Is Odysseus Darth Vader?

During class discussions about Star Wars, in the very beginnings of the semester, I remember Tina saying how the original Star Wars movies along with the prequels make way more sense if you think of Anakin as the main protagonist instead of Luke. This idea stuck with me and changed my perspective on the prequels.

As we began to read the Odyssey, Odysseus’ character took me by surprise, because he was not the Greek hero that I imagined. Vain, questionable morals and leadership, tactful in some cases, but rash and downright stupid in others, these traits were not what I expected/wanted from Odysseus. I wanted Odysseus to be the sympathetic and good character who upholds his morals and works for the greater good of others. And yes, the fact that Odysseus cries stops him from becoming a total douchebag, the way Homer included it in Odysseus’ character was a refreshing surprise, but after a while he just become an angsty, overgrown and overpowered, selfishly vengeful character.

At first, I thought the Odyssey was about how Odysseus wanted desperately to go home, and the gods were bullying the poor mortal hero. But dwelling on Circe’s island showed me that Odysseus’ reasons for going home were purely selfish. His desire to go home wasn’t out of thought for his poor wife and son, it was purely because of himself, otherwise, he would’ve left earlier. His adventure home is a journey to accomplish his desires at the expense of others, as seen by the wreck of the Phaeacians. Not very hero-like.

So here’s a thought: could it be possible, that the Trojan war has taken such a toll on our hero that he has become the corrupted hero that he is in the Odysseus? Can you imagine Odysseus being the wonderful hero that everyone he meets says he is, in the Illiad? Can you see a narrative that while Odysseus had been an upholder of justice and morality, he succumbs to his selfish desires after the horrors of the Trojan War, ultimately changing his moral views? Perhaps this is a modern interpretation of Odysseus’ character to rationalize his actions, and his heroic traits are just a cultural difference and living in 2019, I am unable to understand or sympathize with it. But tell me your thoughts, leave a comment below, and educate me please.