Odysseus Vs Achilles Research Paper

A Greek epic hero has many characteristics that makes them admirable to others. Characteristics of an epic hero includes, being of noble birth, being a warrior and performing extraordinary feats, being loyal and fighting for a noble cause, and having intelligence and flaws, and facing supernatural beings or receiving help from supernatural beings. Both Achilles and Odysseus were born of noble birth. Achilles was the son of Peleus the king of Myrmidons, while Odysseus was the king of Ithaca. In addition, Achilles was a demi god, whose mother Thetis had dipped him in the river Styx to receive invulnerability, while Odysseus grandfather is Hermes, the messenger god. Both men were a great warrior and had performed extraordinary feats. Both men

Achilles, who was angry at Agamemnon for hurting his pride left the Greeks at war. Achilles did not return to battle until the death of his closest companion Patroclus, at the hands of Hector. Achilles cause was to avenge the death of his friend and he was loyal because he went into war knowing that his death his fated if he did. Odysseus fought with the Greeks for ten years during the Trojan war and he also spent ten years to get home to his family. His wife Penelope stayed loyal to Odysseus during his twenty years’ absence from his island. She turned down suitors who are wooing her in order to take her husband place as King and uses her intelligence to trick the suitors. Odysseus demonstrated intelligence through his use of the wooden horse and helping his men escape the island of Cyclops. When Odysseus and his men were exploring the caves on the island of Cyclops, they came upon the Cyclops Polyphemus. In order to escape, he got the Cyclops drunk and proceed to stab his eyes and hid himself and his men under the Cyclops sheep. Odysseus and his men used the sheep to escape because the Cyclops cannot hear or feel them under the sheep. Also he told the Cyclops his name was Nobody in order to ensure he only had to deal with one Cyclops. In addition to intelligence, both Odysseus and Achilles had fatal flaws, which was their pride. Due to his pride, Odysseus proceeded to tell Polyphemus his real name after his escape. This in turn allowed the Cyclops to tell his father Poseidon who blinded him. In return, Poseidon cursed Odysseus with the fate of wandering the seas for ten years. In the Iliad, pride was Achilles flaw. Achilles did not return to fight for the Greeks after the Mycenae King, Agamemnon hurt his pride by taking his captive Briseis in exchange for returning Chryseis to her father. Achilles tells his mother Thetis to ask Zeus to let the Trojans defeat the Greeks in order for