Moses Versus Odysseus
IMPERFECT HEROES
Odysseus and Moses represent the standard hero, which is one scarred with imperfections—a hero that commits crimes, lies, deceives, is in some sense immoral. Moses as an adolescent murdered an Egyptian who was pestering a Hebrew man (Exodus, 45) whereas, Odysseus betrays his faithful wife by having affairs with several women, such as Calypso and Circe. Odysseus’s crave for adventure and Moses’ violence show that both Hebrew culture and Greek culture are accepting of a tarnished hero only because their gods ordained it. The fact that the hero was an instrument of the gods was equally important to both cultures. Moses was picked to be the savior of Jews by God. He was to be the one who would free the Jews and take them across the desert to a safe haven. He spoke directly with God, via the burning bush and various angels and, was given specific instructions on what to do and how to do it leading the Jews out of Egypt. Similarly, Athena visited Odysseus frequently under Zeus' consent and different disguises. She freed Odysseus from the obsessive love of calypso by sending Hermes as a messenger, to warn calypso. She also approached others, indirectly aiding Odysseus. As a disguised mentor, she encouraged Telemachus to take a stand to the suitors and to take a journey of his own in search of his father, restoring his hope. She sent the Phaencian Princess Nassiuca done to water to wash her clothes resultantly finding Odysseus. Both Hebrew and Greek culture value the idea of their god or gods choosing devotees for particular tasks.
No matter when or where in the world these heroes were destined for greatness, they all had to go on a quest or journey with various trials and obstacles to overcome. Odysseus's voyage had to be completed before saving his people, while Moses' exodus and his people's salvation were one in the same. Either way, the journey is vital to the hero in order for him to undergo a personal transformation, and become greater then
Odysseus and Moses represent the standard hero, which is one scarred with imperfections—a hero that commits crimes, lies, deceives, is in some sense immoral. Moses as an adolescent murdered an Egyptian who was pestering a Hebrew man (Exodus, 45) whereas, Odysseus betrays his faithful wife by having affairs with several women, such as Calypso and Circe. Odysseus’s crave for adventure and Moses’ violence show that both Hebrew culture and Greek culture are accepting of a tarnished hero only because their gods ordained it. The fact that the hero was an instrument of the gods was equally important to both cultures. Moses was picked to be the savior of Jews by God. He was to be the one who would free the Jews and take them across the desert to a safe haven. He spoke directly with God, via the burning bush and various angels and, was given specific instructions on what to do and how to do it leading the Jews out of Egypt. Similarly, Athena visited Odysseus frequently under Zeus' consent and different disguises. She freed Odysseus from the obsessive love of calypso by sending Hermes as a messenger, to warn calypso. She also approached others, indirectly aiding Odysseus. As a disguised mentor, she encouraged Telemachus to take a stand to the suitors and to take a journey of his own in search of his father, restoring his hope. She sent the Phaencian Princess Nassiuca done to water to wash her clothes resultantly finding Odysseus. Both Hebrew and Greek culture value the idea of their god or gods choosing devotees for particular tasks.
No matter when or where in the world these heroes were destined for greatness, they all had to go on a quest or journey with various trials and obstacles to overcome. Odysseus's voyage had to be completed before saving his people, while Moses' exodus and his people's salvation were one in the same. Either way, the journey is vital to the hero in order for him to undergo a personal transformation, and become greater then