In Homer's epic poems "The Iliad" and "The Odyssey", Achilles and Odysseus are two characters that greatly encompass the human nature idealized by ancient Greeks. By studying the warrior's thoughts, actions, and ethics, the Ancient Greeks expected to learn how to handle the various obstacles on the course of life. Throughout their quests, Achilles and Odysseus embody the physical, spiritual, and intellectual strengths and weaknesses that the Ancient Greeks observed, and used to go about their daily lives with triumph. .
Both Achilles and Odysseus illustrate a vast amount of physical strength which the Greeks look upon as being necessary for the claim of respect, self-worth, and victory in the face of battle. Being half-God, the son of immortal Thetis, Achilles" physical power is inherent. As "Zeus's favorite fighter," the young warrior is well known for his mightiness (166). The ability to lift his father's spear that "No other Achaean fighter could heft [ and that] only Achilles had the skill to wield" exemplifies his strength above all men (171). Even King Agamemnon envies the respect that the Gods pay him for being a "great soldier." To Achilles" face he claims, "I hate you most of all the warlords loved by the gods. Always dear to your heart, strife [ ] battles, [and] the bloody grind of war" (108). In battle, the great warlord conquers many men and claims to Odysseus, "Twelve cities of men I've stormed and sacked from shipboard, eleven I claim by land" (139). Achilles" speed is also admired, for it gains him victory in battle. "The great runner," being as swift "as the wild mountain hawk, the quickest thing on wings," manages to frighten Hector, the foremost warrior of the Trojans, and sends him "fleeing along the walls of Troy" (180). Achilles" use of his physical ability displays to the Greeks how being mighty earns respect, and having enemies envy him builds self-worth.
Who is more heroic Achilles or Odysseus? ... Who is more heroic, Odysseus or Achilles? ... After Odysseus was tricked into serving the Greeks, he was sent to recruit Achilles. ... This shows that Odysseus was smarter and cleaver than Achilles. ... I would definitely consider Odysseus a greater hero than Achilles. ...
Homer also uses characters like Agamemnon and Odysseus to show the audience Achilles' personality. ... Instead of coming in person to talk to Achilles, Agamemnon sends Odysseus to try and convince Achilles to come back to war. However, Odysseus leaves out Agamemnon's rude comments regarding Achilles. ... Achilles does not know that Odysseus leaves out the spiteful comments, but the readers know he left it out. Homer uses other characters like Odysseus to help empathize with Achilles. ...
Two Greek heroes, Achilles and Odysseus, who both contributed to the success of the Greeks, are perfect examples of these differences in character. Although Achilles and Odysseus are both notorious Greek warriors, there is a very evident distinction between each man temperament and ethics. The actions of Achilles and Odysseus throughout the epics show apparent differences in each man temperament. ... Beyond their character, Achilles and Odysseus demonstrate almost completely opposite ethics. ... Homer openly depicts the contradictions between Achilles, Odysseus, and all his great heroes. ...
On the other hand, he scorns Odysseus. ... However, when looking in detail at both men, Odysseus and Achilles, Achilles has much more in common with Socrates than one would expect. ... By contrast, when looking at Odysseus" life, Odysseus survived the Trojan War, and was on his way home. ... Odysseus seemed to embody all that Socrates was against. ... Perhaps Socrates felt threatened by Odysseus. ...
The biggest example of his cleverness is when he is attempting to get Achilles to rejoin the Achaean army. ... Odysseus states, "A stark disaster, /too much to bear, /Achilles bred by the gods,/ that is what we are staring in the face/and we are afraid. ... Odysseus uses his wit in attempt to bring Achilles' back to the Achaean army. Achilles is the most powerful warrior and the Achaeans would benefit greatly if he were to fight. ... This passage is just a snippet of his speech that goes into further detail about the dangers they face without Achilles. ...
From the day he was born, Achilles was shown of high status. ... So the status of Achilles was shown before he was even born. ... When the Greeks were doing horribly in the battle, Agamemnon sends Odysseus, Phoenix, and Ajax to apologize to Achilles on his behalf and ask him to return to the battle. Odysseus tells him how Zeus has been encouraging the Trojans with signs; how they are afraid that Hectors threats will have them killed in Troy, far from their home lands; and that they will not be able to save their ships and their countrymen without the help of Achilles. ... However, Achil...
The first song talks about the beginning of the Trojan war and his quarrel with Achilles, which made Odysseus cry, but he was able to hide it. ... This theory could support the emphasis of Achilles on the burial rites and games for Patroklos, where he symbolically held his own funeral. ... What Achilles loved most was his pride, then Patroklos, and once this love was robbed from him, he was able to feel pain so intense it began his re-humanization process. ... "Odysseus pretends to be insane because he does not want to go to the war. ... The trend continues in Homer's work, as Achilles e...
Because Achilles left the fight, the Trojans began to win the war and many died because of Achilles" wrath. Achilles" wrath was not justified. ... Achilles furthermore, responded to every point in Odysseus" speech; he rejected the gifts, rejected Agamemnon's friendship, told his friends they must look elsewhere, restated the dangers of their position, and asserted that Hector no longer interested him. Yet where Odysseus" speech was organized and pointed, Achilles" speech came through with blunt, obsessive power. ... They saw the situation in a different light than Achilles, but Achil...
Achilles ensuing rage is the basis for the entire epic. ... The importance of identity can be seen throughout Odysseus' entire journey. All through the journey Odysseus loses more and more of his possessions at each stop. ... Before Odysseus arrived home, the suitors were chasing Penelope because they wanted all of Odysseus' possessions that identified him as king and the power that came with them. But at the end of the epic in book 23, Penelope tests the man she suspects to be Odysseus once and for all. ...