Both Odysseus are calculating and devious and both commit acts of self-interest, but the similarities end there and they ultimately take two completely different paths. In The Odyssey, Homer shows that despite all his drawbacks (e.g. having his shipmates killed by a sea monster without their knowledge), he is ultimately a heroic character due to his courage, courage, sharp intellect, and saving of his men from Circe home. In Euripides' Hecuba, Odysseus is portrayed as a corrupt human being, devoid of feeling or empathy. He is a selfish, cruel and insensitive individual. There are no redeeming qualities in Ulysses and he never redeems himself throughout the work, replacing the thought of the great hero with a dark stain of misery and desperation.