A hero is the one who can do anything to protect his people, guard the good and maintain a high amount of morality. The Greek hero Achilles and Ireland’s Cuchulain both lead very similar lives; the lives of true hero-warriors. Although the tales and myths of both these great warriors come from very different cultures it is important to note the similarities between them and they do have various character traits that sets them apart but the myths of Achilles and Cuchulain are essentially the same type of legends.
Achilles is considered the greatest of all the Greek warriors. Because no man could beat him in the combat and most importantly no weapon could pierce him expect for his heel. At the initial narration of the story, we get this feeling that he is very morale and patient but not until the death of his cousin who gets killed by Hector mistakes him for Achilles. Achilles who is raged in anger and runs in the path of revenge by going on a killing spree till he kills hector who was responsible for it. Achilles view towards his death is highly eye grabbing as he knows that he would die young but still wanted to leave the world with glory and his name written in history. His fearless approach towards life and his sheer arrogance in battle field makes him a unbeatable warrior. But the revenge factor takes some out of his heroicness . Nonetheless he is a very great warrior who did miracles and stood as an hero for many. He is not only a myth figure but a literary masterpiece as there were many writers who came with same myths taking his character as an inspiration. On the other hand cuchulain is the twin to Achilles but in a different time and myth.In the book , he was said to have had seven fingers on each hand, and seven toe...
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...r heroes Achilles and Cuchulain were not just great hero-warriors, but they were the best. This comparision between both the heros shows that the irish and greek cultures might be the same in that period of time. The information about the values in the society and people perceptions at that time in both the places can be noted. They might be different in the filed of development and local traditions but Subsequently, it is evident that Irish mythology holds plenty in common with Greek mythology; if this is to be agreed with, then Cuchulain is undoubtedly the Achilles of Irish myth. With nobility and little weakness, standing infront of a big army for the protection and welfare of the people with diginity and honour makes him better than Achilles.
References
Kinsella, T. (1970). The Táin;. London: Oxford U.P.. wolfgang, p. (Director). (2004). Troy : Warner
...e also existed many differences. Most striking was their view on death; one dreamt of immortality while the other adored death and all its glory. At the same time, one must acknowledge the significant effect their friends had on their lives. One cannot help but wonder how each hero's life would have been without what could be considered his soul mate. Regardless, one must accept the fact that Achilles and Gilgamesh were heroes of their time and will remain epic heroes that are continually analyzed and compared throughout the modern era.
The Iliad, the Odyssey, Beowulf, and Hamlet are classical stories that are still relatable and debatable to read and discuss. Though some of the stories are intertwined or continue off one another, the character and stories are distinctive. The stories contain different hero development and progression among them. All the stories contain an idea or concept of a hero that may not necessarily have to do with gaining power or control like modern superheroes. Power and control are referred to having to be the ruler and having the ability to do what you'd like. The modern heroes selflessness of a human on duty or even volunteering, and that person’s willingness to put their own lives on the line for the lives of absolute strangers, is specifically the quality that redefines the modern hero and separates them from heroes in the past.
Using the above definition of hero and heroism, this essay attempts to assess three famous heroic characters portrayed in arguably the three greatest literary epics known to humankind, Achilles of Ancient Greece, Sundiata Keita of Ancient Mali and Rama of Ayodhya in what is today Modern India. With references to Stanley Lombardo’s translation of Homer’s Iliad, D.T. Niane’s Sundiata and R.K. Narayan’s translation of Valmiki’s Ramayana, this essay seeks to compare and contrast the attributes of these heroes, the morals associated with their heroism and their reasons for engaging in battle.
There are times in my own life in which I realize that a goal that I have been pursuing rigorously is really not worth my time and effort, or that the way I have been pursuing that particular goal is not the most effective way. After I come to these realizations I find it helpful, if not necessary, to step back and analyze the situation. This is what happened to Achilles throughout the first sixteen books of the epic.
In the Iliad, Achilles is the main protagonist. He is a demi-god and is the son of the nymph Thetis and Peleus who was the King of the Myrmidons. He was a Greek hero of the Trojan War. He falls in love with a battle prize called Briseis. He is to portray, “as a brave, loyal, cocky, intelligent and even superhuman soldier. In Achilles ' case, the word "superhuman" is literal; he is the result of a union between a god and a mortal.”(Harvard 1)
Both Cuchullin and Achilles become heroes long before they become men. There are stories as mentioned above from when Cuchullin was just seven years old, fighting fierce attackers while look after Ulster’s boundaries. Achilles also becomes a fierce fighter, in particular in Homer’s Illiad when Phoinix refers to him as a child, as he goes off to war to fight with the Greek army. Even though the perception of both characters is much the same, it is interesting to take note of Cuchullin’s honor in comparison with Achilles’. While Cuchullin’s heroic sense is to some extent nobler than that of Achilles’, in the sense that Achilles’ fury and fighting is the result of his need for revenge over the death of his cousin Patroklos, while Cuchullin fights for his land as well as his kinsmen. Even though this is without doubt a far more honorable cause to head into battle but somehow Cuchullin come across as being far more barbaric than Achilles, who because of Homer, is able retains a stronger sense of civility. Even in the way in which both of their deaths are foretold we find a remarkable parallel. While there is far more known about the death of Cuchullin, the same can’t be said for Achilles’ death. The similarities are in the way in which the foretelling’s of their deaths came about; Cuchullin’s death being foreshadowed by the Grey of Macha, like Achilles’ death was foreshadowed by Xanthos of the Glancing
Achilles is a great warrior and the central character of The Iliad. His traits were highly lauded by the Ancient Greeks. Achilles most apparent heroic traits are his courage, glory, wealth, lineage, and his camaraderie. Achilles’ largest tragic flaw is his pride. His pride causes him to turn his back on his allies in the midst of war after Agamemnon has dishonored him. (Iliad Book I) After being begged to return and as things become grim, Achilles’ close friend Patroclus decides to go in his stead. Killed by Hector, the death of Patroclus causes a change in the stubborn Achilles. His indignation at being dishonored is gone; he has lost a friend because of this pride. “Despite my anguish I will beat it down, the fury mounting inside me, down by force. But now I’ll go and meet that murderer head-on, that Hector who destroyed the dearest life I know. For my own death, I’ll meet it freely.” (Iliad Book XVIII 133-8) Despite a prophecy that he will die if he avenges his friend, Achilles returns to the front enraged and ready for battle. His downfall of losing his closest friend due to his stubbornness has wrought a change in Achilles and he now returns to the battle to avenge and honor his friend’s death.
The first requirement of Aristotle's tragic hero is that they are more admirable than the average character. Achilles meets this requirement because of his ability on the battlefield. In The Iliad, the background to the story is the war between the Greeks and the Trojans. This background is not only the basis for the story overall, but is also the basis for Achilles' own story. This begins when Achilles refuses to join the battle because he is insulted by Agamemnon. This decision results in the action that drives the remainder of the story. Later in the story when Achilles becomes angered and goes to the other extreme, launching into battle and killing ferociously. The significance of this is that it places battle as central to both Achilles' story and to what is important in the setting of the story. Importantly, the aspect that makes Achilles greater than most is his ability o...
The Iliad, the Greek epic documented by Homer that describes the battles and events of the ten year siege on Troy by the Greek army. Both Trojans and Greeks had their fair share of heroes and warriors, but none could match the skill and strength of the swift runner, Achilles. Achilles had the attributes of a perfect warrior with his god-like speed and combat abilities. However, even though he was Greek’s greatest warrior, he still possessed several flaws that made him fit the role of the Tragic Hero impeccably. Defined by Aristotle, a Tragic Hero is someone who possesses a high status of nobility and greatness, but must have imperfections so that mere mortals cannot relate to the hero. Lastly, the Tragic Hero’s downfall must be partially their own fault through personal choice rather than by an evil act, while also appearing to be not entirely deserved of their unfortunate fate. Achilles is a true Tragic Hero because he withholds all of these traits. Achilles proves to be a good man that puts his loved ones first, reveals his tragic flaws of pride and anger, shows dynamic qualities as a character when his flaws are challenged, and has a moment of clarity at the end of his rage. Achilles truly exemplifies the qualities of a Tragic Hero.
As George Eliot once said, “It is a narrow mind which cannot look at a subject from various points of view.” Whether viewing a piece of artwork or another person, there are often many points of view to evaluate in order to find the true core of the subject. In great works of literature, authors often create complex and dynamic characters to add depth and meaning into the story. In the Iliad, Homer beautifully depicts the multifaceted character of Achilles as an epic hero. As readers look closely at Achilles, he reveals different sides of himself as the epic poem develops. Representing the struggle between his dominant, selfish, and Dionysian nature as an epic hero and his hidden empathetic Apollonian core, Achilles reveals the mythos of the Iliad which states that war degrades mankind into objects and only the pursuit of Apollonian regard for others renews their humanity.
Achilles and Patroclus were friends during the Illiad during the time of the Trojan War. They fought together and were inseparable friends and comrades. The myth of Achilles and Patroclus says that Achilles is prophesied to die either an unimportant man or a young hero. Thus, leading Achilles to Troy under king and leader of the Greek army Agamemnon. Patroclus traveled to Troy to help the Greeks get Helen back from the Trojan, Paris.
Because he embodied Greek ideals, was ‘immortalized’ through his actions and glorious death, and was courageous, Achilles was an epic hero. Honor was of the utmost importance to both him and the entire Greek society, he chose to die a hero in battle, and he avenged the death of Patroclus even through mourning; Achilles is the true hero of the Iliad.
In Homer’s epic, the Iliad, the legendary, has no two characters that are so similar yet so different as Greek warrior, Achilles, and the Prince of Troy, Hector. Achilles is the strongest fighter in the Greek side, and Hector is the strongest Trojan. They are both put into the mold of a hero that their respective societies have put them into; however; it is evident that they are both extremely complex characters with different roles within their society and with their families, and with the gods.
The Iliad may be seen as an account of the circumstances that irrevocably alter the life of one man: Achilles, one of the greatest warriors. Throughout the course of the poem Achilles goes through many ordeals that change his character immensely. Starting with his quarrel with Agamemnon and withdrawal from battle, to the death of Patroklos, and with the slaying of Hektor. Achilles emotions and actions decide the fate of many warriors on both sides. Achilles struggles with anger, honor, pride, loyalty and love make the poem more that just a gruesome war story.