Essay Sample on Heroes in The Odyssey

Every culture has heroes to serve as role models to idealize. In Ancient Greece, Homer wrote about a famous hero in an epic poem called The Odyssey. The hero, Odysseus, is trying to return home from the Trojan War. He has to overcome many challenges along the way, but he eventually lands home on Ithaca to reclaim his rightful place as king, and to reunite with his loyal wife Penelope. Unfortunately, Odysseus has one more obstacle to face, which is to fight the suitors that have overrun the palace in his absence. They have been there for three years, ruining the palace, and hoping to marry Penelope. Although The Odyssey mainly focuses on Odysseus and his heroic journey, Penelope must also be credited with some heroic deeds herself. At times, Penelope is cunning and loyal, among other heroic traits. Another hero, Violet Baudelaire from A Series of Unfortunate Events, also displays heroic traits. The need for heroes like Penelope and Violet suggests that society still needs strong female heroes to prove that masculinity doesn’t describe the heroic traits they possess. Both Violet and Penelope show the heroic trait of cunning. When Telemachus summons the people of Ithaca to the assembly to try and rid the palace of suitors, he blames the suitors, along with the people of Ithaca. In response, a suitor, Antinous, steps forward and blames Penelope instead: “‘It’s not the suitors here who deserve the blame,/it’s your own dear mother, the matchless queen of cunning’” (ll, 94-95)

Antinous is describing the way that Penelope deceived the suitors by promising to marry a suitor once she finished weaving a shroud for Laertes. Yet as the suitors had just recently learned, Penelope had been unraveling the shroud every night for three years.  Penelope is very clearly referred to as cunning, which is traditionally a masculine trait. Referring to Penelope with a masculine trait is very interesting because it shows us that the queen certainly holds power over Ithaca. There were not many powerful women in ancient Greece, but Penelope was certainly one of them, as her power allowed her to deceive the suitors for so long. One main thing that sets this cunning act of Penelope apart from Odysseus’ is that Odysseus was praised, while Penelope certainly wasn’t. Ancient Greece society needs Penelope to have these traditionally masculine heroic traits because it gives women like Penelope power. Another hero, Violet Baudelaire, is a character from A Series of Unfortunate Events. She and her orphaned siblings have to overcome many challenges and escape many dangerous situations, which are all caused by a man named Count Olaf who is trying to steal their fortune. One particular situation was in The Reptile Room (part II) after the orphans’ current guardian at the time was murdered by “Stephano” or Count Olaf in disguise. Violet was cunning and picked the lock on “Stephano’s” suitcase to search for evidence, knowing that the murder was not an accident. When Arthur Poe finds Violet doing this act, he says, “nice girls shouldn’t know how to do that sort of thing.” This quote shows that even though Violet was doing the right thing, it was looked down upon. The quote also implies that “nice girls” aren’t supposed to show masculine traits, such as being cunning or being. Yet Violet still does those things, all while wearing feminine clothing, which isn’t commonly shown in the media. That’s why society needs this specific hero, to show that girls can still show “masculine” traits and still be feminine. The heroic trait of cunning is portrayed very similarly in The Odyssey and A Series of Unfortunate Events. In both, the act was looked down upon, even though it was the right thing to do. If Penelope decided to marry a suitor instead of deceiving the suitors, and Odysseus came home, Penelope’s reputation would be ruined. On the other hand, if Violet did not pick the lock, people would still falsely believe that the murder was an accident. This shows that nothing has changed in society’s ideas about who can show “masculine” traits, and who can not. Society continues to need this trait in heroines to prove that heroes aren’t defined by their masculinity, but by their bravery, loyalty, intelligence, and other heroic traits. 

Violet and Penelope also show the heroic trait of loyalty. When the bard is singing about the Achans’ journey home from Troy in the palace, Penelope hears from her room and descends. She breaks down into tears and begs the bard to stop telling the story that reminds her so much of Odysseus:

“But break off this song----

the unendurable song that always rends the heart inside me . . . 

the unforgettable grief, it wounds me most of all!

How I long for my husband---alive in memory, always,

that great man whose fame resounds through Hellas 

right to the depths of Argos!” (l, 392-397)

The way that Penelope describes the “unforgettable grief,” and her longing for Odysseus shows that she misses him an inordinate amount. It also reveals the loyalty displayed by Penelope for Odysseus. She longs for Odysseus’ return, and stays faithful to him, even though he has been away for twenty years. Twenty years is an incredibly long time to wait for someone, wondering if they’re even alive, but Penelope shows that it’s possible, even though it must have been tiresome and downright miserable. Yet even though it was hard, Penelope’s loyalty was somewhat expected of her. On the other hand, Odysseus was not expected to stay loyal to Penelope at all, even though he wasn’t exactly that. For example, it was socially acceptable for Zeus to have many love affairs, but Calypso was shunned when she tried to do the same thing. So if Penelope is shown having this profound loyalty for Odysseus, she serves as a role model to show that even if something is expected, it doesn’t mean that it will be easy. Violet Baudelaire is consistently loyal when taking care of and looking out for her siblings. When her parents brought Sunny, her younger sister, home from the hospital, they said, “You are the eldest Baudelaire child, and as the eldest, it will always be your responsibility to look after your younger siblings. Promise us that you will always watch out for them and make sure they don’t get into trouble.” Violet kept that promise, and remained loyal to her siblings, no matter how many dangerous situations Count Olaf got them into. For example, she risks her safety when Count Olaf has trapped Sunny in a birdcage and threatens to release Sunny from the top of a tower if Violet refuses to marry Count Olaf. Violet gets out of the situation eventually, but it seems as though Violet would have married Count Olaf in the end if it meant that her siblings would be safe. Violet’s constant display of loyalty to her siblings makes her a hero. Violet as a hero is important to our society because it shows that loyalty is important, even if it is especially hard like Penelope’s situation. Loyalty in Ancient Greece is very similar to the way it is portrayed in both Penelope and Violet because they are both simply expected to be loyal, even though it seems barely possible at times. Both characters struggle immensely, which is important to show in heroes as it describes the significance of being loyal to family even when it is challenging.

So in the end, there is still a need for heroes like Penelope and Violet to prove that masculinity doesn’t describe being a hero or their heroic traits. They both showed strong loyalty and cunning which proved their strength. Both characters also showed the struggle behind those heroic traits, which inspires their respective audiences. For example, Penelope had to wait an eternity of twenty years for Odysseus to return, which must not have been easy. There are several places in The Odyssey in which Penelope breaks down into tears, showing that the waiting has been difficult. Violet, on the other hand, must have also struggled with staying loyal to her siblings, since that prevented her from having a life of her own. The other heroic trait mentioned is cunning, which was met with disapproval for both characters, even though their acts were justified. Part of this disapproval seems to come from the fact that they are both women. For example, Violet is told that “nice girls” like her shouldn’t know how to do such things. Ultimately, these strong and challenging traits of cunning and loyalty help to build the heroes we have seen throughout the ages, proving that masculinity need not play a role.