Throughout the book The Odyssey, there are two main protagonists: Odysseus, for whom the book was named after, and Telemachus, his son. but are they heroes? This post will look into whether or not either of them qualify to be a hero.
First, lets look at Odysseus. He's the main character, hes strong, smart, and overall the perfect guy to be a hero. I would say that he is the main hero of this story. He fits the hero's quest pattern very nicely. For example, he has faithful hero partners, namely, his crew. These men went with him to the ends of the earth, and gave their very lives to help him. If that doesn't exemplify a hero partner, i don't know what does. The men were a key part in helping him succeed in his quest. Also, Odysseus has an ultimate boon, namely the magic scarf. the magic scarf is what keeps him alive throughout the ordeal with Poseidon. All heroes have an ultimate boon that is key to helping them survive, and Odysseus is no different, seeing as the scarf is what kept him alive.
Telemachus, on the other hand, is not a hero. Why, you might ask? Well, for one, he has no ultimate boon. Throughout the pitiful trip he calls his quest, nothing is so consequential as to merit the term ultimate boon. maybe the ship could be considered a mediocre boon, and the men a lukewarm boon, but it doesn't compare at all to a hero's ultimate boon. Also, Telemachus never had a final battle. He left, reached Sparta, then turned around and high-tailed it home. This is DEFINITELY NOT a final battle. What is fought? who wins? the answer: who cares? Telemachus isn't a hero. thats it.
