Both of these heroes reflect the cultures of their time, one is a clever warrior and the other is a loyal soldier. Odysseus embodies the values of the power of the mind and the glory of man, which was present in ancient Greece; while Captain America is a powerful but loyal American soldier. The pride of Odysseus results in his boasting when he blinds Polyphemus. This angers Poseidon, yet Athena admires the cleverness of the hero, and some of the other gods take his side as well. Captain America still believes in clear right and wrong, and serving his country; even though he is in a time when this does not seem to be honored by many in the nation. He is part of the past century, when America won major wars and came out as the strongest of nations.
In Star Wars, Luke Skywalker goes on an adventure to, ultimately, save Princess Leia but also encounters many troubles and an encounter that changes his life forever which is meeting his (unexpected) father. The Odyssey is similar in a way, but both have one major similarity: An epic hero. An epic hero is a humble, loyal, and courageous character affected by grand events. In Star Wars by George Lucas, Luke Skywalker is much more humble, loyal, and courageous than Odysseus in The Odyssey.
Is Odysseus, the main character of Homer’s The Odyssey, really an epic hero? An epic hero embodies several heroic traits such as; having superior or super-human strength; being intellectual and courageous; and being a strong and responsible leader. An epic hero struggles and is overwhelmed with difficulties. An epic hero is on a quest of self discovery, war or some sort of goal. In the Odyssey, Odysseus is on a quest to return home to Ithaca after ten years of war in Troy. Odysseus, during his quest, is forced to venture through a merciless Cyclops, angered Gods, deeply obstinate Goddesses, the underworld, and determined suitors that are after his wife Penelope. Odysseus surmounts
“Oedipus” written by Sophocles and “Odysseus” written by Homer both are Greek poets. Both stories share the same themes in ways where both of the epic heroes endure a conflict. The characters in these plays are attributed certain characteristics by the author. The characteristics suggested by the authors are intrinsic to the audience. They both have a complete and subjective understanding of work. Their characteristics are displayed through the characters actions, what the writer says about them, and what they portray on themselves. This will be the focus of the essay. Both Oedipus and Odysseus, spoken by others, they describe character traits.
Spider-Man is your average modern day hero, he is a citizen who was bitten by an unusual and peculiar spider which gave him powers and abilities such as being able to shoot webs out of his hands and climb walls without the need of any equipment. And Odysseus is a Greek hero who was strong, heavily favored by the gods, and could take down any and all challenges he´d ever have to face. And if you ever compared the two you would see that both characters are extremely different. Why you would see this is because we know that Spider-Man is a modern day hero, but can we consider Odysseus as one. My answer to this would be NO. Society today would not consider Odysseus as a modern day hero because of many reasons. One would be that he doesn´t show
Not all heros come in movies or little kid books. Some heros come from thousands of
Homer’s The Odyssey is very much an epic tale of a man’s heroic quest. The protagonist, Odysseus, is a cunning, brave, strong, and tenacious character who is given the title of a hero. This “hero”, however, does not always show characteristics of a hero, which leads many to believe that Odysseus, is not a true hero after all. In fact, Odysseus cheats on his wife multiple times, is willing to sacrifice his men in order to get home, and slaughters all his maids even though he did not have to. In The Odyssey, Homer attempts to create a complex portrait of a hero, but fails at his attempt when making Odysseus unforgiving, self absorbed, and a philanderer.
Ten years after the fall of Troy, Odysseus a great hero has yet to return to his home in Ithaca. It begins with Athena and Poseidon who helped the Greeks during the Trojan War. Athena turned against the Greeks and convinces Poseidon to do the same. The Greeks are hit by storms on the way home and many ships are destroyed and the fleet is scattered. The war and his distress at sea keep Odysseus away from Ithaca for twenty years.
A true epic hero has many very defining characteristics. Usually you will find this hero to be the alpha male. ' With an almost super hero personality, epic heroes are extremely above an average human being. This character must be of noble birth, and as a result, this gives them great respect and many resources. There is a deep reverence for the gods and this helps the hero through tough times. An epic hero is bravery than the other characters. They are willing to take bigger risks and reap greater rewards. Despite these strong traits, there is usually an element of deep suffering that the character must deal with through out his story. No matter what, however, the epic hero will always win out in the end in a good vs. evil type of
Odysseus tends to use strategy over strength to be a hero when it comes to challenges. Instead of beginning with fighting the Cyclops, he takes his time and sets up a plan. Everytime he enters a new island, he does not start telling everyone that he is Odysseus, king of Ithaca. Instead, he charms the people he meets and uses his wise words that cause them to help and pity him. Odysseus represents what being a hero is actually all about. Throughout the novel The Odyssey by Homer, Odysseus continuously shows his personality of being an admirable hero to everyone by using strategy instead of strength.
Heroic, Strong, Brave, Confident. A hero is these things and many more. Two heroes who are very alike are Odysseus from the Odyssey and Hercules from the Disney movie Hercules. Not only did they both battle fearsome monsters, they were both working against an angered Greek god and shared many common characteristics. Odysseus and Hercules may have been uncannily alike but in the beginning they had their differences in motive. Although towards the end their purpose became more alike than ever.
Even though they are both heroes there are many differences between Homer’s Odysseus and Shakespeare's Macbeth. Theses differences come from the fact that Odysseus is an epic hero, while Macbeth is a tragic hero. Common traits of a tragic hero are the hero is of noble birth the hero possesses a tragic flaw that eventually leads to his downfall. The flaw offer has to do with excessive pride also known as hubris. On the other hand, epic heroes are larger than life and embody the values of particular society, an epic hero is superhuman. He is braver, stronger, smarter and cleverer than an ordinary man. Many times they are on a quest for something of great value to him or to his people. The tragic and the epic hero can both teach the reader
The Greek heroes Achilles and Odysseus both embody strong characteristics classically found in Greek mythology, but this doesn’t mean they don’t possess flaws like mortal men. While Achilles and Odysseus are different in lineage, one being a demigod and the other a mortal, they still share similar attributes. Both of the heroes are prideful and selfish in nature and allow their arrogance to stunt their growth as individuals believing they are above showing humility for their actions. Another similarity they share that I find admirable is the endless amount of courage and sheer determination they possess as they fearlessly face danger head-on. In contrast, both heroes differ greatly in their strengths; in battle Achilles uses his physical strength to his advantage while Odysseus relies on his intelligence and wit, often outsmarting his opponents. Another significant difference between the two men is their differing view towards the Trojan War. Achilles is driven by his anger and hatred of Paris and impulsively reacts in a self-destructive manner, whereas Odysseus is the complete opposite of Achilles, as he takes control of the situation using logic and rational thinking to solve his problems.
It is interesting to see how some folktales are similar to each other even though they can be from a different region of the world. An example of this happening is the stories of Odysseus and Sinbad. Both of these folktales have much in common but on is from the Middle East while the other from Greece. The way their travels are similar, how their adventures are being told, and how their personalities are alike prove this concept. These tales were told as entertainment and educate people about growth and perseverance.
In Homer’s, The Odyssey, I believe that Odysseus is a true modern hero. During his long and perilous journey home Odysseus shows many heroic qualities that help save his men from many dangerous situations. He first shows his Valiant behavior during the war in Troy, he cares about his crew and survives the war. He also deeply cares about the welfare of his men on their return trip to Ithaka. Odysseus is a hero because he is a courageous leader, a quick thinker and a modest man.
There are two specific characters in Greek mythology that act, and think in very diverse ways. These characters belong to the stories of The Iliad and The Odyssey written by Homer, and translated by Robert Fagles. The main personalities that will draw the focus in these novels are the heroes Achilles and Odysseus. Despite their differences, both heroes have their similarities as well, such as their suffrage through an internal struggle. Unfortunately the differences are more obvious. Throughout the odyssey’s of both heroes it’s made clear that Achilles is a reactive character while Odysseus is a proactive character. Yet another differing quality between Achilles and Odysseus is that they each handle the gods play in things differently. In the texts The Iliad and The Odyssey by Homer the two heroes can be both compared and contrasted as epic heroes.