A Comparative Analysis of Odysseus and Achilles The Trojan War was more than a series of battles between opposing forces‚ it was the climax of an age of heroes. The retrieval of Helen brought together many of the mythological characters of that time onto a single stage. Of the thousands of brave men who fought at Ilion‚ two men stood above the masses‚ sharing the title of hero. They were born in the line of those on Mt. Olympus‚ favored by the gods. Excelling in courage and skill‚ adored by those
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Odysseus: A Hero or a Flawed Hero? The epic poem‚ The Odyssey written by Homer near the end of the 8th century BC‚ focuses on a Grecian hero named Odysseus. Although after the falling of Troy Odysseus embarks upon a long‚ grueling journey home‚ it is through his travels that Homer is able to illustrate him as a hero. A hero is known as‚ “a man of distinguished courage or ability‚ admired for his brave deeds and noble qualities.” (Dictionary.com) Homer’s projection of Odysseus is essentially
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Odysseus ’ Journey as an Epic Hero In the epic poem The Odyssey‚ the main character Odysseus displays the epic hero. An epic hero is given certain qualities. These qualities make the person (usually male) seem larger than life‚ he or she embodies the values from their culture‚ he usually goes on a journey that consist of a series of trials‚ has an ego‚ and is able to persuade people with his conversation. This description describes Odysseus exactly‚ but leaves out one major detail‚ which are his
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culture or nation. Mesopotamian mythology‚ an ancient civilization whose history goes back before the famous Greek civilization period‚ has a tale of a king of Uruk named Gilgamesh‚ whose actions lead his people to dislike him. Through actions that spit on the gods‚ he experiences the death of someone close. The death then sets Gilgamesh to pursue immortality to avoid the fate of his friend. In the end‚ the king‘s chance at immortality slips away in his moment of weakness. In Greek mythology there is
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The Odyssey‚ the protagonist‚ Odysseus‚ does not fit into this definition of a hero‚ although I consider him a leader. The reasons behind my disagreement with Odysseus not being a hero is because he drove his crew into a lot of trouble that was caused by his selfishness and care of his own reputation. Some might argue that Odysseus is a hero and I have an understanding of that since he did pull through with plans in many situations with his crew. An example of Odysseus caring too much about his reputation
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From outsmarting cyclopes to fighting the temptations of the Sirens‚ the main character of Homer’s The Odyssey‚ Odysseus‚ leads his men through any challenge put before them. In this famous epic‚ -Odysseus faces several challenges on his journey home from the ten year war at famed city Troy that have gripped readers for centuries. Cursed by the gods and a less the astounding crew he has to fight for survival and to find his way home from the battle of Troy to Ithaca. A leader by choice he works
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Compare and Contrast of Odysseus and Aeneas Odysseus‚ the hero in The Odyssey‚ and Aeneas‚ the hero in The Aeneid‚ fought in opposing sides in the Trojan war. Odysseus was the king of Ithaca and was arguably the smartest king and warrior in all of Greece‚ whereas Aeneas was a warrior from Troy whose destiny was to found the Roman race in Italy. While both men were highly acclaimed by their respective countrymen as heroes‚ they shared many similarities in respect to their background‚ their virtue
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Went to find Odysseus in his stone seat to seaward---tear on tear brimming in his eyes. The sweet days of his life time were running out in anguish over his exile‚ for long ago the nymph had ceased to please. …………………………………………………………………….. But when day came he sat on the rocky shore and broke his own heart groaning‚ with eyes wet scanning the bare horizon of the sea. (45-49‚ 52-54) This quote from The Odyssey written by the Greek poet named Homer expresses Odysseus’ pain. Homer is known to
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Homer explicitly illuminates the storytelling of Odysseus’ adventure. He describes the cyclops lair‚ where he and twelve of his crewmen where held captive for taking cheese and expecting a welcoming gift from the cyclops that lived there. "’I and the men you see escaped a sudden death.’ Not a word in reply to that‚ the ruthless brute. Lurching up‚ he lunged out with his hands toward my men and snatching two at once‚ rapping them on the ground he knocked them dead like pups- their brains gushed
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In the epic The Odyssey by Homer‚ the hero Odysseus progressively matures throughout his journey as he engages in guest-host relationships with Cyclops Polyphemus‚ the sorceress Circe‚ and Alcinous‚ King of Phaecia. Initially‚ Odysseus shows immaturity as he encounters Polyphemus as a guest on his island. After Odysseus and his crew defeat Polyphemus and escape from his cave‚ they rush onto their ship‚ ready to set sail. However‚ Odysseus “call[s] back to the Cyclops‚ stinging taunts” (IX‚ 530) and
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