Stone Williams

Mrs. Kibbey
English 1H/Period 5
14 April 2015

Q3 Honors Summative Essay Evidence Collector

Preparing for your Summative Assessment, one step at a time!

Dissect the Prompt:

Box the action verbs, underline the what/main idea, circle key terms.

What Makes Someone a Hero?

Define what makes a true hero, then use text evidence to argue to what extent Odysseus and Oedipus
meet or do not meet those requirements. You may also incorporate personal experiences into your
writing.

Textual Evidence Collection:

Scholar Clue: Focus your evidence on what characters

CHOOSE

to
do and/or say. And to save you time
later on, write the parenthetical citation with a page # after your copied down quote or paraphrase.

The
OdysseyTell the
Story

The Odyssey
Part I: The
Wanderings
-Calypso

Text Evidence

Quality/skill that makes or does not

make a hero

- of that man skilled in all ways of

contending, the wanderer, harried for years
on end, after he plundered the stronghold on
the proud height of Troy. (Homer 2-5)

-This shows that Odysseus is a hero by

referencing the fact that he was a war hero in
the Trojan War

- And when long years and seasons wheeling

brought around that point of time ordained
for him to make his passage homeward, trials
and dangers, even so, attended him even in
Ithaca, near those he loved. (Homer 24-28)

- This is showing that Odysseus is a hero

because its saying how Odysseus faced many
trials and dangers before reaching home. In
an epic, a epic hero does face many trials
and dangers.

-But he saw nothing of the great Odysseus,

who sat apart, as a thousand times before,
and racked his own heart groaning, with eyes
wet scanning the bare horizon of the sea
(Homer 71-74)

-Even Homer admits that in this part of

Odysseuss life, he isnt a hero, hes feeling
emotional at this time. Which a hero who is
emotional in todays society is seen as an
okay thing, but here it sounds as if Homer
doesnt even consider him a hero because of
his emotion.

-Though he fought shy of her and her desire,

he lay with her each night for she compelled
him. (Homer 72-73)

- Odysseus, by todays standards, wouldnt be

considered a hero because he isnt loyal to his
wife (even though it says that Odysseus is
always thinking about Penelope) because he
is still sleeping with another woman.

-I stormed that place and killed the men who

fought, Plundered we took, and we enslaved
all the woman, to make divison, equal shares
to all - (Homer 152 - 154)

-This quote shows that Odysseus is a war

hero by him admitting what he did back
when he ended the Trojan War.

[...] but on the spot I told them: Back, and

quickly! Out to sea again! (Homer 155 - 156)

-This quote shows that Odysseus is a hero by

showing that not only is he a leader for the
Greek army, but based on this quote he also
has the qualities of one.

The Odyssey
Part I: The
Wanderings
-The Lotus
Eaters

-I drove them, all three wailing, to the ships,

tied them down under their rowing benches
and called the rest (Homer 211 - 213)

-This quote shows that Odysseus is a hero for

saving his crew mates even though in this
situation the crew members are dead
weight to him.

The Odyssey
Part I: The
Wanderings
-The
Cyclops

-Now, by the gods, I drove my big hand spike

deep in the embers, charring it again, and
cheered my men along the battle talk [...]
straight forward they sprinted, lifted it, and
rammed it deep in his crater eye, [...]
(Homer 368 - 378)

-This quote shows that Odysseus is using his

tactics and leadership to help him and his
crew mates get out of the Cyclopss cave.

-I tied them silently together, twining cord of

willow from the ogres bed; then slung a man
under each middle one to ride safely, shielded
left and right (Homer 423 - 426)

-This quote shows how Odysseus uses his

cleverness to get him and his friends out of a
deadly situation which makes him that much
of a hero.

-Odysseus leaves the ship and rushes to

Circes hall [...] The goddess, realizing she has
met her match, frees Odysseuss men.
(Homer 675)

-This quote shows that Odysseus is doing

something both noble and heroic by saving
his crew.

-After many feastings and other pleasures,

Odysseus and his men beg Circe to help them
return home. (Homer 675)

- This quote shows how Odysseus has a

characteristic of being non-heroic, at least
from a perspective of someone at the time of
Homer. The reason for this is that Odysseus
is technically giving in to Circe and asking for
her answer. Now, in modern day, people
would usually not mind this characteristic.
But someone from Homers time period,
would consider this a noble characteristic.

- From every side they came and sought the

pit with rustling cries; and I grew sick with
fear. But presently I gave command to my
officers to flay those sheep the bronze cut

- This quote shows Odysseuss leadership

which is a very strong characteristic of a hero.
And even though he admits that he was very
fearful, he overcomes it for the sake of his

The Odyssey
Part I: The
Wanderings
- I Am
Laertes
Son

The Odyssey
Part I: The
Wanderings
-Circe

The Odyssey
Part I: The
Wanderings
-The Land

of the Dead

The Odyssey
Part I: The
Wanderings
-Sirens;
Scylla and
Charybdis

down, and make burnt offerings of flesh to

the gods below- (Homer 598 - 602)

men, which shows very strong leadership.

[...] yet she urged that I alone should listen

to the song. Therefore you are to tie me up,
tight as a splint, erect along the mast, lashed
to the mast [...] (Homer 726 -729)

-This shows how Odysseus is brave enough to

listen to the Sirens song and still go through
the agony of not being able to go towards the
singing for the sake of his own life.

Odysseus does not tell his men of Circes last

prophecy - that he will be the only survivor of
their long journey. (Homer 680)

-This shows how Odysseus is not heroic by

not telling his men that they might die
according to the goddesss prophecy. If he
told them, they might have prevented their
deaths and they might have returned to
Ithaca sooner.

The Odyssey
Part I: The
Wanderings
-The Cattle
of the Sun
God

Old shipmates, our stores are in the ships

hold, food, and drink; the cattle here are not
for our provision, or we pay dearly for it.
(Homer 854 - 856)

-This shows another example of Odysseus

leadership, by enforcing a rule that will save
their lives. Even though later on his crew
disobeys his rule, it was still heroic for
Odysseus to tell his men about what will
happen if they disobey, when someone else
might have been scared to tell.

Oedipus Rex
Scene I/Ode
I

-You came and by your coming saved our

city, freed us from the tribute which we paid
of old to the Sphinx, cruel singer. (Sophocles
39 - 41)

- This shows proof of Oedipuss courage and

act to save the city of Thebes from the Sphinx
(The quote is kinda self explanatory).

Indeed I am so angry I shall not hold back a

jolt of what I think. For I would have you
know I think you were complotter of the deed
and doer of the deed save in so far as for the
actual killing. (Sophocles 390 - 395)

-This shows an example of Oedipus not

having the characteristics of a hero. In this
quote, he accuses Teiresias for the murder of
King Laius, instead of taking responsibility
and listening to what he has to say.

Oedipus Rex
Scene II/Ode
II

-O God, I think I have called curses upon

myself in ignorance. (Sophocles 862 - 863)

-This shows an example of Oedipus being a

hero. At this point, he realizes that he made a
mistake and now wants to figure out if he
might be the murder. In this case, he is taking
responsibility of his actions and is trying to
make up for it.

Oedipus Rex
Scene
III/Ode III

- Keep up your heart, Jocasta. Though Im

proved a slave, a thrice slave, and through my
mother a thrice slave, youll not be shown to
be of lowly lineage. (Sophocles 1210 - 1213)

-This shows an example of Oedipus being a

hero. He essentially promises Jocasta that,
even though he is going to search for the
truth (yet another heroic characteristic) he
also wants to make sure that Jocasta and her
reputation will be okay.

Oedipus Rex
Scene
IV/Ode IV

-Here, one of you, twist his hands behind

him. (Sophocles 1314 -1315)

-This quote shows an example of Oedipus

non-heroic characteristics. In this case, he is
being a tyrant by threatening to hurt a man if
he doesnt tell him information about his
birth.

-Why should I see whose vision shoed me

nothing sweet to see? (Sophocles 1521 -1522)

-This quote shows an example of Oedipus

both being a hero and at the same time
having a non-heroic characteristic. In this
situation, he is a hero because he is punishing
himself and is going to save Thebes for the
famine. However, this is also a non-heroic
characteristic of his. The only reason he
blinded himself was for his own selfish
reasons. Blinding himself was never an
option, he could of just walked out of Thebes.
Instead, not wanting to see his parents in the
underworld. He takes out his eyes so he
doesnt bear to see them.

THESIS: Identifying true heroes can sometimes be a challenging task.

Some people think

a hero is someone who is strong or superhuman [traits that you are NOT arguing for].
But in reality, a hero is someone who is loyal, valiant,
and willing.
Qualities or skills of a hero
1- A person who is courageous or valiant.
2- A person who remains loyal to the people who he/ she cares about.
3- A person who is willing to help others and to stick to the objective.