Archetype: the unveiled hero

[Jo-Anne]

“Throwing off his rags, the resourceful Odysseus leaped on to the
great threshold with his bow and his full quiver, and poured the swift
arrows at his feet.” (Book 22, Lines 1-3)

“The master-strategist Odysseus gave them a black look. ‘You dogs!’ he
cried. ‘You never thought to see me back from Troy. So you fleeced my
household; you raped my maids; you courted my wife behind my back
though I was alive – with no more fear of the gods in heaven than of
the human vengeance that might come. One and all, your fate is
sealed.” (Book 22, Lines 35-40)

“I am Odysseus, Laertes’ son. The whole world talks of my strategems,
and my fame has reached the heavens. My home is under the clear skies
of Ithaca.” (Book 9, 19-21)

The archetype of the unveiled hero occurs at the very end of the
Odyssey when Odysseus, dressed in rags as a beggar, reveals himself to
the suitors and proceeds to bring disaster down on their heads.
Interestingly, this archetype is also present in book nine, when
Odysseus proclaims himself to King Alcinous, thus foreshadowing his
later uncovering. Odysseus’ unveiling coincides with the climax of the
epic, marking the instant when he demonstrates his heroism – that is,
his ability to conquer the suitors, bring peace to his homeland,
reunite with his wife, and essentially rid Ithaca of evil.

The theme of an unveiled hero may be found in many novels and films
today as the hero who is forced to disguise him/herself and embark on
a journey of hardships, finally disclosing his identity. One
significant example of this is in the well-known novel Lord of the
Rings. The unveiled hero is this instant would be when Aragorn shows
himself to Sauron, declares himself the King of Gondor, and all his
enemies cower at his feet. This archetype is then important in
literature as it is the point when the hero, after going through
numerous hardships and instances where he cannot be recognized, is
able to throw off his disguise, stand proudly, and defeat his foes. In
this moment as the dramatic irony comes to an end, the reader can
exult in the triumph of the hero and thus experience a second of
liberating freedom.