Achilles and Odysseus

Despite the grand scope of Homer 's epics--which present warfare, heroism, adventure and divinity as forces that shape human destiny—The Iliad may be seen as an account of the circumstances that irrevocably alter the life of one man: Achilles, greatest of warriors. Through the course of the poem, Achilles goes through many ordeals that change his character immensely. From the initial callousness and stubborn temper of Achilles to the eventual ‘humanization ' of Achilles in his interaction with the grieving father of Hector, whom Achilles himself slew, The Iliad can be seen to chronicle the maturation of the Greek hero during the terrible battles of the Trojan War. Achilles is a hero in the epic sense. He is complete with flaws and bad qualities that round out the character, but has passions and convictions that any reader can relate to. Throughout the course of the Iliad, Homer creates the character of Achilles to be a Homeric hero, and also, a modern day hero. To understand a "Homeric hero" one must know a little about the Homeric code. The Homeric code is a trend throughout Homer 's myths and Greek society in which the individual prefers having a short, but glorious life as opposed to a long, normal life. An important fact about heroes is that they are individuals that are revered in their society and are seen as protectors of their society. That is why Heracles, Jason and the Argonauts, and Theseus were looked upon as great heroes. They saved society from monsters and evil in their quests, and had little regard for their own safety. Achilles ' story follows this plot line quite well.
At the beginning of the epic, the falling out, Achilles is not concerned for the fate of the Greeks, but for himself and his grudge with Agamemnon, "My honors never equal yours, whenever we sack some wealthy Trojan stronghold-my arms bear the brunt of the raw, savage fighting, true, but when it comes to dividing up the plunder the lion 's share is yours, and back I go (Iliad

Bibliography: Homer. The Iliad. Trans. Robert Fagles. New York: Penguin Group, 1990. Homer. The Odyssey. Trans. Robert Fagles. New York: Penguin Group, 1996.