Who is a hero? A hero takes many forms, such as an allegorical hero, a tragic hero, or an epic hero. In the age of postmodernism, there are instances where a person can be both a hero and a villain. Odysseus is difficult to identify as a hero because of his many vices.
Percy Jackson vs. Perseus “Percy Jackson” draws on the legend of “Perseus” by showing the hero archetypes are both “The prodigy” and transforms it by having the same aspect of events in the story. One similarity between the two myths is that the are both the missfit. I know this because Percy didn’t fit in in his school. “Sorry don’t know” (Percy Jackson and the lightning thief, scene 3) This shows that he was an outcast in his school.
All throughout history, our books are dotted with heroes and antagonists. This brings us to a question: what exactly is a hero? The characteristics of a hero are generally comprised of performing acts of selflessness- helping others and putting them before yourself. In The Odyssey, a man named Odysseus gets lost at sea with his crew for two whole decades succeeding the Trojan war. Him and his comrades must defend against the perilous sea and seek a way home.
Ruled by the patriarchy in Greek society, women were left behind to attend to household needs while the men left home to fight or hunt. Outside of this societal rule were the Amazons, a race of women that were shaped to be the strongest and bravest warriors. During the Trojan war, the Trojans ask for the Amazons to aid them in battle and fight against the Greeks. Among these warrior women is Penthesileia, the female counterpart for the Greek hero Achilles in The Iliad. Despite the tragic death of both Achilles and Penthesileia, they both exemplify what it means to be a Greek hero.
A hero is someone who reaches out to others and helps them in times of need. They put others, well being before their own and and show integrity and sincerity. Odysseus conquered Trojan using a wooden horse which was meant to be seen as a gift. when he returned home Poseidon was angry because he killed his son. It took them 10 years to get back home.
There are many contributing factors to support the reason that Odysseus is more of an admirable hero than Achilles. During the Ancient Greek time period, heroism was greatly valued, and heroic characters in epic poems were courageous warriors who showed expertise in their ability to fight in battle. Both of these individuals, Achilles and Odysseus are heros in themselves, but Odysseus is known for being a more credible hero due to his actions. In the Odyssey three major events occur: Odysseus defeats the cyclops, escapes Calypso’s island, and visits the underworld. Odysseus is more of an admirable hero than Achilles due to his extreme leadership skills and his talents he portrays in difficult situations.
When Thucydides says “war is a stern teacher,” he is referring to how war strips people of their choices, and leads them to make more brutal decisions that they would normally never make. War, particularly for the Athenians in History of the Peloponnesian War, means the degradation of their higher society, as war has taken away their choices. Homer, however, does not depict a cultural change occurring. Instead, it is a change of the individual, as Achilles learns that kleos and geras will only lead to destruction. War teaches him philotes, caring for those other than himself.
Greek mythology has had many great heroes, such as Ulysses and Perseus. In a comparison between the two, Ulysses better fits the term ‘hero’ than Perseus. Ulysses is a leader of men, he is extremely intelligent and clever, and he has overcome many more challenges than Perseus has. As a leader goes, Ulysses fits the role much more than Perseus does. Ulysses demonstrates his leadership so much more than Perseus.
As for Achilles prophecy, I would choose to be well known and die young. Being famous is not something I strive for, but I would like to have a legacy before I die. A legacy that isn’t about being the greatest killer or warrior, but about being someone who brought something good in this world. Instead of wanting to be famous for oneself like Achilles, I would rather be famous for doing something that will benefit most people in the world even if it means I would die young. I think Achilles’ choice is selfish in some ways at it shows that he only cares for his name to be known especially that he earned his fame by fighting in a war for an unfaithful woman.
A hero is a person who is admired or idealized for courage, outstanding achievements or noble qualities (Hero). A Villain is a person who has evil actions or motives to harm people (Villain). In my opinion, a hero is usually the person in the story that everyone likes or looks to for help and the villain is the misunderstood or worst person in a situation. As humans we can be portrayed as a hero or villain when diverse situations occur. In August Wilson’s play, “Fences” Troy Maxson’s past, present and future caused significant traits of being called a hero and a villain in segments throughout the play.
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,
Contrasting The Iliad and The Odyssey through Achilles and Odysseus The Iliad and The Odyssey are both extremely influential books to this day. Despite being written by the same man, there are several considerable differences between the two, demonstrated in the tone and the values of the culture of each book. In The Iliad, as a result of the setting being so extreme, the tone is widely accepted as exceedingly violent and tragic because of the extensive amounts of death.
All four characters have many character flaws but only one flaw admittedly lead to their downfall. Achilles is the greatest warrior in Homer 's The Iliad but he has many positive characteristics but he also has a few negative characteristics. Achilles was heroic, strong and brave but he has negative characteristics such as anger and rage. Sequentially anger lead to Achilles downfall. When Achilles finds out that Hector has killed his dear friend Patroclus, Achilles becomes very anger and vengeful.
He is known to be such a great leader to his army, and has a very clever mind. His resourcefulness helped their victory during the Trojan War. The goddess Athena often give him aid especially when he is fighting in a war. PERSEUS Last but definitely not the least is Perseus.
These characteristics are traced in multiple contexts, and it creates an extensive picture of the character. Honor, pride, loyalty, courage, and vengefulness are the fundamental traits of Achilles’ character that determine his behavior and manifest themselves in his speech and actions. Pride and honor are the fundamental characteristic of Achilles, and there are several key episodes that can prove it. From the very beginning of the poem, one can see that Achilles is very sensitive when it comes to honor and reputation. The conflict with Agamemnon related to Chryseis, who was taken as a slave, is the turning point.
