The Odyssey and Star Wars are two great examples of epics. Both the stories fulfill the epic hero cycle to the fullest. In The Odyssey, Odysseus is the hero, he goes to Troy to fight a war and get lost at sea for 20 years. In Star Wars Luck is the hero, he gets introduced to the rebel force that is trying to ensure the safety of their universe. The Odyssey and Star Wars follow the same basic cycle. Both adventures show hard challenging tasks in order to complete the adventure. In order to start the epic hero cycle you must be called to adventure.
Luke gets called to adventure when his aunt and uncle get killed and he no longer has a home. (Star Wars). Odysseus gets called to adventure by his fellow kings. (The Odyssey). These stories are similar besides just following the cycle; both men go out and fight for something that they truly care about. Both Luke and Odysseus had to pass or fail certain tests. Luke’s test was to learn the force. As Luke continued to excel as a hero the Force came along with him. Odysseus’ test was to see if he would thank the gods for allowing the Greeks to win the war. (The Odyssey).
Odysseus never thanked the gods therefore Poseidon punished him by forcing him to be lost at sea. In the epic hero cycle there is one event called the supreme ordeal. Supreme Ordeals are the high point of the adventure, it’s when the tests that the hero went through either let him live or let him die. In Star Wars the supreme ordeal is when Luke, Han Solo, Chewbacca, and Princess Leia are trapped in a garbage compactor. (Star Wars). In the Odyssey the Supreme Ordeal is when Odysseus passes back through the Charybdis. (Homer, 1081). The last thing that needs to happen in order to finish the epic hero cycle is flight.
Flight is when the hero leaves where the supreme ordeal takes place. In Star Wars the flight occurs when the rebel force blows up the death star. (Star Wars). In the Odyssey the flight takes place when Odysseus floats away on a broken plank of wood. (Homer, 1081). Star Wars and the Odyssey are both very good example of epics. Both stories follow the epic hero cycle to the fullest. Both the hero’s went through all the obstacles that they needed to in order to return back home. Luke learned much from his adventure and grew much stronger. Odysseus was already a very noble man but he learned from his mistakes.
