Comparing Endurance In Hamilton's Mythology And The Bible

In the words of Scottish author William Barclay, “Endurance is not just the ability to bear a hard thing, but to turn it into glory,” just as characters in both Hamilton’s Mythology and the Bible have done. Whilst the two books appear to preach separate values of monotheism versus polytheism, stories within these books develop and illustrate similar underlying values. Odysseus’ tale of his return to Ithaca in Mythology and Jacob’s test of fighting Satan both demonstrate values of resilience and enduring hardships, no matter the cost.

The story of Odysseus in Mythology is an iconic one; it explains how a great man was forced to endure long suffering through emotional and physical distress caused by alleged gods, triumphing only through his

However, the enforcer was just as shrewd; he “seized Odysseus’ little son and put him directly in the path of the plow,” forcing Odysseus to blow his cover and save his son (Hamilton 251). Hamilton is offering this anecdote to present the reader with an example of Odysseus’ cunning personality and shrewd character, which a certain powerful goddess, Athena, took a particular liking towards. However, the sea god Poseidon was upset with Odysseus for assisting in the downfall of Troy through his cunning idea to build a Trojan horse. Hamilton later introduces how, whilst Odysseus may not have suffered nearly as much as others in the Trojan war, “he suffered longer than them all” when Athena “included him … in her wrathful displeasure” and drove him so far off his

Job was a man who was “blameless and upright” and “feared God,” vowing to always turn away from evil (Job 1:1). Job was a very privileged man; he owned many livestock and had fathered many children. However, Job’s faith in God resulted in God pitting Job’s faith against the evils of Satan. First, four messengers come to Job bearing the news of his devastating loss of property and all his children, causing Job to tear his robe, “shave his head, and [fall] on the ground and worship” God, even after a great evil has been done (Job 1:20). Next, Satan attacks Job’s health by sticking him “with loathsome sores from the sole of his foot to the crown of his head,” causing his wife to advise Job to curse god and die (Job 2:7). However, Job still held his faith in God and endured the hardships that the devil Satan had bestowed upon him. However, after Job’s three friends witness his great suffering, Job laments his birth, prompting Eliphaz the Temanite to inform Job that the ones that prosper are the innocent. Job rebuts that his complaint is just and that there is no hope for him; he gives one last plea to God, stating that it is “the hand of the Lord [that] has done this” to Job (Job 12:9). Still though, even though the greatest suffering any man could endure, Job states