Odysseus was faced with the act of getting back to his Penelope and Ithaca after his help in the downfall of Troy. He defied the Gods and Zeus punished him. It took Pallas Athena’s persuasive logic to return Odysseus to Ithaca and his sweet Penelope. Telemachus was also faced with the fact that his mother’s suitors had taken over his home and country waiting for either Odysseus to return or Penelope to pick a suitor. Telemachus went and searched for his father in Sparta and other countries and heard that he would return soon.
Odysseus, a True Hero In the Odyssey, Homer beautifully illustrates Odysseus’ qualities that make him a hero. While reading the Odyssey, a reader learns of the hardships Odysseus and his crew face on their treacherous journey home from the Trojan War. They experience dangerous traveling conditions and terrifying monsters, and only Odysseus makes it out alive. This was a journey full of unfortunate events and learning opportunities. Odysseus proves he is a true hero by showing throughout his endeavors that he is clever in his actions, devoted to the people around him, and good hearted in all aspects of his life.
As a child, her parents would talk to her about the tales or myths of Achilles in the River Styx. Even a tale about a man who makes a deal with the Devil with unknowingly giving away his daughter. Instead of an apple tree, that the man originally wanted to offer. These tales draw a connection to the definition of immunity which related to Biss's fear of the use of vaccines. It seem that with the fear of a specific issue, it drives you to figuring out how to counter or become unafraid of that issue.
The Odyssey is often cited as an epitome of the hero’s journey and the monomyth. The hero of the story, Odysseus is on a 10 year battle homeward from the Trojan War to see his wife and son again. With the help divine intervention, Odysseus is able to return home and save his wife from the evil suitors who have continuously tried to win her. One could easily argued that Odysseus is an exemplar of the hero, but there is another story: Odysseus is the opposite of a hero and is not worthy to be called such. He is the villain where the gods are the hero.
The qualities that make an epic hero are strength, courage a strong mentality, and the aspiration to achieve heroic acts. Many heroes are considered role models as they make brave decisions attempting to do something extraordinary. Heroes often fight against the causes of evil as they try to make the environment a better place. Hercules (son of Zeus) is one of the many known Gods to Greek mythology. He is supernatural and immortal.
In Book Nine of The Iliad, the focus is of the story is on the character of Achilles, the desperation the Achaeans suffer in their need for this great warrior as well as his refusal to return into the fighting to assist his comrades, due to his rage with Agamemnon. In particular, one of the most important scenes of Book Nine is from approximately line 443 through line 473, in which Achilles bluntly refuses the gifts offered to him by Agamemnon in recompense for stealing away Achilles’ war-prize Briseis. This passage demonstrates the depth of the rage of Achilles as well as his sense of pride, as he chooses to remain absent from the fighting, even in the Achaeans’ moment of sheer desperation, due to his deep hatred for Agamemnon. As
Song of Achilles, written by Madeline Miller, delves into the intricate world of Patroclus, the son of the renowned king Menoitiades and simplistic mother who is deemed incapable of ruling due to her unsuitable characteristics. Menoitiades, often disparages and resents Patroclus for his weakness and alleged stupidity. Despite Patroclus’ young age, his father forces him to attend a gathering for suitors to determine who will bear king Tyndareus’ daughter, Helen, as wife. Following a collective oath to protect Helen, Menelaus is chosen as Helen’s suitor, leaving Menoitiades enraged.
Achilles was sometimes a great warrior, but could be seen as very selfish. He could be seen this way by his family, peers, and fellow soldiers fighting with him. Achilles was not fully selfish, because he had a few accomplishments that made him a person to look up to. Achilles was a great Greek hero, but no warrior is ever perfect. In book one of the Iliad, the Greek King of Mycenae, Agamemnon, took a woman named Chryseis, angering Achilles.
In the Iliad, Achilles is responding to Odysseus’s speech attempting to convince him to return to the war. Achilles’ main argument against returning is his incalculable rage against Agamemnon for “the prize of honor / The warlord Agamemnon gave me / And in his insulting arrogance took back” which is not only an insult to Achilles’ status, but also to his honor as a warrior (Il. 9.378-379). In addition to focusing on the main argument of Achilles’ speech, it is worth noting the contradictions present within his speech as well.
Although the word “hero” has transcended time, the definition has not. When modern-day humans go into reading about Greek heroes, expecting them to resemble our current ones, they are unpleasantly surprised to find selfish people who sometimes indiscriminately murder in the name of honor. In comparison, we value the firefighter that puts their life on the line to save others, the person standing up to the bully with pacifism rather than fists, and those that learn to forgive and forget instead of spending their entire lives seeking revenge on those that have wronged them. Thus, Achilles would not be considered a modern-day hero like he was in ancient Greece, because whilst they valued glory, brutal strength, and revenge, today we value selflessness,
Homer’s The Iliad proves that Hector and Achilles have vast differences but, their few similarities are some of what we see a lot throughout the epic poem. Both Achilles and Hector have their certain strengths and weaknesses, which are noticeable countless times throughout the conflicts that come up in the Iliad. These two characters have distinct differences in their approaches to fitting the noble form to which they both attempt to achieve. Nevertheless, regardless of their differences and the fact that their armies are rivals and are brought to each other with execration in battle, they also have numerous identical traits which reasonably show the comparison between the two men, Hector and Achilles.
In Homer’s The Iliad, epic hero Achilles serves as an example of how rage, when unchecked, leads to disastrous repercussions. Achilles, though nearly superhuman in his physical abilities, struggles repeatedly to contain his anger. Throughout The Iliad, as Achilles’ fury compounds, the consequences of his actions become catastrophic, eventually leading to the death of his best friend, Patroclus. Although Achilles ultimately chooses to avenge Patroclus’ death and achieve his own kleos, or honor, his rage-driven actions lead to the death of many Achaean soldiers, and change the course of his fate.
The Greek mythology has got to have the most fascinating and at the same time, the most detailed myths in the world. It was actually created thousands of years ago that has been passed down for generations. These myths often features stories about the gods and goddesses as well as heroic battles between monstrous creatures and mortals that teaches intelligence and bravery to its readers. These ancient tales are either painted or carved on pots and statues. That is why in this article we will bring you some of the greatest heroes in Greek myth.
Iliad is recognized as one of the most famous ancient monuments of literature. The full understanding of this epic poem is hardly possible without thorough analysis of its main characters. Among all the episodes of the Trojan War, Homer chooses the moment of Achilles’ wrath and thus creates a poem in which he becomes the central figure. From the Ancient Greeks’ point of view, Achilles represents the ideal of manliness and pure heroism, for he is brave and fights for heroics, not profits. Today, one can agree with this interpretation, yet Achilles is probably the most controversial character because he combines various personality traits and acts in accordance with his ambiguous nature.
Poetry has always been used as a literary art form to express one’s intense emotions or feelings, but does poetry have a true meaning of reflecting on people’s lives? Despite of the situation the reader may be going through, many people find comfort in poetry to recover and discover new meanings in their lives by relating to the author’s intense literary point of view. Through my journey with poems, I try to see the eye of the author and feel one’s emotions by rereading this type of literature. On this journey, I discover new meanings and different interpretations from John Donne’s “The Flea” that reflects contemporaneous events.
