POSSIBLE EDIT TO INTRO - Epic heroes of different times will always reflect the morals of the societies they belong to.Moana an epic hero of modern times and Odysseys an epic hero of ancient times both represent both the shared and conflicted ideas of their societies.
Oddyseus and Moana are both widely renowned voyagers who represent the similar yet conflicting beliefs of their respective societies. Relevant Background Information: Moana (2016) is a Disney movie about the young daughter of a chief who is prohibited from leaving her island, after a string of events she leaves her island to return the The Heart of Te-Fiti an artifact that she needs to return to Te-Fiti. Odysseus from The Odyssey by Homer is a warrior that yearns to return to
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Both epic heroes have distinct differences, however, they still share common qualities in the structure of their stories and their character traits, reflecting the beliefs and values of the societies they represent. Moana and Odysseus go through the hero’s journey archetype throughout both epics. They both have a call to adventure, initiation, a road of trials, the innermost cave of their journey, and their return to …show more content…
Moana never kills anyone in the movie even if they attack her, whereas Odysseus kills or injures anyone or anything he deems worthy of doing so too. For example, Moana never kills anyone while Odysseus kills 100 men because they pestered his wife. This contrast in their beliefs reveals the values of both their respective characters and their societies. Moana’s decision not to kill reveals her value of life and her innocence as a character, and how killing is discouraged in modern society which is a progression from Ancient Greek society shown in Oddyseus’s values on killing. This reveals his lack of innocence and disregard for the lives of people he deems worthy of death and Ancient Greek society’s disregard for the death of others and the normalization of violence. The way that Moana and Odysseus talk to the gods and view them greatly contrasts. Moana talks to Maui the demi-god that gave humans the sun, islands, and wind in a casual manner and even demands from him that he boards her boat. While Odysseus gives them tributes and greatly revers the gods and goddesses which is shown when Poseidon strikes down Odysseus and his men on their boats. The difference in the way Odysseus and Moana converse with the gods in their respective stories reveals how they and their societies view gods. Moana’s casual attitude with Maui shows her