Heroes in basic novels or short stories are mostly portrayed as being nearly perfect in every way. Most heros overcome great struggles while others go on a great quest where they come to an impasse at one point or another. Afterwards, the main characters finish their grand journey and receive a “happily ever after” ending. The character Odysseus in The Odyssey is a solid example of a glorified hero everyone thinks about. Odysseus is an intense fighter in The Odyssey and The Iliad, known to be almost “god-like”. After a long expedition, with Athena’s aid, he gets his “happily ever after”. He was determined to arrive back home, and this strength helped him more than he would realize. When he wanted Penelope's hand Odysseus “stretches with ease round its new cord, securing at each end the twisted sheep-gut; so without effort did Odysseus string the mighty bow” (Homer 270). He easily strung his bow with strength. Odysseus’ trip home he meets many god-like heroes like Achilles and Hercules, in the underworld. …show more content…
Achilles had already gone on his grand adventure and ended in the underworld when the two met. Achilles had a choice in The Iliad to live a long life without excitement or to live shortly and die pridefully in battle. In The Odyssey we know that Achilles resides as a hero because Odysseus says “during your life, we Argives gave you equal honor with the gods, and no you are mighty lord among the dead when here” (Homer 142). He told Odysseus about the decision in his own life, which changed Odysseus’ mind about continuing his