they stood upright, without being sharp enough to find out that
the men were underneath their bellies. As the ram was going out, last of all, heavy with its fleece and
with the weight of my crafty self, Polyphemus laid hold of it and said:
“‘My good ram, what is it that makes you the last to leave my cave this morning? You are not wont to let
the ewes go before you, but lead the mob with a run whether to flowery mead or bubbling fountain,
and are the first to come home again at night; but now you lag last of all. Is it because you know your
master has lost his eye, and are sorry because that wicked Noman and his horrid crew has got him down
in his drink and blinded him? But I will have his life yet. If you could understand and talk, you would tell
me where the wretch is hiding, and I would dash his brains upon the ground till they flew all over the
cave. I should thus have some satisfaction for the harm this no-good Noman has done me.’
“As he spoke he drove the ram outside, but when we were a little way out from the cave and yards, I
first got from under the ram’s belly, and then freed my comrades; as for the sheep, which were very fat,
by constantly heading them in the right direction we managed to drive them down to the ship. The crew
rejoiced greatly at seeing those of us who had escaped death, but wept for the others whom the Cyclops
had killed. However, I made signs to them by nodding and frowning that they were to hush their crying,
and told them to get all the sheep on board at once and put out to sea; so they went aboard, took their
places, and smote the grey sea with their oars. Then, when I had got as far out as my voice would reach,
I began to jeer at the Cyclops.
“‘Cyclops,’ said I, ‘you should have taken better measure of your man before eating up his comrades in
your cave. You wretch, eat up your visitors in your own house? You might have known that your sin
would find you out, and now Jove and the other gods have punished you.’
“He got more and more furious as he heard me, so he tore the top from off a high mountain, and flung it
just in front of my ship so that it was within a little of hitting the end of the rudder.[81] The sea quaked
as the rock fell into it, and the wash of the wave it raised carried us back towards the mainland, and
forced us towards the shore. But I snatched up a long pole and kept the ship off, making signs to my
men by nodding my head, that they must row for their lives, whereon they laid out with a will. When we
had got twice as far as we were before, I was for jeering at the Cyclops again, but the men begged and
prayed of me to hold my tongue.
“‘Do not,’ they exclaimed, ‘be mad enough to provoke this savage creature further; he has thrown one
rock at us already which drove us back again to the mainland, and we made sure it had been the death
of us; if he had then heard any further sound of voices he would have pounded our heads and our ship’s
timbers into a jelly with the rugged rocks he would have heaved at us, for he can throw them a long
way.’
“But I would not listen to them, and shouted out to him in my rage, ‘Cyclops, if any one asks you who it
was that put your eye out and spoiled your beauty, say it was the valiant warrior Ulysses, son of Laertes,
who lives in Ithaca.’
“On this he groaned, and cried out, ‘Alas, alas, then the old prophecy about me is coming true. There
was a prophet here, at one time, a man both brave and of great stature, Telemus son of Eurymus, who
was an excellent seer, and did all the prophesying for the Cyclopes till he grew old; he told me that all
this would happen to me some day, and said I should lose my sight by the hand of Ulysses. I have been
all along expecting some one of imposing presence and superhuman strength, whereas he turns out to
be a little insignificant weakling, who has managed to blind my eye by taking advantage of me in my
drink; come here, then, Ulysses, that I may make you presents to show my hospitality, and urge Neptune
to help you forward on your journey—for Neptune and I are father and son. He, if he so will, shall heal
me, which no one else neither god nor man can do.’
“Then I said, ‘I wish I could be as sure of killing you outright and sending you down to the house of
Hades, as I am that it will take more than Neptune to cure that eye of yours.’
“On this he lifted up his hands to the firmament of heaven and prayed, saying, ‘Hear me, great Neptune;
if I am indeed your own true begotten son, grant that Ulysses may never reach his home alive; or if he
must get back to his friends at last, let him do so late and in sore plight after losing all his men [let him
reach his home in another man’s ship and find trouble in his house.’
[82]
“Thus did he pray, and Neptune heard his prayer.”
Footnotes:
[80]
[ None but such lambs as would suck if they were with their mothers would be left in the yard.
The older lambs should have been out feeding. The authoress has got it all wrong, but it does not
matter. See “The Authoress of the Odyssey” p. 148.]
[81]
[ This line is enclosed in brackets in the received text, and is omitted (with note) by Messrs.
Butcher & Lang. But lines enclosed in brackets are almost always genuine; all that brackets mean
is that the bracketed passage puzzled some early editor, who nevertheless found it too well
established in the text to venture on omitting it. In the present case the line bracketed is the very
last which a full-grown male editor would be likely to interpolate. It is safer to infer that the
writer, a young woman, not knowing or caring at which end of the ship the rudder should be,
determined to make sure by placing it at both ends, which we shall find she presently does by
repeating it (line 340) at the stern of the ship. As for the two rocks thrown, the first I take to be
the Asinelli, see map facing p. 80. The second I see as the two contiguous islands of the
Formiche, which are treated as one, see map facing p. 108. The Asinelli is an island shaped like a
boat, and pointing to the island of Favognana. I think the authoress’s compatriots, who probably
did not like her much better that she did them, jeered at the absurdity of Ulysses’ conduct, and
saw the Asinelli or “donkeys,” not as the rock thrown by Polyphemus, but as the boat itself
containing Ulysses and his men.]
[82]
[ This line exists in the text here but not in the corresponding passage xii. 141. I am inclined to
think it is interpolated (probably by the poetess herself) from the first of lines xi. 115-137, which I
can hardly doubt were added by the writer when the scheme of the work was enlarged and
altered. See “The Authoress of the Odyssey” pp. 254-255.]
Source: https://www.gutenberg.org/files/1727/1727-h/1727-h.htm
https://www.gutenberg.org/files/1727/1727-h/1727-h.htm
7 Characteristics of Epic Heroes: Summary and Analysis
The two ancient Greek poets Hesiod and Homer, created the first guide on ancient Greek religion
and customs. In this guide, it was stated that there were five Ages of Mankind and that the Age
of Heroes was the fourth of those ages. In this age, Zeus, famously known as the King of the
Greek Gods, created special men who are powerful and noble. Although they are mere mortals,
their capabilities and characteristics were god-like. These men are known as epic heroes.
The words “epic hero” bring to mind mortal men defeating terrorizing monsters, a demigod with
super strengths, or even a man from a noble birth that is wise beyond his years. But what can we
say are the main traits of epic heroes?
There are seven main traits of epic heroes; they are of noble birth or elevated status. They have
superhuman capabilities, are a vast traveler, an unmatched warrior, a cultural legend,
demonstrate humility, and finally, battle superhuman foes.
Traits of an Epic Hero
I. Noble Birth
Most of the epic heroes that we know about were born to a noble family. They usually fall under
the category of kings, princes, nobles or another position of high rank. Commoners are not
usually found in their lineage.
II. Superhuman Capabilities
Most epic heroes have the capability to complete deeds of incredible strength and courage. This
means they have the potential for extraordinary deeds considered impossible for most humans.
These acts are beyond what the average commoner could do in their life. However, this does not
mean that they are necessarily “superheroes”; not all epic heroes are good heroes.
III. Vast Traveler
Epic heroes are known for traveling to exotic locations, either by choice or by chance, and
usually do so to fight against evil.
IV. Unmatched Warrior
Epic heroes usually established themselves as a capable fighter in a war. They also usually have
a reputation for being a warrior, even before the start of the story.
V. Cultural Legend
A hero is usually first recognized in his own home country as a hero, which leads to them
becoming known in other lands. Soon they will reach the status of legend where many different
countries celebrate them.
VI. Humility
Although recognized for their great deeds as heroes, they should never brag about it or even be
willing to accept applause. For example, Oedipus’ intelligence in answering the Sphinx’s riddle
earned him the throne of Thebes, yet he didn’t brag about it to Thebes’ people.
VII. Battles superhuman foes
Most epic heroes receive aid from a god or goddess when they are on a quest or are battling
against some superhuman forces. This is the part that makes their action epic because they are in
a battle that mere mortals cannot fight.
Examples would be Beowulf against Grendel and Odysseus against the Cyclops, Polyphemus.
One interesting fact is that for each of the heroes, their enemies are unique. It is unheard of that a
hero would fight the same enemy that another hero has already fought.
The Heroic Age
According to ancient genealogy, the heroic age spanned approximately 6 generations. This was a
time of legendary Greek figures like Perseus, Achilles, Heracles, Jason and Odysseus. These
great legendary figures all lived throughout this 4th age. Although filled with great tales of
exciting adventures and great challenges, it was also a time of sorrow, turmoil, and bloodshed,
and most of these epic heroes died in battle.
It is to be noted again that according to Homer, epic heroes were known to be “god-like.” In
other words, they are an exceptional being, one way or another.
However “god-like,” heroes, as they were, are not actually divine. They are humans. They can be
male or female, sometimes gifted with superhuman capabilities, and in some instances, a
descendant of the gods themselves.
Because of these circumstances, a mere mortal might see heroes as having more in common with
the gods than mankind, but that is not the case. While gods live forever, heroes are just like other
humans in that they are destined to die.
Mortality is a profound theme in the stories of ancient Greek heroes. It is a question for all
heroes within these epic tales to grapple with. Epic heroes usually face dire circumstances in
their lives and have to deal with much tragedy. Despite their seemingly superhuman abilities,
they are ultimately unable to escape their inevitable demise.
For example, let’s take one of the most famous heroes of all time, Heracles (known as Hercules
to the Romans). Heracles is famously known as the son of Zeus. He was the result of a union
between Zeus and a mortal woman.
It is commonly known that Zeus has a wife, who is a goddess herself, named Hera. Due to her
husband’s affair, she became jealous and using her powers as a god, she delayed Heracles’ birth
and instead let Eurystheus, another child, be born first and later became a king.
Hera, together with Eurystheus, who was now a king, plans to conspire throughout Heracles’ life,
meaning to meddle with his affairs and trying to make his life as hard as possible. This is
punishment according to Hera’s decree.
We also know that Heracles had undergone Eurystheus’ famous 12 labors, in which he had to
battle the world’s worst monsters like the Nemean Lion and the hydra serpent.
And up to a point, this punishment is somewhat successful. Although Heracles was born with
incredible attributes of strength and courage, he died a terrible death. He was poisoned before
getting burnt alive atop a funeral pyre.
Another epic hero, Achilles, from the famous Iliad, also experienced tragedies in the Trojan War.
Unlike Heracles, who was born with miraculous strength and courage, Achilles was faced with
his own demons in the form of his pride and anger, which outweighed everything else.
On top of that, the gods gave him a choice whereby he could either experience eternal glory at
the cost of a young death or no glory but at the cost of eternal life. When his friend, Patroclus,
was killed by Hector, Achilles’ Trojan rival, he then went on a rampage before he took his own
life on Troy’s shore.
In conclusion, heroes are those who possess god-like characteristics, which earn them the status
of legends. Although they faced death after achieving fame, their fame was passed on to what the
Greeks called kleos, in which they achieved immortality.
Grand themes like fate are always the main focus in a narrative epic poem, and it usually
includes heroic characters and divine beings. Although some women are epic heroes, it is almost
always the men at the heart of an epic hero story.
Epic Origins
In general, an epic is a mythologized history. Just like the traits of an epic hero, an epic origin
consists of four elements. The first element is that it is a collection of pre-existing stories and
characters. Secondly, an epic origin is often of oral origin. That is why some epic heroes have
different versions or additions to their stories.
Thirdly, an epic origin is loosely, or at least, based around historical or quasi-historical
characters or events. Finally, an epic origin’s setting is usually in a mythological distant time,
traditionally in the past (for example, a time where mythological beasts like the sphinx and
pegasus were thought to co-exist with humans).
Morality in Epics
Epic stories always demonstrate moral ideas and taboos with the behavior of their heroes. This
means that an epic hero’s behavior and the lessons that he learns along the way usually give us a
picture of a culture’s ideals. Monsters and antagonists are usually shown as inferior to the heroes;
these characters always represent those who break or defy the moral taboos or ideals of the
culture.
Additionally, many events that occur in a heroes’ lifetime usually feature a god or goddess’s
influence or intervention. Nearly always in epic stories, the heroic acts and triumph of a hero are
divinely ordained. Therefore, there is a moral significance in mythologized history because
heroes are divinely guided towards their fate, even if it means they had to face a gruesome death.
Finally, many epics also revolve around the heroes’ journey of self-discovery. This can include
the emotional, psychological, and/or spiritual development of the hero. Along the path of the
hero’s journey, the hero often realizes that the heroic act is actually not just a physical journey.
More importantly, he is a spiritual and psychological journey leading to their own personal
development.
Source: https://ancient-literature.com/characteristics-of-epic-heroes/
Now that you’ve had a chance to familiarize yourself with the traditional epic hero and had the chance to see one in action in the passage from the Oddysey, let’s talk about them!
How is Ulysses’ method for overcoming the cyclops an example of one (or more) of the seven characteristics of an epic hero?
Take a modern hero from film, literature, or television (except Batman) and identify one similarity and one difference. between them and Ulysses
Excerpt from Book IX of The Odyssey
Ulysses and Polyphemus
…”While we were feasting we kept turning our eyes towards the land of the Cyclopes, which was hard
by, and saw the smoke of their stubble fires. We could almost fancy we heard their voices and the
bleating of their sheep and goats, but when the sun went down and it came on dark, we camped down
upon the beach, and next morning I called a council.
“‘Stay here, my brave fellows,’ said I, ‘all the rest of you, while I go with my ship and exploit these
people myself: I want to see if they are uncivilised savages, or a hospitable and humane race.’
“I went on board, bidding my men to do so also and loose the hawsers; so they took their places and
smote the grey sea with their oars. When we got to the land, which was not far, there, on the face of a
cliff near the sea, we saw a great cave overhung with laurels. It was a station for a great many sheep and
goats, and outside there was a large yard, with a high wall round it made of stones built into the ground
and of trees both pine and oak. This was the abode of a huge monster who was then away from home
shepherding his flocks. He would have nothing to do with other people, but led the life of an outlaw. He
was a horrid creature, not like a human being at all, but resembling rather some crag that stands out
boldly against the sky on the top of a high mountain.
“I told my men to draw the ship ashore, and stay where they were, all but the twelve best among them,
who were to go along with myself. I also took a goatskin of sweet black wine which had been given me
by Maron, son of Euanthes, who was priest of Apollo the patron god of Ismarus, and lived within the
wooded precincts of the temple. When we were sacking the city we respected him, and spared his life,
as also his wife and child; so he made me some presents of great value—seven talents of fine gold, and a
bowl of silver, with twelve jars of sweet wine, unblended, and of the most exquisite flavour. Not a man
nor maid in the house knew about it, but only himself, his wife, and one housekeeper: when he drank it
he mixed twenty parts of water to one of wine, and yet the fragrance from the mixing-bowl was so
exquisite that it was impossible to refrain from drinking. I filled a large skin with this wine, and took a
wallet full of provisions with me, for my mind misgave me that I might have to deal with some savage
who would be of great strength, and would respect neither right nor law.
“We soon reached his cave, but he was out shepherding, so we went inside and took stock of all that we
could see. His cheese-racks were loaded with cheeses, and he had more lambs and kids than his pens
could hold. They were kept in separate flocks; first there were the hoggets, then the oldest of the
younger lambs and lastly the very young ones[80] all kept apart from one another; as for his dairy, all
the vessels, bowls, and milk pails into which he milked, were swimming with whey. When they saw all
this, my men begged me to let them first steal some cheeses, and make off with them to the ship; they
would then return, drive down the lambs and kids, put them on board and sail away with them. It would
have been indeed better if we had done so but I would not listen to them, for I wanted to see the owner
himself, in the hope that he might give me a present. When, however, we saw him my poor men found
him ill to deal with.
“We lit a fire, offered some of the cheeses in sacrifice, ate others of them, and then sat waiting till the
Cyclops should come in with his sheep. When he came, he brought in with him a huge load of dry
firewood to light the fire for his supper, and this he flung with such a noise on to the floor of his cave
that we hid ourselves for fear at the far end of the cavern. Meanwhile he drove all the ewes inside, as
well as the she-goats that he was going to milk, leaving the males, both rams and he-goats, outside in
the yards. Then he rolled a huge stone to the mouth of the cave—so huge that two and twenty strong
four-wheeled waggons would not be enough to draw it from its place against the doorway. When he
had so done he sat down and milked his ewes and goats, all in due course, and then let each of them
have her own young. He curdled half the milk and set it aside in wicker strainers, but the other half he
poured into bowls that he might drink it for his supper. When he had got through with all his work, he lit
the fire, and then caught sight of us, whereon he said:
“‘Strangers, who are you? Where do sail from? Are you traders, or do you sail the sea as rovers, with
your hands against every man, and every man’s hand against you?’
“We were frightened out of our senses by his loud voice and monstrous form, but I managed to say, ‘We
are Achaeans on our way home from Troy, but by the will of Jove, and stress of weather, we have been
driven far out of our course. We are the people of Agamemnon, son of Atreus, who has won infinite
renown throughout the whole world, by sacking so great a city and killing so many people. We therefore
humbly pray you to show us some hospitality, and otherwise make us such presents as visitors may
reasonably expect. May your excellency fear the wrath of heaven, for we are your suppliants, and Jove
takes all respectable travellers under his protection, for he is the avenger of all suppliants and foreigners
in distress.’
“To this he gave me but a pitiless answer, ‘Stranger,’ said he, ‘you are a fool, or else you know nothing of
this country. Talk to me, indeed, about fearing the gods or shunning their anger? We Cyclopes do not
care about Jove or any of your blessed gods, for we are ever so much stronger than they. I shall not
spare either yourself or your companions out of any regard for Jove, unless I am in the humour for doing
so. And now tell me where you made your ship fast when you came on shore. Was it round the point, or
is she lying straight off the land?’
“He said this to draw me out, but I was too cunning to be caught in that way, so I answered with a lie;
‘Neptune,’ said I, ‘sent my ship on to the rocks at the far end of your country, and wrecked it. We were
driven on to them from the open sea, but I and those who are with me escaped the jaws of death.’
“The cruel wretch vouchsafed me not one word of answer, but with a sudden clutch he gripped up two
of my men at once and dashed them down upon the ground as though they had been puppies. Their
brains were shed upon the ground, and the earth was wet with their blood. Then he tore them limb
from limb and supped upon them. He gobbled them up like a lion in the wilderness, flesh, bones,
marrow, and entrails, without leaving anything uneaten. As for us, we wept and lifted up our hands to
heaven on seeing such a horrid sight, for we did not know what else to do; but when the Cyclops had
filled his huge paunch, and had washed down his meal of human flesh with a drink of neat milk, he
stretched himself full length upon the ground among his sheep, and went to sleep. I was at first inclined
to seize my sword, draw it, and drive it into his vitals, but I reflected that if I did we should all certainly
be lost, for we should never be able to shift the stone which the monster had put in front of the door. So
we stayed sobbing and sighing where we were till morning came.
“When the child of morning, rosy-fingered dawn, appeared, he again lit his fire, milked his goats and
ewes, all quite rightly, and then let each have her own young one; as soon as he had got through with all
his work, he clutched up two more of my men, and began eating them for his morning’s meal. Presently,
with the utmost ease, he rolled the stone away from the door and drove out his sheep, but he at once
put it back again—as easily as though he were merely clapping the lid on to a quiver full of arrows. As
soon as he had done so he shouted, and cried ‘Shoo, shoo,’ after his sheep to drive them on to the
mountain; so I was left to scheme some way of taking my revenge and covering myself with glory.
“In the end I deemed it would be the best plan to do as follows: The Cyclops had a great club which was
lying near one of the sheep pens; it was of green olive wood, and he had cut it intending to use it for a
staff as soon as it should be dry. It was so huge that we could only compare it to the mast of a twenty-
oared merchant vessel of large burden, and able to venture out into open sea. I went up to this club and
cut off about six feet of it; I then gave this piece to the men and told them to fine it evenly off at one
end, which they proceeded to do, and lastly I brought it to a point myself, charring the end in the fire to
make it harder. When I had done this I hid it under dung, which was lying about all over the cave, and
told the men to cast lots which of them should venture along with myself to lift it and bore it into the
monster’s eye while he was asleep. The lot fell upon the very four whom I should have chosen, and I
myself made five. In the evening the wretch came back from shepherding, and drove his flocks into the
cave—this time driving them all inside, and not leaving any in the yards; I suppose some fancy must
have taken him, or a god must have prompted him to do so. As soon as he had put the stone back to its
place against the door, he sat down, milked his ewes and his goats all quite rightly, and then let each
have her own young one; when he had got through with all this work, he gripped up two more of my
men, and made his supper off them. So I went up to him with an ivy-wood bowl of black wine in my
hands:
“‘Look here, Cyclops,’ said I, you have been eating a great deal of man’s flesh, so take this and drink
some wine, that you may see what kind of liquor we had on board my ship. I was bringing it to you as a
drink-offering, in the hope that you would take compassion upon me and further me on my way home,
whereas all you do is to go on ramping and raving most intolerably. You ought to be ashamed of
yourself; how can you expect people to come see you any more if you treat them in this way?’
“He then took the cup and drank. He was so delighted with the taste of the wine that he begged me for
another bowl full. ‘Be so kind,’ he said, ‘as to give me some more, and tell me your name at once. I want
to make you a present that you will be glad to have. We have wine even in this country, for our soil
grows grapes and the sun ripens them, but this drinks like Nectar and Ambrosia all in one.’
“I then gave him some more; three times did I fill the bowl for him, and three times did he drain it
without thought or heed; then, when I saw that the wine had got into his head, I said to him as plausibly
as I could: ‘Cyclops, you ask my name and I will tell it you; give me, therefore, the present you promised
me; my name is Noman; this is what my father and mother and my friends have always called me.’
“But the cruel wretch said, ‘Then I will eat all Noman’s comrades before Noman himself, and will keep
Noman for the last. This is the present that I will make him.’
“As he spoke he reeled, and fell sprawling face upwards on the ground. His great neck hung heavily
backwards and a deep sleep took hold upon him. Presently he turned sick, and threw up both wine and
the gobbets of human flesh on which he had been gorging, for he was very drunk. Then I thrust the
beam of wood far into the embers to heat it, and encouraged my men lest any of them should turn
faint-hearted. When the wood, green though it was, was about to blaze, I drew it out of the fire glowing
with heat, and my men gathered round me, for heaven had filled their hearts with courage. We drove
the sharp end of the beam into the monster’s eye, and bearing upon it with all my weight I kept turning
it round and round as though I were boring a hole in a ship’s plank with an auger, which two men with a
wheel and strap can keep on turning as long as they choose. Even thus did we bore the red hot beam
into his eye, till the boiling blood bubbled all over it as we worked it round and round, so that the steam
from the burning eyeball scalded his eyelids and eyebrows, and the roots of the eye sputtered in the
fire. As a blacksmith plunges an axe or hatchet into cold water to temper it—for it is this that gives
strength to the iron—and it makes a great hiss as he does so, even thus did the Cyclops’ eye hiss round
the beam of olive wood, and his hideous yells made the cave ring again. We ran away in a fright, but he
plucked the beam all besmirched with gore from his eye, and hurled it from him in a frenzy of rage and
pain, shouting as he did so to the other Cyclopes who lived on the bleak headlands near him; so they
gathered from all quarters round his cave when they heard him crying, and asked what was the matter
with him.
“‘What ails you, Polyphemus,’ said they, ‘that you make such a noise, breaking the stillness of the night,
and preventing us from being able to sleep? Surely no man is carrying off your sheep? Surely no man is
trying to kill you either by fraud or by force?’
“But Polyphemus shouted to them from inside the cave, ‘Noman is killing me by fraud; no man is killing
me by force.’
“‘Then,’ said they, ‘if no man is attacking you, you must be ill; when Jove makes people ill, there is no
help for it, and you had better pray to your father Neptune.’
“Then they went away, and I laughed inwardly at the success of my clever stratagem, but the Cyclops,
groaning and in an agony of pain, felt about with his hands till he found the stone and took it from the
door; then he sat in the doorway and stretched his hands in front of it to catch anyone going out with
the sheep, for he thought I might be foolish enough to attempt this.
“As for myself I kept on puzzling to think how I could best save my own life and those of my
companions; I schemed and schemed, as one who knows that his life depends upon it, for the danger
was very great. In the end I deemed that this plan would be the best; the male sheep were well grown,
and carried a heavy black fleece, so I bound them noiselessly in threes together, with some of the
withies on which the wicked monster used to sleep. There was to be a man under the middle sheep, and
the two on either side were to cover him, so that there were three sheep to each man. As for myself
there was a ram finer than any of the others, so I caught hold of him by the back, esconced myself in the
thick wool under his belly, and hung on patiently to his fleece, face upwards, keeping a firm hold on it all
the time.
“Thus, then, did we wait in great fear of mind till morning came, but when the child of morning, rosy-
fingered Dawn, appeared, the male sheep hurried out to feed, while the ewes remained bleating about
the pens waiting to be milked, for their udders were full to bursting; but their master in spite of all his
pain felt the backs of all the sheep as they stood upright, without being sharp enough to find out that
the men were underneath their bellies. As the ram was going out, last of all, heavy with its fleece and
with the weight of my crafty self, Polyphemus laid hold of it and said:
“‘My good ram, what is it that makes you the last to leave my cave this morning? You are not wont to let
the ewes go before you, but lead the mob with a run whether to flowery mead or bubbling fountain,
and are the first to come home again at night; but now you lag last of all. Is it because you know your
master has lost his eye, and are sorry because that wicked Noman and his horrid crew has got him down
in his drink and blinded him? But I will have his life yet. If you could understand and talk, you would tell
me where the wretch is hiding, and I would dash his brains upon the ground till they flew all over the
cave. I should thus have some satisfaction for the harm this no-good Noman has done me.’
“As he spoke he drove the ram outside, but when we were a little way out from the cave and yards, I
first got from under the ram’s belly, and then freed my comrades; as for the sheep, which were very fat,
by constantly heading them in the right direction we managed to drive them down to the ship. The crew
rejoiced greatly at seeing those of us who had escaped death, but wept for the others whom the Cyclops
had killed. However, I made signs to them by nodding and frowning that they were to hush their crying,
and told them to get all the sheep on board at once and put out to sea; so they went aboard, took their
places, and smote the grey sea with their oars. Then, when I had got as far out as my voice would reach,
I began to jeer at the Cyclops.
“‘Cyclops,’ said I, ‘you should have taken better measure of your man before eating up his comrades in
your cave. You wretch, eat up your visitors in your own house? You might have known that your sin
would find you out, and now Jove and the other gods have punished you.’
“He got more and more furious as he heard me, so he tore the top from off a high mountain, and flung it
just in front of my ship so that it was within a little of hitting the end of the rudder.[81] The sea quaked
as the rock fell into it, and the wash of the wave it raised carried us back towards the mainland, and
forced us towards the shore. But I snatched up a long pole and kept the ship off, making signs to my
men by nodding my head, that they must row for their lives, whereon they laid out with a will. When we
had got twice as far as we were before, I was for jeering at the Cyclops again, but the men begged and
prayed of me to hold my tongue.
“‘Do not,’ they exclaimed, ‘be mad enough to provoke this savage creature further; he has thrown one
rock at us already which drove us back again to the mainland, and we made sure it had been the death
of us; if he had then heard any further sound of voices he would have pounded our heads and our ship’s
timbers into a jelly with the rugged rocks he would have heaved at us, for he can throw them a long
way.’
“But I would not listen to them, and shouted out to him in my rage, ‘Cyclops, if any one asks you who it
was that put your eye out and spoiled your beauty, say it was the valiant warrior Ulysses, son of Laertes,
who lives in Ithaca.’
“On this he groaned, and cried out, ‘Alas, alas, then the old prophecy about me is coming true. There
was a prophet here, at one time, a man both brave and of great stature, Telemus son of Eurymus, who
was an excellent seer, and did all the prophesying for the Cyclopes till he grew old; he told me that all
this would happen to me some day, and said I should lose my sight by the hand of Ulysses. I have been
all along expecting some one of imposing presence and superhuman strength, whereas he turns out to
be a little insignificant weakling, who has managed to blind my eye by taking advantage of me in my
drink; come here, then, Ulysses, that I may make you presents to show my hospitality, and urge Neptune
to help you forward on your journey—for Neptune and I are father and son. He, if he so will, shall heal
me, which no one else neither god nor man can do.’
“Then I said, ‘I wish I could be as sure of killing you outright and sending you down to the house of
Hades, as I am that it will take more than Neptune to cure that eye of yours.’
“On this he lifted up his hands to the firmament of heaven and prayed, saying, ‘Hear me, great Neptune;
if I am indeed your own true begotten son, grant that Ulysses may never reach his home alive; or if he
must get back to his friends at last, let him do so late and in sore plight after losing all his men [let him
reach his home in another man’s ship and find trouble in his house.’
[82]
“Thus did he pray, and Neptune heard his prayer.”
Footnotes:
[80]
[ None but such lambs as would suck if they were with their mothers would be left in the yard.
The older lambs should have been out feeding. The authoress has got it all wrong, but it does not
matter. See “The Authoress of the Odyssey” p. 148.]
[81]
[ This line is enclosed in brackets in the received text, and is omitted (with note) by Messrs.
Butcher & Lang. But lines enclosed in brackets are almost always genuine; all that brackets mean
is that the bracketed passage puzzled some early editor, who nevertheless found it too well
established in the text to venture on omitting it. In the present case the line bracketed is the very
last which a full-grown male editor would be likely to interpolate. It is safer to infer that the
writer, a young woman, not knowing or caring at which end of the ship the rudder should be,
determined to make sure by placing it at both ends, which we shall find she presently does by
repeating it (line 340) at the stern of the ship. As for the two rocks thrown, the first I take to be
the Asinelli, see map facing p. 80. The second I see as the two contiguous islands of the
Formiche, which are treated as one, see map facing p. 108. The Asinelli is an island shaped like a
boat, and pointing to the island of Favognana. I think the authoress’s compatriots, who probably
did not like her much better that she did them, jeered at the absurdity of Ulysses’ conduct, and
saw the Asinelli or “donkeys,” not as the rock thrown by Polyphemus, but as the boat itself
containing Ulysses and his men.]
[82]
[ This line exists in the text here but not in the corresponding passage xii. 141. I am inclined to
think it is interpolated (probably by the poetess herself) from the first of lines xi. 115-137, which I
can hardly doubt were added by the writer when the scheme of the work was enlarged and
altered. See “The Authoress of the Odyssey” pp. 254-255.]
Source: https://www.gutenberg.org/files/1727/1727-h/1727-h.htm
https://www.gutenberg.org/files/1727/1727-h/1727-h.htm
7 Characteristics of Epic Heroes: Summary and Analysis
The two ancient Greek poets Hesiod and Homer, created the first guide on ancient Greek religion
and customs. In this guide, it was stated that there were five Ages of Mankind and that the Age
of Heroes was the fourth of those ages. In this age, Zeus, famously known as the King of the
Greek Gods, created special men who are powerful and noble. Although they are mere mortals,
their capabilities and characteristics were god-like. These men are known as epic heroes.
The words “epic hero” bring to mind mortal men defeating terrorizing monsters, a demigod with
super strengths, or even a man from a noble birth that is wise beyond his years. But what can we
say are the main traits of epic heroes?
There are seven main traits of epic heroes; they are of noble birth or elevated status. They have
superhuman capabilities, are a vast traveler, an unmatched warrior, a cultural legend,
demonstrate humility, and finally, battle superhuman foes.
Traits of an Epic Hero
I. Noble Birth
Most of the epic heroes that we know about were born to a noble family. They usually fall under
the category of kings, princes, nobles or another position of high rank. Commoners are not
usually found in their lineage.
II. Superhuman Capabilities
Most epic heroes have the capability to complete deeds of incredible strength and courage. This
means they have the potential for extraordinary deeds considered impossible for most humans.
These acts are beyond what the average commoner could do in their life. However, this does not
mean that they are necessarily “superheroes”; not all epic heroes are good heroes.
III. Vast Traveler
Epic heroes are known for traveling to exotic locations, either by choice or by chance, and
usually do so to fight against evil.
IV. Unmatched Warrior
Epic heroes usually established themselves as a capable fighter in a war. They also usually have
a reputation for being a warrior, even before the start of the story.
V. Cultural Legend
A hero is usually first recognized in his own home country as a hero, which leads to them
becoming known in other lands. Soon they will reach the status of legend where many different
countries celebrate them.
VI. Humility
Although recognized for their great deeds as heroes, they should never brag about it or even be
willing to accept applause. For example, Oedipus’ intelligence in answering the Sphinx’s riddle
earned him the throne of Thebes, yet he didn’t brag about it to Thebes’ people.
VII. Battles superhuman foes
Most epic heroes receive aid from a god or goddess when they are on a quest or are battling
against some superhuman forces. This is the part that makes their action epic because they are in
a battle that mere mortals cannot fight.
Examples would be Beowulf against Grendel and Odysseus against the Cyclops, Polyphemus.
One interesting fact is that for each of the heroes, their enemies are unique. It is unheard of that a
hero would fight the same enemy that another hero has already fought.
The Heroic Age
According to ancient genealogy, the heroic age spanned approximately 6 generations. This was a
time of legendary Greek figures like Perseus, Achilles, Heracles, Jason and Odysseus. These
great legendary figures all lived throughout this 4th age. Although filled with great tales of
exciting adventures and great challenges, it was also a time of sorrow, turmoil, and bloodshed,
and most of these epic heroes died in battle.
It is to be noted again that according to Homer, epic heroes were known to be “god-like.” In
other words, they are an exceptional being, one way or another.
However “god-like,” heroes, as they were, are not actually divine. They are humans. They can be
male or female, sometimes gifted with superhuman capabilities, and in some instances, a
descendant of the gods themselves.
Because of these circumstances, a mere mortal might see heroes as having more in common with
the gods than mankind, but that is not the case. While gods live forever, heroes are just like other
humans in that they are destined to die.
Mortality is a profound theme in the stories of ancient Greek heroes. It is a question for all
heroes within these epic tales to grapple with. Epic heroes usually face dire circumstances in
their lives and have to deal with much tragedy. Despite their seemingly superhuman abilities,
they are ultimately unable to escape their inevitable demise.
For example, let’s take one of the most famous heroes of all time, Heracles (known as Hercules
to the Romans). Heracles is famously known as the son of Zeus. He was the result of a union
between Zeus and a mortal woman.
It is commonly known that Zeus has a wife, who is a goddess herself, named Hera. Due to her
husband’s affair, she became jealous and using her powers as a god, she delayed Heracles’ birth
and instead let Eurystheus, another child, be born first and later became a king.
Hera, together with Eurystheus, who was now a king, plans to conspire throughout Heracles’ life,
meaning to meddle with his affairs and trying to make his life as hard as possible. This is
punishment according to Hera’s decree.
We also know that Heracles had undergone Eurystheus’ famous 12 labors, in which he had to
battle the world’s worst monsters like the Nemean Lion and the hydra serpent.
And up to a point, this punishment is somewhat successful. Although Heracles was born with
incredible attributes of strength and courage, he died a terrible death. He was poisoned before
getting burnt alive atop a funeral pyre.
Another epic hero, Achilles, from the famous Iliad, also experienced tragedies in the Trojan War.
Unlike Heracles, who was born with miraculous strength and courage, Achilles was faced with
his own demons in the form of his pride and anger, which outweighed everything else.
On top of that, the gods gave him a choice whereby he could either experience eternal glory at
the cost of a young death or no glory but at the cost of eternal life. When his friend, Patroclus,
was killed by Hector, Achilles’ Trojan rival, he then went on a rampage before he took his own
life on Troy’s shore.
In conclusion, heroes are those who possess god-like characteristics, which earn them the status
of legends. Although they faced death after achieving fame, their fame was passed on to what the
Greeks called kleos, in which they achieved immortality.
Grand themes like fate are always the main focus in a narrative epic poem, and it usually
includes heroic characters and divine beings. Although some women are epic heroes, it is almost
always the men at the heart of an epic hero story.
Epic Origins
In general, an epic is a mythologized history. Just like the traits of an epic hero, an epic origin
consists of four elements. The first element is that it is a collection of pre-existing stories and
characters. Secondly, an epic origin is often of oral origin. That is why some epic heroes have
different versions or additions to their stories.
Thirdly, an epic origin is loosely, or at least, based around historical or quasi-historical
characters or events. Finally, an epic origin’s setting is usually in a mythological distant time,
traditionally in the past (for example, a time where mythological beasts like the sphinx and
pegasus were thought to co-exist with humans).
Morality in Epics
Epic stories always demonstrate moral ideas and taboos with the behavior of their heroes. This
means that an epic hero’s behavior and the lessons that he learns along the way usually give us a
picture of a culture’s ideals. Monsters and antagonists are usually shown as inferior to the heroes;
these characters always represent those who break or defy the moral taboos or ideals of the
culture.
Additionally, many events that occur in a heroes’ lifetime usually feature a god or goddess’s
influence or intervention. Nearly always in epic stories, the heroic acts and triumph of a hero are
divinely ordained. Therefore, there is a moral significance in mythologized history because
heroes are divinely guided towards their fate, even if it means they had to face a gruesome death.
Finally, many epics also revolve around the heroes’ journey of self-discovery. This can include
the emotional, psychological, and/or spiritual development of the hero. Along the path of the
hero’s journey, the hero often realizes that the heroic act is actually not just a physical journey.
More importantly, he is a spiritual and psychological journey leading to their own personal
development.
Source: https://ancient-literature.com/characteristics-of-epic-heroes/
Order an Essay Now & Get These Features For Free:
Turnitin Report
Formatting
Title Page
Citation
Outline
