A Comparative Analysis of Odysseus and Achilles Essay

Lizeth Marin Honors Introduction to Literature Period 3 18 April 2008 Odysseus: Hero or Villain? Heading home, to Ithaca, Odysseus is faced upon many obstacles that he and his men try to overcome, but in the end substantiate that Odysseus is a villain. “The old soldier in despair: He has spent ten years (seven of them as Calypso’s not entirely unwillingly captive) trying to get home” (652, summary). Evidence proves that Odysseus is a villain, because he tries to convince that he was kept unwillingly by Calypso. However, it is true that Odysseus was kept as Calypso’s captive for a time. Yet he can still be judged as a villain, because he does not just stay as a prisoner, no, he assists Calypso by being with her for the pleasures that

     Is Odysseus, the main character of Homer’s The Odyssey, really an epic hero? An epic hero embodies several heroic traits such as; having superior or super-human strength; being intellectual and courageous; and being a strong and responsible leader. An epic hero struggles and is overwhelmed with difficulties. An epic hero is on a quest of self discovery, war or some sort of goal. In the Odyssey, Odysseus is on a quest to return home to Ithaca after ten years of war in Troy. Odysseus, during his quest, is forced to venture through a merciless Cyclops, angered Gods, deeply obstinate Goddesses, the underworld, and determined suitors that are after his wife Penelope. Odysseus surmounts

The Odyssey by Homer is an epic from Ancient Greece telling the tale of the great warrior Odysseus. It tells of Odysseus going to war and going through many trials to get back to his homeland, Ithaca. On Ithaca are his wife, Penelope, and his son, Telemachus. Throughout the epic, Odysseus faces many challenges and trials in order to get home to his family, and even after he finally does arrive. Through all of the trials, each being extremely difficult, he pushes on to reach his family. This shows there are definitely bonds in the families. Of these, one that is apparent upon multiple occasions is the bond between father and son. Of course, the only father and son relationship isn’t just between Odysseus and Telemachus. There are many other examples of this family relationship, such as Poseidon and Polyphemus. But not only does the father and son relationship play a large role in the Odyssey. All family relations in general play a surprisingly large part in the Odyssey. Throughout the entirety of the story, family appears to be a great stimulus to persevere through the problem, no matter how challenging or fearful. One extreme example is of course is Odysseus. He traveled for 20 years fighting to return to his family, through unimaginable danger and the loss of roughly three crews. Family also appears to cause extreme retaliation and revenge. A superb example is how Poseidon reacts after Odysseus and his crew blind his son, Polyphemus. Another grand example is when Odysseus

Odysseus and Telemakhos are both clear-headed, eloquent, and emotional. These are but three of the traits that they share. They both can keep their head clear in battle, and think quickly to get out of bad situations. They both are able to use their powerful speech to get things to go their way. Both also can become very emotional at times. This shows what a great impact a father has on his son. By setting a good example for Telemakhos, Odysseus guaranteed that Telemakhos would be just as great a man as he

Many think being a hero is having super powers, but on the contrary it's more than that. A hero is one who is distinguished for their courage and bravery, and looked upon for their great deeds. A hero like this is not just found in modern society today, but in mythology as well. In the epic poem The Odyssey by Homer, Odysseus earns the title of a true hero by conveying many qualities such as: determination, courage and leadership.

The majority of those who read The Odyssey consider the protagonist of the story, Odysseus, a hero. On many occasions, however, Odysseus makes decisions beneficial to himself alone. For example, when Odysseus and his men find themselves on Polyphemus's island, Odysseus's actions are self-centered and at the expense of his men. This can be said for most of Odysseus's actions in the story, as his main objective is to reach his home. Having his men by his side when he returns seems a trivial thing to him. Odysseus could be considered a hero, but many of his actions say otherwise. Due to the many unfaithful and self-centered decisions he makes in the story, Odysseus is not a hero.

sword from my hip I went along his flank to stab him where the midriff

    Most people think of a hero as a strong, superior, good-looking person that could never make a mistake. However, in a story called The Odyssey, a connection to real life reveals imperfections to be common in heroes. Each person has their low points and highlights, regardless of their “rank”. The author and epic poet, Homer, exemplifies our main character, Odysseus, to take on this idea of a hero throughout his writing. The time period took place in Ancient Greece, allowing Greek culture to relate to the poem. Different aspects of such culture and history may have influenced the works and creativity of Homer as well. A major point includes The Trojan War because it focuses in on Odysseus’ journey to bring Helen back home by devising a plan to destroy warriors in the city. Acknowledge this factor when reading The Odyssey, for not only evidence of heroism, but also other major points of archetypes, in which the device reflects the insights of readers in modern time and what is seen from Ancient Greek culture.

Odysseus is the main character in an epic poem called the Odyssey. In the poem Odysseus has had some bad luck getting home, with some of the gods helping him and some hindering him; his journey towards home is a constant struggle. In this poem we see a man being broke and rebuilt, through constant irony his faith was damaged and without the help of Athena he probably would have given up on his journey. Through his hard work and wise spirit he finally does achieve his goal.

In addition to father-son relationships providing for sons, father-son relationships also provide for the fathers. Odysseus failing to father Telemachus causes Odysseus to lack self- control, responsibility, and modesty. For example, Odysseus’ hubristic nature causes him to unnecessarily raid the island of the Cicones. From this example, it is clear that Odysseus lacks self-control and modesty due to the lack of fathering of Telemachus. While in the Land of the Dead, Odysseus replies to Achilles’ joy upon hearing of his son’s successes, “So I said and off he went, the ghost of the great runner, Aecus’ grandson loping with long strides across the fields of asphodel, triumphant in all I had told him of his son, his gallant, glorious son” (267). This quote was Achilles’s exultant reaction to his son, Neoptolemus, being a valiant fighter in battle. As from this quote, it is apparent that sons not only provide to fathers a sense of responsibility but also instill great pride in their father’s hearts. Yet another instance where sons

Some civilizations perish into ashes, and others supersede the former and ascent to power. Ancient Greece is one such example, rising to the apex of its glory, and as history is depicted to repeat itself, the future was simultaneously on a quest to bring about its diminution. Although this cycle is inevitable, we are blessed by our biological programming to relay the chronicles of such civilizations through stories. Literature allows us to peek through the fabric of time and gain insight into the ideals a civilization was structured upon. Examining the Odyssey will allow us to view the values the Ancient Greeks were reliant on, and how those values and brought about the indomitable hero

Achilles and Odysseus are quite different in the way they view combat and take down their enemies. Achilles seems to rely on his physical prowess, often charging in headfirst into battle using surprise and brute force to overpower his opponent whereas Odysseus has a tendency to use his intelligence and cunning nature in both the battlefield and politics as he stealthily plans the demise of his unsuspecting opponent. “Gnashing his teeth with rage, Achilles leaped from his chariot, made for his enemy, and lunged out at him with his sword” (341). Even when faced with a seemingly invincible assailant, Achilles uses his anger and sheer power to overtake Cycnus and impulsively attacks his unblemished skin in the hopes to end his life. It is Achilles’ agile and finesse in battle that has led to many victories for him. Even though the reasoning for his actions are more simplistic and even quite animalistic in some scenarios, it is this godlike strength and vicious temper that makes him the physical embodiment of a vengeful hero and in the Greeks stories he possesses all of the physical traits a hero should exemplify. “For now Odysseus began to boil with envy and thought up a despicable plan to end his rival” (342). Odysseus is quick and decisive in his actions but he relies on his sly nature to defeat and overwhelm his opponent in battle. Odysseus is valued for his wisdom and fair counsel, he has experience in the real world and this shows in the way he manipulates and even plays

The Comparison Between the Three Greats In the play Medea written by Euripides, she was presented to us as an abandoned woman with fury. She was more than just to be perceived such as that though. In this play, Medea has shared some of the same qualities as Odysseus from The Odyssey and Achilles from the Iliad, both written by Homer. Though Odysseus and Achilles are different from Medea, they have their resemblances in their own way.

Rebecca McKenney Greek and Roman Mythology in Translation Mrs. McCleanhan 12 November 2016 The Returns and the Odyssey Short Answer 2. Odysseus and Achilles were two Greek heroes of the Trojan War. They also play a major role in two of the most well-known Greek classics, the Odyssey and the Iliad respectfully. Both men were once reluctant to join the war before joining the Greeks.

The gods often turned their backs on warriors, completely dependent on their defeats. A god would cling to their favored hero; cherish them, guard them, some even going to the extent of recusing them from death itself. In order to survive, warriors were required to honor the gods, enabling them leniency toward even the crudest of rages. Judging by the gear sported by both, one can see the potency flowing, the sign of a great warrior. Thus, Achilles and Penthesilea must have had a moderately decent relationship with the gods. This relationship would rescue the two from eminent death as well as gift both with a life unafraid of the god’s fury; a life unquestionably worth