The Odyssey is a Greek heroic epic written around the eight century B.C.. James Redfield claims that: "The warriors virtues, further entitle him to claim a social status. But he can claim that status only if he can show that he has the virtues, and he can demonstrate warrior virtues only on the battlefield to claim the status of a hero(Redfield p. 179)." Redfield's interpretation of heroism can be applied more towards the Iliad than the Odyssey.

In the Odyssey, Odysseus goes beyond the battlefield to claim the status of a hero. As Fraenkel indicates, "the hero of the Iliad great because he is wrathful and stubborn; that of the Odyssey, not because he is self willed but because he is "versatile"(Fraenkel p.163). Odysseus is not just a physically strong warrior and a great leader, he is self conscious, clever and able to recognize...