odysseus and achilles

He asks Odysseus what his name is, and Odysseus replies, “My name is Nobody: mother,father and friends, everyone calls me Nobody”(book 9, line 274-275) (also another smart act). When he falls into sleep, Odysseus takes a wooden spear, heats it in the fire, and stabs it into Polyphemus’ eye. Polyphemus screams out in pain and his fellow Cyclopes come for help, but Polyphemus say’s “No One is hurting me!” so the other Cyclopes’ ignore Polyphemus and

After Odysseus and his men are on the boat, he calls out to Polyphemus, “Cyclops- if any man on the face of the earth should ask you who blinded you, shamed you so- say Odysseus raider of cities, he gouged out your eye, Laertes’ son who makes his home in Ithaca”(IX). His pride from escaping the Cyclops’s lair gives him a rush which causes him to tell Polyphemus his name. By telling the Cyclops his name, Odysseus seals his fate for the rest of his journey home. Once Polyphemus learns the name of his attacker, “,,,[Polyphemus] prayed and the god of the sea-blue mane Poseidon heard his prayer”(IX). Polyphemus is able to curse Odysseus’ journey home, because he knows his name. Once he curses Odysseus, the man’s way home becomes distorted, drawn-out, and difficult. Because Odysseus lets his pride get the better of him, his simple journey home becomes years of twists and

His men sacrificed their lives trying to protect him from getting killed because Odysseus was the only one that could guide them back home to Ithaca. When visiting the island of Polyphemus, the Cyclops, his main goal was to raid the Cyclops’ home, but Odysseus stayed, thinking that he will receive a gift from the beast. This idea ended up turning into a tragedy and the end result was that six of Odysseus’ men were eaten alive by Polyphemus. Odysseus blinded the Cyclops with a large wooden spear, not knowing that the one-eyed beast was the son of Poseidon. Screaming in agony, Polyphemus prayed to his father proclaiming “Let him lose all companions, and return/ under strange sail to bitter days at home” (Homer 9.

“A good man can be stupid and still be good. But a bad man must have brains” (Gorkey). The debate of Brain versus Brawn has been around for as long as human beings have had the capacity to debate. It is a recurring trope in books, movies, television, and plays. The true origins of the question may never be known for certain, but that does not mean that they are not highlighted in some one the oldest and most influential pieces of literature in western society. The Homeric texts of The Iliad and The Odyssey portray their respective epic heroes, one decidedly brawn and one decidedly brains, in many both similar and dissimilar ways.

The Cyclops, Polyphemus, traps Odysseus and his men inside his large cave by blocking the exit with an enormous boulder. Odysseus feels threatened, but decides to cause a scene that would glorify his identity. Odysseus taunts the Cyclops, unnecessarily, to prove authority over it. One particular phrase that he says is, "So, Cyclops, no weak coward it was whose crew you bent to devour there in your vaulted cave- you with your brute force. Your filthy crimes came down on your own head, you shameless cannibal, daring to eat your guest in your own house-

A key event that delays Odysseus immensely on his journey home is Poseidon’s revenge. While sailing home, Odysseus and his men come to encounter Polyphemus, Poseidon’s Cyclops son. Odysseus and his men try to steal food from Polyphemus while he is away tending to his flock (Homer 362). When Polyphemus returns to his cave, he finds Odysseus and his men, and traps them in his cave. While trapped in the cave, Polyphemus eats many of Odysseus’

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.

Odysseus, a King favored by the goddess of war and wisdom faced a twenty year journey of war and travel. This two decade journey of adventure came at the expense of crew and nearly his family. His failed leadership stems from his hubris that overcomes him at times, particularly when he leaves the island of the Cyclopes, Polyphemus. When Odysseus encounters Polyphemus, his crew becomes trapped in his cave as they waited on their host to welcome them, a common Greek custom. When they discover the beat didn’t plan on showing any hospitality and instead begins

It does not matter the circumstance a killer is a killer, but why do some die while others get to live. Both Achilles and Odysseus go on a killing spree and they do not care who gets in their way. Achilles goes on this journey of a war and fighting with no real objective besides a girl that he has not chance with because by the time this war gets over with they forget what they are fight for in the first place. While Odysseus is trying to get home to his wife and in this passage he encounters many obstacles. In Homer’s Iliad and Odyssey the two main characters Odysseus and Achilles are similar in many ways almost like they are the same character with slightly different characteristics they both have a point in their journeys where they are

Achilles, the warrior who has slain thousands of men in head to head combat; or Odysseus, a man who has slain thousands of has slain hundreds of men without them realizing. Today, copious amounts of professors will debate on which character is more influential and which is more relatable. To be “Achillian” would be one who is honest, direct to the point, and is very impulsive. On the other hand, to be “Odyssian” would be one who is deceptive, cunning, and uses a more methodical approach. Both of these epic heroes are revered in history, but is one greater than the other? How can two men be so different, and yet, so similar? In both of Homer’s works the Iliad and the Odyssey, Achilles and Odysseus shoe the traits our culture views as being heroic, yet they manage to do in in tremendously different ways.

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.

Polyphemus is an enormous Cyclops who lives on an island in a cave. Once he reaches the island of the Cyclops, Odysseus takes 12 of his best fighters into the cave to get some supplies for the journey back home. Inside

Homer's two central heroes, Odysseus and Achilles, are in many ways differing manifestations of the same themes. While Achilles' character is almost utterly consistent in his rage, pride, and near divinity, Odysseus' character is difficult to pin down to a single moral; though perhaps more human than Achilles, he remains more difficult to understand. Nevertheless, both heroes are defined not by their appearances, nor by the impressions they leave upon the minds of those around them, nor even so much by the words they speak, but almost entirely by their actions. Action is what drives the plot of both the Iliad and the Odyssey, and action is what holds the characters together. In this respect, the theme of humanity

Odysseus thinks that his reasoning are final and his activities are constantly just and right, although he frequently allows his ego control his rational thinking, resulting harm to his group and messing with the gods’s plans. His men could have went back home Securely for it is the desire of Athena and the other heavenly gods who surround to her in Mount Olympus, however Odysseus takes it to himself to outrage and blind Polyphemus, the monstrous son of Poseidon, adored by his dad yet abhorred by the people, In this way distrusting their whole arrangement . Subsequent to being blinded by the heroine, Polyphemus tosses huge pieces of rocks at Odysseus's ship, nearly obliterating them at the same time. But instead of retreating for safety, Odysseus keeps on provoking Polyphemus and “[calls] out to the cyclopes again, with [his] men hanging all over [him] begging him not to”(Book 9, 491-492). His feeling of pride and presumption influences to disregard the requests of his people even in these critical circumstances . He will fulfill his own feeling of interest and pleasure without thinking of the result it would have on his crew. Despite the fact that he is bound to get away from all passings and assaults, his group isn’t so blessed. Their lives are in mortal peril since Odysseus considers them as child sheeps who should forfeit their lives for him when the circumstances comes, much the same as how mortals make conciliatory offerings of sheeps for the heavenly gods. He is willing to fulfill his own feeling of interest without thinking of his groups lives or their suppositions and is regularly infuriated when they negate his request. If they hurt his sense of pride and self-importance and pomposity , Odysseus will be overcome with outrage and

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.