Comparison between Odysseus and Achilles - Essay Example

Comparison between Odysseus and Achilles Introduction Achilles and Odysseus are both portrayed as great heroes in Greek mythology; however, they are also different in character. Each of these characters suffered immense losses .They were both tested and tried by the Gods and eventually become true heroes. These men both had bravery, compassion and courage. Achilles and Odysseus have both similarities and differences between them. The paper herein examines both characters by comparing and contrasting them. It is, however, emergent that the two characters are in more ways different than similar. Discourse Similarities Both characters emerge as ancient heroic figures that were averse with their importance and were affiliated with the gods, which advised them along their journeys. In terms of personality, the two individuals emerged as good leaders who revered their men; they wept and shared the pain of their crew members that had passed on. It is the stern leadership ascribed to them that espoused their capacity to complete the journeys on which they embarked and made them victorious. Both men are similar in light of the grief they experience upon their men’s demise. During the battle of Troy, Achilles was informed about the demise of his friend Patroclus. When he received this news, he experienced immense grief a he listened to Nestor’s son. This news made Achilles decide not take part in battle. In do dong, he figured that he would no longer put his crew in harm’s way. Upon entering the Cyclops’ cave, Odysseus together with his crew got trapped and attempted to engage in a debate with the monster. Responding to them, the Cyclops clasped two of Odysseus’ men, brutally murdering them. Together with is crew, Odysseus wept out loud. Prior to that incidence, Odysseus had been close to emotionless. It was not up to that time that the true colors ascribed to Odysseus’s emotion towards his men emerged. Both Achilles’ and Odysseus’ men look up to their leaders and entrust them with getting the m through any tumultuous times. Another way in which the two characters are similar in terms of personality is visible in the way they relate with their friends and families. Achilles and Odysseus exhibit no qualms venturing into war. In spite of the fact that Odysseus longs to be with his wife as he makes his journey back home, most of his concern is placed on getting vengeance with those suitors and assuming his rightful position. In the same breadth, Achilles rejects Ajax’s and Odysseus’ plea to join the troops for battle. Achilles is seemingly not obliged to assist the Greeks in their quest to recover Helen from Troy. He ends up bitterly lamenting the death of Patroclus after he had chosen to go to battle because he was not of the idea initially. Differences In spite of the fact that Achilles and Odysseus share numerous qualities, they similarly have different traits. In the wake of trials, Odysseus makes use of greater caution compared to Achilles. He had considerable concern for his men’s safety and forks out a plan that would ensure they overcame the monsters they faced. Likewise, Achilles shows concern for his men’s safety but is not as astute as Odysseus. He is quite impulsive and has no room for considering anything that might go wrong. His quest is driven by his desire for vengeance. Despite the fact that both of them looked forward to making their men become successful, Odysseus takes a more rational and cautious approach whereas Achilles is vengeful and bull headed. In terms of cunningness and a clear mind, Odysseus undoubtedly carries the day. He is astute in light of the actions he takes and his approach to ameliorating the problems he faces. In contrast, Achilles is seen to be blinded by his taste for vengeance and stops at nothing to satisfy this taste even if he has to make irrational decisions. This is exemplified by the case in which he is asked to lodge an attack on the Trojan along with his men. It was the counsel of the gods that they ought to eat well and rest to ensure that they were fit enough to take part in the battle that they were about to fight. However, Achilles would have none of that and his only thought was obliterating his enemies sooner rather than later. In this regard, it emerges that the motives of Odysseus were more in tandem with his crew in contrast to those of Achilles.               Another difference ascribed to the two characters is the eagerness they have to take part in battle. Upon receipt of the armor made by the gods from her mother, Achilles’s appetite for battle grew and he was eager to make use of the new present the gods had gifted him. He instantaneously moves from avoiding battle to an unrelenting eagerness to fight. In contrast, Odysseus takes a more calculated approach to battle. Prior to stabbing the eye of the Cyclops using a huge stick, he entices it to take some wine as an accompaniment to the human flesh it had consumed. Rather than engaging the Cyclops in a fight instantaneously, Odysseus managed to get the Cyclops inebriated; a move that was quite advantageous to his crew. This move exudes the cunning and calculating nature associated with Odysseus; the antonym of Achilles. Among the biggest differences between Odysseus and Achilles is the manner in which each of them guides their troops and caries out the tasks ascribed to them in their communities. Achilles emerges among the Greek’s most revered warriors. However, he makes a decision to join the Myrmidons by turning down the offer to fight Troy owing to the fact that he is not rewarded. He paints himself as a bird that ensures that its chick are fed with whatsoever they desire but is not able to feed herself. He is quite stubborn and is almost not willing to assist. One his main reason for refusing to proceed with the battle is the fact that Agamemnon took over his prize of war; Briseis. In spite of his decision, the Myrmidons and Greeks respect him. When the war finally affects him following the death of Patroclus, he eventually makes the decision to battle the Trojans. In contrast, Odysseus seemingly emerges as an agreeable character; he is a peacekeeper among the Greeks, doing whatever is he capable of, even if it entails being part of Agamemnon’s schemes. For instance, in the Iliad’s Book 1, Odysseus ends up taking Chrysies back to her father following Agamemnon’s move to take her as a prize of war. Moreover, he defends Agamemnon and restores order among the troops following Thersite’s insults and incessant attempts to cause trouble for Agamemnon and other Greeks. Furthermore, he offers Achilles and apology on behalf of Agamemnon, beseeching him to return to the Greeks in the battle against the Trojans. In essence, Odysseus is observed as a character that constantly seeks to maintain peace and keep order. Odysseus and Hector also differ in terms of their view of the gods. Since Achilles is a stubborn warrior, he is not afraid of the gods in any way whatsoever and does not even bother talking back to them. For example, when Apollo tricks Achilles as he makes his way to Troy, he becomes outraged and informs Apollo that if he had the capacity to get even then he would. However, whenever he is in need of help, he does not hesitate to go and seek it either. As the Iliad begins, he informs Thetis, his mother, to ask Zeus to make the Greeks suffer a bit. Odysseus is quite different in terms of his interaction with the gods. In a certain situation, he is headed home from Troy. Despite the fact that majority of the gods empathize with him, he is engulfed in a conflict with Poseidon, who is god of the sea, throughout the journey. After he had blinded his son, Polyphemus, Poseidon sought to even ought Odysseus’s action by preventing him from returning to his motherland. Conclusion Through all the above mentioned examples, Achilles and Odysseus both appear to assume different paths in light of the portrayal in classical history. To begin with their leadership skis are distinct, second, all their actions and opinions towards the gods highlight their different beliefs as well as how much the revere the gods and trust their powers. Finally, it is emergent that the interactions of both characters with their friends and families have different outcomes. For this reason, despite the fact that Odysseus and Achilles are considered to be the greatest warriors by their people, these individuals are surprisingly diverse in terms of their personalities and the actions ascribed to them. They are, however, similar in certain aspects. They both emerge as heroic figures, like to take part in battle; although Achilles is the more aggressive one, and are sentimental about their crews. In their own right, both off them are heroes. History remembers Achilles as the hero who is quick to cat whereas Odysseus is a more methodical and cunning hero. Therefore, I do not believe that either of them is a more sustaining legend than the other. Work Cited Keep, Robert Porter. The Illiad of Homer: books I-VI. Boston and Chicago: Allyn and Bacon, 2003. Print. Read More