Smith, Jane. “The Role of the Hero and the Development of Suspense in Homer’s Odyssey.”
Modern Philology 36.2 (Summer 2004): 45-73.
This article surveys prior concepts of ancient Greek heroism in literature and situates the hero of Homer’s poem The Odyssey, Odysseus, in this context. It discusses Odysseus' often noted recklessness and compares it with his also noted wisdom. Finally, it argues that Odysseus is more real for an audience because he has both strengths and weaknesses.I really enjoyed this article and think it will be very helpful in my argument that Homer’s poem The Odyssey was spoken or sung and then written in order to provide Greek society with a model of behavior. I would say that, in maintaining that the Greeks had a sense of justice, this hero exemplifies that possibility. This article is also helpful because it has a bibliography of a lot of sources that may prove useful in my further research and writing of my term paper.
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