Compare And Contrast Odysseus And Harry Potter

Heroes, their legacies in some way, shape, or form affects our perspective of who we are and who we can be. The heroes of ancient times and present times are both powerful and mighty, yet one hero will always be considered superior. Let us compare two heroes, Odysseus from ancient times, and Harry Potter from modern times. Although both characters appear to be worthy of the title “hero,” Harry Potter is the superior of the two due to his determination, mental strength, and love for others. In order to see the differences, one must first compare the similarities between the two heroes. To being with, both of these heroes have been cursed at some point in their lifetime. Odysseus was cursed by the Cyclops, Polyphemus, though he brought

For example, Harry Potter retains excellent self-control over his pride while Odysseus lets it get the best of him. As Odysseus was escaping from Polyphemus, he had to cry out, “tell him Odysseus, raider of cities, took your eye:” (Homer 458-459) and this was completely unnecessary as Polyphemus would eventually find out who did it. Pride overcame Odysseus and he had to lash out. While on the other hand, Harry Potter was raised in a home where he was treated as a slave, so from a young age he was always very humble. In addition to that, Odysseus is less merciful to others who have wronged him while Harry Potter, though he has suffered much, shows great mercy. Odysseus as soon as he comes home tells his son, “ I came to this wild place, directed by Athena, so that we might lay plans to kill our enemies” ( Homer 1080-1082). Odysseus had such vengeance on his mind that he would start planning as soon as he had come home, yet it seemed that he would spare not one of them, no matter how great or little their involvement. Harry Potter, on the other hand, could have hunted down the rest of Voldemort’s followers, but he left them alone to look for forgiveness and what is right. Finally, Odysseus was a great fighter known for his bow and arrow skills while Harry Potter was just a wizard. Telemachus, Odysseus’ son, even tells, “O

To begin with, Harry Potter killed Voldemort confirmed by this passage, “Voldemort was dead, killed by his own rebounding curse, and Harry stood with two wands in his hand, staring down at his enemy’s shell” (Deathly Hallows, Rowling 596). Voldemort was an undefeatable wizard who had killed thousands of powerful heroes, yet Harry Potter was able to defeat him. While on the other hand, Odysseus did not defeat his enemies using his own power, even telling his own son, “Suppose Athena’ arm is over us, and Zeus her father’s, must I rack my brains for more?” (Homer 1109-1111). Odysseus did not rely on his own powers but mostly the power of the gods for ensured victory. Also, Harry Potter was prepared to sacrifice himself in order to save the Wizarding World saying, “I open at the close” (Deathly Hallows, Rowling 698). Harry Potter was willing to give up his precious life so that other wizards would be able to live a happy, full life. Comparing Odysseus, who only sought revenge so that he might, “lay plans to kill our enemies” (Homer 1082). The only one Odysseus was fighting for was his family, which is somewhat selfless but mostly selfish as he could have fought harder for his men, instead of condemning them. On top of that all, Harry Potter had many loved ones dear to him die, yet he still persevered on and Voldemort uses it as an insult saying, “...You