Comparing Moses And Achilles

If you’ve heard of the Exodus or the Iliad, then you’ve heard of Moses and Achilles, the heroes and leaders of their people. They both show courage and greatness at the end of their stories, but do they really show it in the beginning? That is the journey that both Moses and Achilles take throughout their career in order to save their people. Their careers are considered glorious because their culture and society deems it so. They are considered examples human excellence and set the standards for acceptable human behavior in their respectable culture and society. Both Moses and Achilles face conflict on their separate journey of achieving personal and moral excellence in their journey, but it is through struggle that they are able to accomplish
Moses’ destiny began when God decided to choose him as his prophet. The Israelites were slaves in Egypt. So God appeared to Moses at the burning bush and God gave the call and commission of Moses. However, Moses was not sure what to think of this and doubt poured into his head. He said, “Who am I that I should go to the Pharaoh and bring the Israelites out of Egypt” (Exodus 3:11)? Surely this is not a sign of courage by Moses, to doubt God and question his methods. God explained to him further about how he shall lead the Israelites into the land of Canaan and “make the Egyptians so well disposed towards this people that, when you go, you will not go empty-handed” (Exodus 3:21). Moses still objected, afraid that the Israelites might not still believe him. So God gave him more signs. Then Moses found more excuses to deter him from being the prophet of God. He said to the Lord, “If you please, my lord, I have never been eloquent, neither in the past nor now that you have spoken to your servant; but I am slow in speech and tongue” (Exodus 4:10). God insisted that he would help Moses, but he said, “If you please, my lord, send someone else” (Exodus 4:13). Thus with the help of Aaron, Moses returned to Egypt to deliver his message to the Pharaoh. However, this made it worse. Moses again went to God for help. He said, “Lord, why have you treated this people badly? And why did you send
Moses, with the help of God, inflicts the ten plagues among the kingdom of Egypt. With the Tenth Plague: The Death of the Firstborn, Moses with great confidence exclaims, “All these servants of yours will then come down to me, saying: Leave, you and all your followers! Then I will depart” (Exodus 11:8). And “with that he left the Pharaoh’s presence in hot anger” (Exodus 11:8). What we learn from this dialogue is that the confidence of Moses has completely changed from being doubtful in the beginning, to being proud and courageous of the task he has now of leading his people out of slavery. During the crossing of the Red Sea, the Israelites were fearful of the Egyptians in pursuit. But the confident Moses answered the people, “Do not fear! Stand your ground and see the victory the Lord will win for you today. For these Egyptians whom you see today you will never see again. The Lord will fight for you: you have only to keep still” (Exodus 14:13-14). Moses also saves his people in the Golden Calf incident, which almost resulted in God destroying his people. But Moses implored the Lord, his God saying, “Why, O Lord, should your anger burn against your people, whom you brought out of the land of Egypt with great power and with a strong hand” (Exodus 32:11)? Moses was able to save his people from the wrath of God. Through following his own personal and moral excellence, Moses is able to