What makes a hero to you? Is it being brave, strong, bold, or even saving the world? Well, according to Joseph Cambell,” The moral objection (of heroism) is that of saving people, or person, or idea...sacrificing…for…. Something,” (Marlantes 3). In the story the Odyssey, Odysseus, the king of Ithaca, shows all the characteristics of being a hero.
The Iliad is primarily about how the war is affected because of Achilles anger. Achilles character does not precisely change but grows from what it was at the beginning of the fifty-one days. A characteristic that stays constant throughout the fifty-one days is, Achilles lets his emotion drive him into making blind a reckless decisions. A characteristic that develops throughout the book is Achilles sense of consequence(book 15-390 18).
Jeremy Johnston 10/14/15 Period 8 People from ancient and modern times have different concepts of people being “heroes”. In ancient times, heros were people who had to overcome obstacles and beat their inner demons. They have to go on a journey and beat their opponents with their smart personality. Being a hero in the modern era is a lot easier. In the modern times a hero is a person who helps their community by saving people and giving to the community.
Again, the definition of a hero is a person who is courageous and brave in spirit, and they have unique abilities that make people idolize them. Gilgamesh and Achilles both were heroines in their own right, and they were even unique to their people and culture. Knowingly, Gilgamesh and Achilles possess qualities that make them the same, and so different at the same time. Furthermore, Gilgamesh and Achilles were too prideful and foolish which made them alike, but they both were different in their affluence, power, and overwhelming strength, which made them a heroine to people because of their superhuman abilities, high personal relationships, and great influence over
A hero is typically someone who is respected for his or her remarkable achievements and assets. Most People define a hero as someone who does something incredible out of the virtuousness of his or her heart. In the “Odyssey,” written by Homer, Odysseus the main character would fit the definition of a hero. However, if you examine more closely, he does not fit the definition that most people think of a hero whatsoever. Odysseus does not do anything out of his heart.
It is so deeply rooted that it encompasses Achilles, becoming a characteristic of this great warrior, influencing his actions and chooses throughout the story, such as leaving the fighting and considering the idea to return to Pythia. The depth of Achilles rage and hatred is demonstrated through in his response to Agamemnon, concerning the gifts he offered as compensation for his wrongs, saying that “not if his gifts outnumbered all the grains of sand and dust in the earth, no not even then could Agamemnon bring my fighting spirit round” (9.470-472). The true rage of Achilles is extremely important to the entire story of The Iliad, as from Book One through Book Nine Achilles allows this rage to control his actions, causing him to Achilles remains absent from the fighting as well as causing him to pray to Zeus that Trojans may receive the upper hand in the fighting so that the Greeks may suffer for Agamemnon’s actions. Therefore, this profound rage is an extremely important aspect of The Iliad, as it ultimately effects not only Achilles actions but also course of the
According to the dictionary, a hero is “a man of distinguished courage or ability, admired for his brave deeds and noble qualities.” However, if one were to ask a general person who a hero is, the response in all likelihood would be along the lines of, “a hero is someone who selflessly sacrifices himself, out of the pure goodness of his heart, in order to help or save others.” The Odyssey, an epic poem written by Homer over three-thousand years ago, describes the long, difficult journey undertaken by the main character, Odysseus. Odysseus certainly fulfills the dictionary’s criteria for being considered a hero. He’s cunning, intrepid, brave and strong.
What is a hero to you? Is it someone like Superman, Batman, Spiderman or maybe even Wonder Woman? Does your hero save lives or fight crimes? A hero could be anyone, just a regular person. It does not have to just be someone who fights crimes on a daily basis or put bad people away.
A hero to me, for the longest time, is someone who did something epic. Something that changed the world, something that impacted our lives in a positive way. Never did I once stop to think about the smaller things that made someone a hero or the virtues that these heroes had in mind that mad them what they were, until I read Homer’s The Odyssey. I started to give more thought on how commitment, sacrifice and loyalty all came into play to make Odysseus the great leader that he was portrayed as, at the same time I questioned if these values, when placed in the “wrong hands” would make one into a bad and morally corrupt person.
Odyssey Entry #1 Perceiving what a hero is an easy feat to accomplish. Everyone has a hero imagined in their head. Their hero could be someone like batman, or they could be a real person. Some people can instantly think of who their hero is, while for others it takes them a minute.
All throughout Ancient Greece, heroism was a characteristic to be admired. Heroes were the people who stepped up to save the day; they were strong, tenacious, and they made the world a better place. Heroism was shown in countless ways, one of the most common was through literature. The Iliad is a great example of this, there are two main heroes: Achilles and Hector. Even though both men were fierce and honorable heroes, only one stood out as the clear Epic Hero: Achilles.
In the Iliad, Achilles is responding to Odysseus’s speech attempting to convince him to return to the war. Achilles’ main argument against returning is his incalculable rage against Agamemnon for “the prize of honor / The warlord Agamemnon gave me / And in his insulting arrogance took back” which is not only an insult to Achilles’ status, but also to his honor as a warrior (Il. 9.378-379). In addition to focusing on the main argument of Achilles’ speech, it is worth noting the contradictions present within his speech as well.
In Homer’s The Iliad, epic hero Achilles serves as an example of how rage, when unchecked, leads to disastrous repercussions. Achilles, though nearly superhuman in his physical abilities, struggles repeatedly to contain his anger. Throughout The Iliad, as Achilles’ fury compounds, the consequences of his actions become catastrophic, eventually leading to the death of his best friend, Patroclus. Although Achilles ultimately chooses to avenge Patroclus’ death and achieve his own kleos, or honor, his rage-driven actions lead to the death of many Achaean soldiers, and change the course of his fate.
Every literary piece has an evident hero who seems to be the center of the piece. The story revolves around them, as well as the choices that they choose to make throughout the course of the piece. The hero faces many challenges along their journey and interacts with countless characters, including the shadow. The shadow is the main villain in a story, and challenges the role of the hero, often tempting the hero to abandon their mission, and go back to their average life. This is the point in the story, when the hero is forced to reflect upon their own self-identity, and realize what they value the most.
Iliad is recognized as one of the most famous ancient monuments of literature. The full understanding of this epic poem is hardly possible without thorough analysis of its main characters. Among all the episodes of the Trojan War, Homer chooses the moment of Achilles’ wrath and thus creates a poem in which he becomes the central figure. From the Ancient Greeks’ point of view, Achilles represents the ideal of manliness and pure heroism, for he is brave and fights for heroics, not profits. Today, one can agree with this interpretation, yet Achilles is probably the most controversial character because he combines various personality traits and acts in accordance with his ambiguous nature.
