Sophie - When feasting with the suitors, Ctesippus, is angered by Telemachus’ hospitality towards the beggar. Ctesippus takes his anger out by “grabbing an oxhoof out of a basket where it lay, With a brawny hand he flung it straight at the king” (420.334-336). By lashing out at the beggar Ctesippus shows a lack of hospitality. 

Kylie - Antinous mistreats the beggar during the public feast, leading Penelope to stand up for him by saying, “‘how impolite it would be, how wrong to scant whatever guest Telemachus welcomes to his house’” (434.351-352). Antinous knows no boundaries when it comes to getting what he wants, which in this case is removing the beggar from Odysseus’ halls. 

Sydnee - Antinous is exemplifying his high standing power as the head suitor, by “lifting a gorgeous golden loving-cup in his hands” (439.8). Antinous is also showing inhospitality as he shows his wealth though the expensive wine he drinks, to the “two handed goblet” (439.10).

TJ - Odysseus finally reveals himself to the suitor, yelling at them because they had, “bled my house to death” (440.37). Odysseus is angered at the suitors as he showed hospitality throughout the years, yet they exploited his kindness and used it with no remorse. 

~As Odysseus lies awake at night he hears “ The maids who whored in the suitor’s bed each night”(410.9). The maids are suppose to be loyal to Penelope, yet they betray her by sleeping with the enemy.
~After Odysseus reveals his true identity to the swineherd and the cowherd, they  “broke into tears and threw their arms around their master…” (431.250).  After 20 years, the swineherd and the cowherd still remain loyal to Odysseus, and are overjoyed to see him back in Ithaca.
~As Telemachus hangs the unfaithful maids, their final actions were “as doves or thrushes beating their spread wings”(453.494). They did not uphold their values of loyalty and were punished accordingly.
~While Odysseus is killing the suitors, Telemachus tells Odysseus, “Stop don’t cut him down! This one’s innocent” (450.376). Compared to the suitors, the bard had done no wrong towards Odysseus and his family and showed loyalty throughout Odysseus’ absence. 

 
Penelope tells Odysseus about the competition that will decide which suitor finally gets to marry her, it takes great skill and is something only Odysseus was able to do, “‘The hand that can string the bow with greatest ease, that shoots an arrow clean through all twelve axes--he’s the man I follow, yes, forsaking this house’” (408.649-651). Only a man of great strength and skill would be able to accomplish this task, displaying characteristics of an epic hero.

Odysseus prepared to fire an arrow to reveal his true identity to the suitors after being challenged by them. He says “but another target’s left that no one’s hit before- we’ll see if I can hit it- Apollo give me glory” (439. 6-7).  Odysseus is the only one who can string and fire his own bow because it takes great strength which only an epic hero has. 

 When being treated to by servants in Ithaca, a scar that Odysseus had on his leg was obvious. Odysseus then proceeds to explain that he got that scar when “the white tusk of a wild boar had gashed his leg, hunting on Parnassus with Autolycus and his sons” (405.526-527). Odysseus’s tales show his bravery while he fought in the Trojan War. He gives us details of the struggles he endured which enable us to understand his bravery during this time. Odysseus therefore represents the bravery of a true epic hero by leading his men without fear and having scars to show for it.

Telemachus runs off to arm himself to aid his father against the suitors, and when he and his servants return to his father’s side, “...[Telemachus and the servants] flanked Odysseus, mastermind of war, and he, as long as he’d arrows left to defend himself, kept picking suitors off in the palace, one by one…” (443.123-126). Odysseus was able to defend himself against multiple men without the help of his son, a task that an ordinary man would find nearly impossible.

Odysseus has finally returned to his home, Ithaca, and says, “‘ I’m right here, here in the flesh-myself- and home at last, after bearing twenty years of brutal hardship.’’’ (431. 233).  Odysseus has beaten the wrath of Poseidon, escaped the violent Charybdis and Scylla, has survived the powers of the sorceress Circe, and left the island of Calypso that no one ever leaves, which lasted about twenty years after fighting in the Trojan War.   Odysseus is identified as an Epic Hero because he survived and went through many events that shaped him into a strong and powerful hero.