Aruther V. Odysseus , choose a mythic/epic hero from another culture equal in stature to Arthur. Compare the two figures and their portrayals.

Heroes have been around for thousands of years, and through all this time, for better or for worse, what they did and what they believed in has relatively stayed the same. The best example of this is the comparison between the ancient Greek hero of Odysseus from The Odyssey, and the medieval English hero of King Arthur from Le Morte D' Arthur. When you first look at these two heroes you see that they are from two completely different times, with different cultures, different ethics, and different social structure. But they still have many similarities which include the support they get from others on their journeys, the adventures they go on, and the portrayal and treatment of women in their stories.

When Odysseus and Arthur go on their journeys they get a lot of help and support from others, to help guarantee their success. When we look at the Odyssey there are a lot the get a lot of help and support from others to help guarantee their success. When we look at the Odyssey there are a lot instances when if it was not for the support of others Odysseus would have failed. This is seen when the gods agree to help Odysseus get home, Aeoles giving Odysseus the bag of winds, and when with the help of his son and loyal servants he was able to retake his palace, and get his wife back. With these examples it is very easy to see that with out the support of the many helpers that Odysseus had for the tasks along the way his journey would have been impossible. The same idea of companion ship is seen in the tales of King Arthur. He employs the help of all the Knights of the Round Table, the lady of Avalon, Gwynevere, Lancelot, and King Ban, and King Bors of France. With the help of these helpers Arthur was able to gain control of Camelot, unite England, and find the Holy Grail.

While Odysseus is on a continuous journey to get home to his family, and Arthur has many individual expeditions that he and his knights go on, there is a striking similarity between the adventures