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A Hero Among Men, A Man Among Heroes

The name Ulysses instantly conjures up images of heroism and adventure. Even modern readers who are less versed in classical literature recognize the larger-than-life character, if not the specific details of this legend. It is with these associations in mind that one approaches the poetic monologue "Ulysses" by Alfred Lord Tennyson. Tennyson, hwoever, presents the reader with a man rather than a hero. The Ulysses of his imagination is restless rather than self-satisfied and irresponsible and selfish rather than altruistic. This Ulysses harbors unrepentant contempt for his home and mostly for the people who have cheered him on and anxiously awaited his return from battles. Yet in spite of his faults – indeed because of his faults – Ulysses possesses
the venerant power of inspiration. Were he entirely flawless, he would be out of the realm of the reader's experience, and though we would admire him, we would not see ourselves in him......

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Approximate Word Count: 1099
Approximate Pages: 5 (250 words per double-spaced page)

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