He fought for his people and to protect others. () However, Achilles was indeed strong, but he was very selfish. () Both were great heroes, but in various ways.…
Achilles, although not as selfless a hero as Beowulf for most of The Iliad, is a hero. Achilles is of godly lineage, by being the son of the goddess Thetis. He by far the greatest warrior involved in the Trojan War. He is unstoppable on the battlefield, singlehandedly killing multitudes of men. His strength is unmatched by anyone else and is superior to any other warrior.…
In the Iliad, the characters of Hector and Achilles carry similar traits, although a deeper investigation into each character will show some stark contrasts between the two. Victory and defeat is not the most telling sign as to which is the greater hero of the two. There are flaws within each character and each one fights to overcome them throughout the story. By the end, it is clear which one emerges as the most appropriate symbol of a hero. The character of Achilles is greater than the character of Hector because he was able to overcome more of his character flaws to become a more realistic portrayal of what a heroic character should be.…
A second characteristic that defines a hero in The Iliad is that they are generally honorable men and very respected by the people that surround them. Hector and Achilles are both strong and fearless soldiers, and…
What makes a hero? A hero has to be someone who has done something to go above or beyond the normal range of achievement. In the book, The Odyssey, written by Homer, the main character, Odysseus, had won the Trojan war and had a long journey back home. In the beginning of the journey, he has a few ships and a bunch of crew members with him. His goal was to make it back to his homeland of Ithaca to see his wife and son again. However, this journey took much longer than expected because of Odysseus’ choices. His choices proved to show that he is very selfish. To add on, Odysseus took advantage of his crew members throughout the book many times. And he also, surprisingly, almost didn't make it back home to Ithaca. Because of these reasons, and…
On the subject of heroism, Maya Angelou once wrote that “I think a hero is any person really intent on making this a better place for all people” (Angelou). The general picture that comes to mind when the word “hero” is said is the idea of Superman or Wonder Woman; however, a true hero is anyone who tries to make their world a better place. Odysseus, the hero in Homer’s epic poem The Odyssey, fought in the Trojan War and embarked on a ten year journey to return to his kingdom, Ithaca. During his quest to return home, he encounters many supernatural forces that show both his heroic, and not so heroic actions. He faces countless challenges, meets new people, and has to make sacrifices for the overall benefit of his crew (Bowler and Homer 645-705).…
Granted, Achilles is the epic hero of the story because he obtains help from the gods and learns a valuable lesson at the end of his journey. Document B states, “An epic hero: receives help from gods/ supernatural beings.” Greek mythology engages in a vast role within this epic because of the interference and assistance they give to guide fate. An example of this is when Achilles is pursuing Hector around Troy to execute him however they are running at equivalent speeds. Athena goes to Achilles and instructs him to wait for a bit as she gets Hector to fight him with the knowledge that Hector cannot prevail. Athena resolves to deceive Hector by disguising herself and impersonating Hector’s brother. She declares that between the both of them they can take Achilles henceforth Hector agreed and took his position to engage in battle. Furthermore, Achilles learns a vital moral at…
What makes a hero a hero? The ancient poem The Odyssey, written by the epic poet Homer, tells the story of a man by the name of Odysseus and his travels home to Ithaca after being at war in the Battle of Troy for nine years. Odysseus encounters many challenges and obstacles through the many adventures that he faces on his way home. His challenge concluding the story is of finding a way to rid the suitors that pillage his kingdom in order to retrieve his position back as lord and husband to his wife, Penelope. As Odysseus went on many adventures, he displayed the qualities of cleverness, bravery, and vengeance.…
Aristotle said that the man who is incapable of working in common, or who in his self-sufficiency has no need of others, is no part of the community, and is like a beast or a god. Discuss the character of Achilles in light of this statement. Use plenty of examples, details, references, and quotations in the response.…
In the Iliad it is expressed that a hero is someone that strives to achieve the greatest glory when you look at the quarrel between Agamemnon and Achilles. In this situation Agamemnon forces Achilles to give up his prize in Briseis due to being forced to give up Chryseis. Agamemnon really shames Achilles in front of the entire Greek army showing how much superior Agamemnon is. According to the Greeks glory can be shown by the…
A hero is someone held in high regard due to their fortitude, admirable traits, and amazing accomplishments. Heros come in many different shapes and sizes, all having different motives and goals. They aren’t all the typical strong, powerful, crime fighting super soldiers as seen in films. In a majority of books and movies the protagonist is also a hero. In Homer’s epic, The Odyssey, the tale of Odysseus is told.…
The main character focus in The Iliad is Achilles. Achilles is the son of Thetis, an immortal sea-nymph, and Peleus, the king of the Myrmidons. Because he was the son of Thetis, he was a demigod, which meant that he had one parent who was a God and another parent who was human. Demigods were much stronger than regular humans but did not have as much power as a God. Achilles was the greatest warrior in the Greek army, but that did not make him a hero. Achilles had many character flaws. He was a cry-baby. Whenever something did not go his way, he would cry to his mother about it like she could fix all of his problems. Sometimes she…
In ancient Greece, a hero was considered a man, who is exceptionally clever and talented with great courage and strength,…
As an ideal, the Greek warrior combined superhuman and human qualities. The ideal characteristics included such factors as bravery, honor, and glory. The aim of every hero is to achieve kleos, the “glory” or “renown” that one wins in the eyes of others by performing great deeds. Honor is essential to the Homer’s heroes, so much so that life would be meaningless without it. For a Greek warrior honor is more important than life itself. A hero's honor is determined primarily by his courage and physical abilities and to a lesser degree by his social status and possessions. The highest honor can only be won in battle. When a hero is advised to be careful to avoid a life-threatening situation in battle, his only choice is to ignore this warning. When Hector's wife urges him not to re-enter the war, he answers (6.441-443): “Yet I would feel deep shame before the Trojans, and the Trojan women with trailing garments, if like a coward I were to shrink aside from the fighting.” Many Greek warriors were favored by the gods because they were most likely offspring or descendants of unions between gods and mortals, yet they maintained many human characteristics. Achilles was a great example of this because he was immortal except when he was injured in his “Achilles Heel”. When he was a child his…
In conclusion, there are certain aspects and requirements needed to be seen as a hero in the ancient Greek times. This also tells us a lot about ancient Greek culture and the role of…
