Achilles And Odysseus Research Paper

Achilles and Odysseus are characters that no doubt portray the invaluable heroes of the Trojan War, and though a tale of brain vs. brawn, the similarities of the characters far outweigh their differences.

The role of heroes in Greek mythology is fairly simple. Bravery, valor, fearlessness and virtue were the traits of honorable men, and so it is only a logic sequitur that the heroes possess these traits with inhuman exclusivity and potency. Unlike the portrayal of women, which are subject to their excluded and objectified role at the time, men are the tellers of their own stories.

The authors are likely projecting themselves into these characters, and the marked difference that that makes is abysmally obvious. While women are anything from

Achilles more so than Odysseus here, in that Achilles has been a warlord for a good time standing, and showcases his nihilism more boldly in his sense of pride. He knows that deep down, he could save a lot of lives by stepping in and fighting, but because of his opposition to Agamemnon’s rule, he remains on the sidelines until the death of Patroclus. This type of pride, and refusal to fight simply for the greater good, is one of few marked differences between the two characters. Odysseus is already a king, so there is no clear avenue to show pride in this way, as it would be insanity, rather than pride, to show opposition to your own

While both are in some way devoted to their woman, only Achilles is actually faithful. Odysseus, while concerting his efforts to get back to Penelope, is unfaithful to her, sleeping with Calypso on her island. Achilles, while faithful to Briseis, rejects a life with her in favor of a life of battle and glory. This is an element of a man’s character that simply isn’t frequently talked about when analyzing Greek stories, and I think that if it were, we might have a very different understanding of these men’s characters.

The valor and courage of Greek warriors is discussed frequently enough that the similarities of these would be redundant. These characters are not entirely lacking of depth, and so a comparison of temperament is possible. Odysseus is not only a hero of strength, but also of cunning and wit. He outsmarts the cyclops, whereas Achilles simply runs to attack it in his fierceness and glory. The similarities in their behavior remain, but their thinking and battle-strategy leave much to be