What does it mean to be a hero? There are several definitions of the word and there are many examples of heroes in history and in everyone's daily life. However, the Odyssey also displays some acts of heroism. Like the protagonist, Ulysses. Ulysses is a very controversial character, many debate whether or not he is a true hero. The Odyssey is about a ten-year journey undertaken by the protagonist, Ulysses. He undergoes many obstacles, which are physically and mentally demanding. The book also raises the question of whether or not Odysseus is a hero. Odysseus is not a hero because he loses sight of his mission many times, Odysseus acts very irrationally, he has done several unethical things during his journey and he receives a lot of help from Athena to even be considered a hero. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay Odysseus loses sight of his mission many times. A hero is there to get the job done well and do what's best for everyone. A hero cannot be disloyal and continue to forget what he was doing there in the first place. Ulysses treacherously stays with Circe for a year: “So he spoke and we agreed. We stayed with Circe for an entire year, feasting on untold quantities of both meat and wine,” he loses concentration upon returning to Ithaca and is instead distracted by Circe. Odysseus is disloyal to Penelope and everyone he promised would return home. A hero is there to get the job done, not to be easily distracted. Odysseus has an affair with Circe while Penelope remains faithful to him. A hero should put others before himself instead of leaving these ideals behind. Odysseus acts very irrationally. Every hero thinks or at least recognizes the consequences of their actions before acting. On the other hand, Odysseus is fueled by his anger and does not think before acting. Odysseus speaks to the suitors on page 284, he scolds, “Though you should give me all you have…I will not stay my hand until I have paid you all in full…you must fight…and not flee, none of you he will live.” Even though the suitors told Odysseus that they would leave and no longer joke with him, Odysseus decides to confront them irrationally, based on his anger. He does not recognize the consequences of killing sons of important families. his arrogance gets the better of him. Another example of this would be when Odysseus taunts the Cyclops, He boasts by telling him his name, where he comes from and his great deed rest of the crew members, selfishly and openly boasts of his achievements. This, in turn, angers Poseidon, which affects the lengthening of Odysseus's journey new because of his irrational thinking. Another controversial “hero” would be Napoleon. If Ulysses is compared to Napoleon, the similarities are many. Like the massacre of his troops in Russia and Odysseus slaughtering suitors. However, Napoleon also took into account the consequences of his actions and did not act irrationally. He thought through every attack and used strategies to achieve greatness. Odysseus, however, did exactly the opposite. For example, Odysseus did not share with the crew members the plan of the pocket of winds, which brings them back to the starting point. This happened due to the fault of Odysseus. A hero should be able to devise warrior strategies and grasp the rationality of his actions. Odysseus did several unethical things during his journey. Modern heroes like officers are exposed to threats, violence and abuse on a daily basis.