Comparing Hero In The Alchemist And The Count Of Monte Cristo

This essay will be comparing hero versus anti-hero. The comparison will be between Santiago from The Alchemist, Odysseus from The Odyssey, and Edmond from The Count of Monte Cristo. It’ll talk about the anti-hero tendencies each of these characters displayed, how it affected their journey, and how it relates or differs from the other heros.

The first hero is Santiago. Santiago rarely showed anti-hero tendencies. What helped him from being an anti-hero is the fact that he was young and willing to learn. The only time anti-hero tendencies could possibly be seen would be in the start when he was driven on the want for treasure and didn’t think much about the actual journey. Santiago's desire is shown in the quote, “I’m going to hate those who

have found their treasure because I never found mine.

And I’m going to hold on to what little I have, because I’m too insignificant to conquer the world.” Santiago thought that he needed treasure or wealth to be considered significant or happy with his life. Santiago’s want for treasure affected his journey immensely. Without his desire, he would’ve never gone through his journey. Santiago's journey was key for his growth. Without it, he would’ve never been content with his life because he would constantly think about the wealth he missed out on and never realize that the journey was the part he actually missed out on. Luckily, he did go on his journey. And towards the end of it, he realized he didn’t need the treasure to be happy in his life. He shows this after he meets Fatima,“I’ve found Fatima, and, as far as I’m concerned, she’s worth more than treasure.” This is the first point in the book in which Santiago is willing to give up the treasure because he found someone in life that makes him happy and content. Compared to Odysseus and Edmond,

Santiago had the least amount of anti-hero tendencies. His adolescence is what separates him from Odysseus and Edmond. Both of them were driven on a hatred or revenge unlike Santiago who was driven with greed. Also, Santiago became a hero much sooner in his journey. Regardless of the very few anti-hero tendencies, Santiago is definitely a hero.
Odysseus showed the next most anti-hero tendencies.

Part of his tendencies came from his biggest flaw, hubris. His flaw led him to make stupid choices simply because he thought it made him look better. Odysseus’ hubris is especially seen when he tells Polyphemus his real name, “Cyclops, if ever mortal man inquire how you were put to shame and blinded, tell him Odysseus, raider of cities, took your eye: Laerte's son, whose home’s on Ithaca!” He couldn’t help but flaunt himself which led to the cyclopes having his father, Poseidon, make Odysseus’ journey 1000 times harder. The other characteristic that makes Odysseus an anti-hero, is the revenge he wanted for the suitors. His want for vengeance is shown in the quote, “There will be killing till the score is paid.” He isn’t all bad though. Part of Odysseus’ journey home was driven by his want to get back to Penelope. His longing for his wife is why he’s only partially an anti-hero. Odysseus’ anti-hero habits impacted his journey home especially when he told Polyphemus his name because it caused Poseidon to make his journey incredibly difficult and caused multiple issues. The other tendencies that impacted his journey, were his reasons for wanting to go home. On one side, he was a hero because he wanted to get home for Penelope. But then again, he’s also an anti-hero because he wanted to get revenge and kill all the suitors. These impacted his journey because if they weren’t there, he wouldn’t have had as strong of an urge to

get home. Compared to Santiago, Odysseus had more anti-hero tendencies. But compared to Edmond, he didn’t have as many, because he had both good and bad reasons for wanting to get home, while Edmond only had bad reasons. Despite Odysseus’ flaws, he is still a hero because of the growth he gained through his whole journey.
Edmond was the biggest anti-hero. There was only one reason that made him an anti-hero and it was because of the revenge he wanted against everyone who did him wrong. When he was in his abyss, the prison, he gave up on god which lead him to have an incredible amount of hatred. Edmonds strong hatred is shown when he says, “Do not rob me of my hate - it’s all I have.” Edmond thought that from all the years he was away, he lost all he had, and now all he has left is a strong hatred for everyone. Edmonds malice impacted his whole journey because all of his choices were based off of hatred and vengeance which is why he was an anti-hero. These tendencies lasted since he left his abyss, up until his return/transformation. Edmonds transformation is seen when he says, “You were right priest...this I promise you...and god. All that I used for vengeance will now be used for good.” This is the major turning point that makes Edmond a hero rather than an anti-hero. He realizes that he didn’t lose all he had, he accepts god again, and realizes that revenge wasn’t the answer. Compared to Santiago and Odysseus, Edmond definitely had the most anti-hero tendencies. But just like Santiago and Odysseus, he was a hero because of all he learned and his final promise to use what he used for vengeance, for good.
Santiago, Odysseus and Edmond all had three very different journey’s, but what connects them all, is the fact that they’re heros. They all had their moments of anti-hero, it had huge impacts on their journey, and they all related or differed from each other in some way. Surprisingly though, I think that Edmond was the biggest hero. I think he had the most growth from his Call to Adventure, to his Return. At the beginning, he was a novice and not very smart. By the end, he was incredibly intelligent, had a new view on the world, and wasn’t consumed by hatred and vengeance. What makes someone a hero or not, does not depend on the bad they do, it depends on the lessons they learned, their growth, and their new outlook on life.