EN 202
Heroes are Epic
A comparison of Odysseus to Harry Potter
Jill Lauren Quaranta
10/31/2009
Heroism is a theme that can both stand the test of time and transcend cultures around the globe. This
essay will examine one of history’s greatest fictional heroes and one of modern society’s most popular
heroes, explaining why the epic hero is so important to literature both past and present.
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A very popular theme in literature, both past and present, is heroism. Perhaps one of the
greatest stories ever told about a hero was Homer’s Odyssey. In fact, we even derive an entirely
different type of hero from The Odyssey: the epic hero. Today, heroism is just as popular as it
was in ancient Greece. In fact, one of the most popular best-sellers of our time is about a hero
who has more similarities to Odysseus than one might realize. When J.K. Rowling wrote the
Harry Potter series, she might not have had Homer and his epics in mind, but the parallels are so
striking that it would not be so stunning if she did model her famed main character after his.
Would Harry Potter’s story be so beloved by millions across the globe if readers did not think
him a hero? Would Odysseus have survived so many years and remained at the top of high
school and college reading lists had he lacked the elements of heroism we can relate to? In every
way, Harry Potter is as much a hero as Odysseus, both by the standards of an epic hero and by
the guidelines our society sets forth today.
To prove this point, let us first look into the striking similarities between the two stories.
Odysseus is the son of Laertes and ruler of Ithaca. He is revered by the people of his land, whom
he must leave behind when he is called away to fight in the Trojan War, a war in which he fights
for ten years. The Odyssey is his journey home and all of the evens that transpired in Ithaca
while he was away. In the story, Poseidon has an unrelenting hatred toward Odysseus, and at the
same time, Athena takes a special interest in Odysseus and helps him in his journey. There is a
presence of monsters and mythical creatures, and even the prophet Tiresias.
Harry Potter may have had a much different journey, but his was just as epic, in every
sense of the word. Harry is the son of Lily and James Potter, who are murdered when Harry is
only one year old. He is left an orphan and is removed from the wizarding world, the world in
which he belongs, for ten years. Harry had a godfather whom he left behind in the wizarding
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world and his only other relatives are his muggle aunt and uncle. The Harry Potter series
chronicles Harry’s trials and tribulations coming of age as more than just abnormal because not
only is he a wizard, but he is “the chosen one.” In the seven tales that chronicle his journey from
innocent child to battle-weary wizard, Harry faces his arch nemesis, Lord Voldemort, not once,
but many times. Harry is aided along his journey by the mystical Albus Dumbledore, who seems
to take a special interest in him from the first chapter of the first book. We also meet many a
mythical creature and strange being, and Seer Sybil Trelawney.
During his expedition, Odysseus, of course, completes the epic hero cycle. He is a larger
than life character presented as strong, handsome, and loved by his people. He is a king, thus the
high position in society, and he is tested over and over again by different obstacles throughout
the story. There is absolutely a presence of gods and goddesses, in the form of Athena and
Poseidon, among others, and Circe bids Odysseus travel to the underworld to speak with the
prophet Tiresias. Odysseus seems to have given up when he spends seven years miserably
stranded on Calypso’s island, longing to return to Ithaca once again. However, Odysseus makes
his triumphant return, or resurrection, after 20 years away from his home, and gains restitution
when he reveals himself as Odysseus, King of Ithaca, and mercilessly slays the suitors to reclaim
his throne and his wife.
Harry also passes the epic hero test with flying colors; he is larger than life because he is
a wizard. (I think many of us are still waiting for our letters from Hogwarts). He has a high
position in society, even though he does not know it until he turns eleven, because he is “the boy
who lived” and everyone in the wizarding world knows his name. At least once in every book in
the series, and in most cases more than once, Harry must face extraordinary challenges to prove
himself. Although there are no actual gods and goddesses as Homer would have put it, Albus
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Dumbledore is quite the godlike figure, having an all-powerful reputation and mystical and
ethereal qualities about him, and Voldemort could easily be compared to a god like Poseidon
with all of his power, wrath and anger. In the last book in the series, Harry must choose to give
himself up to Voldemort or continue fighting. He chooses to give himself up willingly, ready to
die to save his friends. In his determined and heart-wrenching walk from Dumbledore’s office to
the Forbidden Forest, where Voldemort is waiting for Harry to show himself, he walks past
Ginny, unseen. “Ripples of cold undulated over Harry’s skin. He wanted to shout out to the
night, he wanted Ginny to know that he was there, he wanted her to know where he was going.
He wanted to be stopped, to be dragged back, to be sent back home….” (Rowling, 697). Here,
Harry experiences his low point. “But he was home” (Rowling, 697) he realizes, and he
continues on to allow Voldemort to kill him, without resistance, sacrificing himself to save the
ones he loves. It is at this point he finds himself waking up in Rowling’s interpretation of Harry’s
vision the underworld, which looks much like a foggy version of King’s Cross Station.
Miraculously, because of his selflessness and the power of love, which is a huge theme of
Rowling’s series, Harry is resurrected and lives to fight in a final battle against Voldemort,
where he uses the simplest of spells, expelliarmus, what some would call his signature spell, to
defeat Voldemort. This is Harry’s restitution.
Odysseus and Harry Potter both face extraordinary challenges and fight countless battles
against the most horrific of enemies including all shapes and sizes of mythical creatures, not to
mention the all-powerful Poseidon and Voldemort, who have it out for Odysseus and Harry from
the beginning. Neither of them gives up, though. They are both brave, intelligent, persuasive
men, well-liked by many, and continue to fight their battles because they desire a return to living
peaceful, normal lives. There are differences between these two characters as well, however.
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Odysseus is an adult, whom we are to assume was born with greatness, and is also royalty, which
means he is part of a social chaste system and was meant to be king and to be famous among the
people of Ithaca from the moment of his conception. Harry, on the other hand, is a child when
we first meet him. He is young and must learn from his mistakes and grow as a person. He was
not born into greatness; his fame was caused by a terrible tragedy that haunts him throughout his
entire journey, although it makes him stronger. Had his parents not been murdered, Harry would
never have become famous among the wizards of the world and thus loved for surviving the
curse and making Voldemort disappear for 13 years. “Harry’s celebrity, based as it is on
achievement rather than inherited social position, suggests…that Rowling is making him a
liberal hero. His decision not to join the Slytherin house at school underlines an existential
message that identity and social position can be a matter of choice.” (Routledge, 209).
Odysseus is merciless; he kills each and every suitor in his castle without a second
thought. He lets his emotions cloud his judgment; he is rash and arrogant and does not think
things through before he acts. Harry never kills, despite the anger that courses through him at
times, despite how many of his would-be victims may deserve it, until he fights Voldemort. He
always has mercy on or pity for his foes. He can lose his head at times, but Harry does not act in
a way that costs him dearly, like Odysseus. Harry keeps a level head most of the time and his
moments of weakness or are not shown at times of great importance. He knows when it is
appropriate to remain steadfast and when it is okay to break down or lose control.
Helping both Odysseus and Harry Potter are extraordinary figures. Athena, the daughter
of Zeus, goddess of war, intelligence, industry, justice, and skill, takes a special interest in
Odysseus when she sees him stranded on Calypso’s island. It is by her doing that Telemachus
goes on his quest to find out the fate of his father, Odysseus. Athena also helps Odysseus himself
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escapes Calypso, and helps Odysseus and Telemachus together rid their home of the despicable
suitors. Athena seems to take pleasure in the battle of the house and scaring the suitors senseless
before their massacre. If not for Athena, Odysseus would have been stuck with Calypso for the
rest of his life. Athena gave Odysseus the strength he needed to achieve his goals. Albus
Dumbledore, headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, is an eccentric old
man who could be described as godlike because of the amount of wisdom and power his
reputation has. “If fairy-tale protagonists are demi-gods, their helpers are gods.” (Nikolajeva,
127). However, “Dumbledore is more than a mentor in magic…he is also an element of the
monomyth; he is the hero’s secret strength.” (Pharr, 61). Dumbledore not only teaches Harry
magic, but he exists to provide insight into the central themes of the series, such as the power of
love above any magic spell, or how selflessness is always rewarded.
The resemblance between Odysseus and Harry Potter as epic heroes is astounding. They
both follow the cycle to a tee; they both have similar circumstances surrounding their situations
as heroes, and they both have extraordinary mentors aiding them in their journeys. There are
differences between the two, such as the age of the characters and, of course the time period in
which they exist, but those are minor details in comparison to their stories as a whole. Odysseus
and Harry Potter both continue to battle through their trials because that is their means to an end
of living a peaceful, normal life in the home in which they belong.
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Works Cited
Rowling, J.K. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. New York: Arthur A. Levine Books, 2007.
Routledge, Christopher. “Harry Potter and the Mystery of Ordinary Life.” Mystery in Children’s
Literature: From the Rational to the Supernatural. Ed. Adrienne E. Gavin and Christopher
Routledge. New York: PALGRAVE, 2001. 202-209.
Pharr, Mary. “In Media Res: Harry Potter as Hero-In-Progress.” The Ivory Tower and Harry
Potter:Perspectives on a Literary Phenomenon. Ed. Lana A. Whited. Colombia:
University of Missouri Press, 2002. 53-66.
Nikolajeva, Maria. “Harry Potter – A Return to the Romantic Hero.” Critical Perspectives on
Harry Potter. Ed. Elizabeth E. Heilman. New York: Routlegde, 2003. 125-140.