Odysseus And Achilles Comparison

The Odyssey is an epic compiled by Homer, believed to be a blind minstrel, in which Odysseus journeys home after the Trojan War, a ten-year war that took place in front of the gates of Troy. The Odyssey most manifestly and evidently defines love as a dedication to one’s paramour and being unwilling of romantic love from other admirers. In The Odyssey, Odysseus slept with Circe and Calypso, but this was not true love because both women were not his spouse and he was told he must sleep with them in order to set his faithful followers free. To begin, Odysseus first languished with Circe, where he was unfaithful to Penelope so he could receive aid in reversing the spell cast on his men that turned them into swine. (ADD EVIDENCE AND CITATION). Moreover, his commitment of adultery was not considered true love because he was forced to sleep with Circe, rather than falling in love with her on his

Achilles bears down upon Hector for the last fight of one of their lives. The Greeks and Trojans have been at war for a long time and the for the first time since the war has started the greatest warriors of both sides are about to clash in a one on one battle that the gods themselves are taking part in influencing the outcome of it. After Hector killed Achilles best friend Patroclus, Achilles has been out to avenge him by killing Hector and showing him the same courtesy that he showed Patroclus when he killed him by leaving him where the dogs and buzzards could pick at him, and he would never get the burial necessary for him to move on into the afterlife. Achilles hunting Hector down proves that even the most ruthless of Greek warriors can show compassion towards a friend.

Heroic, Strong, Brave, Confident. A hero is these things and many more. Two heroes who are very alike are Odysseus from the Odyssey and Hercules from the Disney movie Hercules. Not only did they both battle fearsome monsters, they were both working against an angered Greek god and shared many common characteristics. Odysseus and Hercules may have been uncannily alike but in the beginning they had their differences in motive. Although towards the end their purpose became more alike than ever.

Homer’s The Odyssey is very much an epic tale of a man’s heroic quest. The protagonist, Odysseus, is a cunning, brave, strong, and tenacious character who is given the title of a hero. This “hero”, however, does not always show characteristics of a hero, which leads many to believe that Odysseus, is not a true hero after all. In fact, Odysseus cheats on his wife multiple times, is willing to sacrifice his men in order to get home, and slaughters all his maids even though he did not have to. In The Odyssey, Homer attempts to create a complex portrait of a hero, but fails at his attempt when making Odysseus unforgiving, self absorbed, and a philanderer.

The trait of heroism is something that has changed over thousands of years. Today’s heros have different traits than those heroes of the Trojan War. However, a few have survived the test of time. Many of modern day heroes, as well as past heroes, do hold these long enduring traits, like Nelson Mandela, Marcus Luttrell, Louis Zamperini, and the fictional Iron Man. Odysseus, the main character in The Odyssey by Homer, portrays the traits necessary to be dubbed a hero. One is a hero if he or she shows leadership, bravery, resilience, and creativity throughout their actions.

The Legendary story of Odysseus is an epic depicting the life of a man (Odysseus) and his journey home after the Trojan War. He wants to go home to his wife and his kingdom but runs into trouble along the way. The only way for him to get out of this trouble is to enact one of his many heroic attributes: courage, nobility, a hunger for glory, and confidence.

    In the Odyssey by Homer, the main character, Odysseus, demonstrates hero like characteristics. An article called The Hero’s Journey states that a hero is someone having the courage of judgement to act on feats benefitting the general populace(Ch.1, Sec.1). Throughout the epic poem he shows such traits to the reader, and characters in the poem.  Someone in another person’s life may feel this way due to similar actions. Selections from

“They longed to stay forever, browsing on that native bloom, forgetful of their homeland. I drove them all three wailing, to the ships, tied them down under their rowing benches.” (Homer, 99-102) In addition, Odysseus, when held captive in Polyphemus’ cave he plans an escape by him and his men hiding underneath Polyphemus’ rams. Odysseus takes the wooliest ram, biggest ram there is, and using his physical strength he holds on tightly all night long until morning comes and then they escape underneath the sheep. Another strength is Odysseus’ persistence and drive to keep going no matter what. When Odysseus is in the Land of the Dead, he faces many frightening spirits coming at him from all directions, yet he never gives up. With their ugly looks, and dreadful, loud noises coming out of there months. Odysseus’ still sticks with his main precedence which was getting to see Tiresias, the blind prophet that would ordain his future on his journey, and he made sure nothing would stand in his way of getting there. Also, Odysseus, when facing the mesmerizing, angelic sounds of The Sirens, (half bird, half human creatures) he has his men tie him up to the mast of

The Greek heroes Achilles and Odysseus both embody strong characteristics classically found in Greek mythology, but this doesn’t mean they don’t possess flaws like mortal men. While Achilles and Odysseus are different in lineage, one being a demigod and the other a mortal, they still share similar attributes. Both of the heroes are prideful and selfish in nature and allow their arrogance to stunt their growth as individuals believing they are above showing humility for their actions. Another similarity they share that I find admirable is the endless amount of courage and sheer determination they possess as they fearlessly face danger head-on. In contrast, both heroes differ greatly in their strengths; in battle Achilles uses his physical strength to his advantage while Odysseus relies on his intelligence and wit, often outsmarting his opponents. Another significant difference between the two men is their differing view towards the Trojan War. Achilles is driven by his anger and hatred of Paris and impulsively reacts in a self-destructive manner, whereas Odysseus is the complete opposite of Achilles, as he takes control of the situation using logic and rational thinking to solve his problems.

Heroes are portrayed as perfect, flawless beings with the strength of the boldest and the heart of the noblest, yet heroes are merely regular men made immortal. As Ralph Waldo Emerson once said, “A hero is no braver than an ordinary man, but he is brave five minutes longer.” In the epic poem, The Odyssey, written by Homer, Odysseus is a young man who is faced with a painstaking quest to return to his homeland Ithaca, but along the way meets many foes and obstacles. Through his quests, he is realized not to be just a hero, but a man with many faults and hardships in his life, who in his journey, like any other man, realizes many important lessons. In The Odyssey, Homer employs multiple literary devices to demonstrate different themes that occur in his renowned epic poem.

     A comparison between Virgil's hero, Aeneas, and the Homeric heroes, Achilles and Odysseus, brings up the question concerning the relevance of the difference between the Homeric heroes and Aeneas. The differences in the poets' concerns are explained by the fact that Virgil lived many years after Homer, giving Virgil the advantage of a more developed literary and philosophical society than Homer had at his disposal. But the question remains: how are the differences between the Homeric heroes and Aeneas relevant to the epic at large? This question will be answered by first pointing out the differences between Greek and Roman society, then explaining

As with pride, the gods also seem to consider glory to be of significance. The Greek heroes certainly regard it to be worthwhile. Likewise, Odysseus too pursues it with gusto. However, there appears to be a major difference between Odysseus` definition of glory and Achilles` definition. While the Iliad, suggest that Achilles regards glory as something that a warrior gains by thrusting a spear through some esteemed enemy`s throat, Odysseus appears to regard it as if it holds a twofold meaning. First of which is identical to Achilles` definition, but the second one, however, seems to be the type of glory one gains by sneaking his way through predicaments that might have baffled others. I say this because of the tenacity with which he approaches this nature of events. As an example, we can evaluate the story that Helen recalls to Telemachus and Menelaus. Odysseus flagellates himself to disguise as a beggar and sneaks inside the Trojan walls (Book IV: 244 – 250). Retrieval of valuable information concerning the enemy camps is unquestionably a noble task, but I cannot imagine any other hero going to such lengths to achieve it. Sure, great heroes like Achilles and Agamemnon are perfectly content with throwing themselves against a horde of enemies but only Odysseus would consider this form of deceit as an act of virtue. Obviously, we should not accept such deceptions as a part of virtue just because Odysseus probably thinks so since he probably saved the lives of countless Achaeans

There are two specific characters in Greek mythology that act, and think in very diverse ways. These characters belong to the stories of The Iliad and The Odyssey written by Homer, and translated by Robert Fagles. The main personalities that will draw the focus in these novels are the heroes Achilles and Odysseus. Despite their differences, both heroes have their similarities as well, such as their suffrage through an internal struggle. Unfortunately the differences are more obvious. Throughout the odyssey’s of both heroes it’s made clear that Achilles is a reactive character while Odysseus is a proactive character. Yet another differing quality between Achilles and Odysseus is that they each handle the gods play in things differently. In the texts The Iliad and The Odyssey by Homer the two heroes can be both compared and contrasted as epic heroes.

The Trojan War was more than a series of battles between opposing forces, it was the climax of an age of heroes. The retrieval of Helen brought together many of the mythological characters of that time onto a single stage. Of the thousands of brave men who fought at Ilion, two men stood above the masses, sharing the title of hero. They were born in the line of those on Mt. Olympus, favored by the gods. Excelling in courage and skill, adored by those who followed them into battle, the actions of Achilles and Odysseus achieved a high place in Greek mythology. Through analysis we see that Odysseus and Achilles were close variations upon the same theme.

Achilles starts fighting for revenge, while Hector fights to defend Trojan. After Patroclus was killed by Hector, Antilochus told Achilles. “A black cloud of sorrow came upon Achilles as he heard”, and tells his mother that Hector must die from his spear, he “must pay for Patroclus’ death”(149-151). Achilles loses all his humanity and has no mercy after his friend had been killed; however Hector holds on to his humanity while fighting. Achilles began killing Trojans mercilessly until he got what he wanted, because the vengeance for his friend mattered more than his humanity. Achilles also did not feel remorse when he slaughtered Hector in front of his entire