The Image of the Anti- Hero in James Joyce's Ulysses

Abstract

The hero traditionally has such admirable traits as courage, fortitude,
chivalry and patriotism. In the literary works, the hero is the leading
character and the pivot around which all the characters and the events
revolve. The characteristics of the hero usually reflect the cultural values
of his time. Because, in each age, Man's attitudes towards himself and the
world change, different images of the hero emerge.
In Greek Mythology, the hero is frequently favoured by the gods;
therefore, he is himself semi-divine. The Greek hero is of princely birth
and is endowed with good physique, exceptional strength, skill in
athletics and battle, energy and eloquence, like Odysseus who is the hero
of the Odyssey, long epic poem traditionally ascribed to the Greek poet
Homer. Odysseus is the king of Ithaca and he is a valorous, mighty leader
who took part in the siege of Troy. On his way back to Ithaca, after the
end of the war, he passed through many dangerous adventures in which
he encountered ruthless monsters such as Cyclopes, a giant with one eye,
and Scylla, an equally dreadful monster with six head. 1