Who Is More Heroic, Odysseus Or Achilles?
In Webster's Dictionary, a hero is defined as a person noted for
courageous acts or nobility of purpose, especially if this individual has risked
or sacrificed his life. It can also be used in reference to a mythological or
legendary figure, often of divine ancestry, who is favored by the gods, endowed
with great courage and strength, and celebrated for his bold exploits. War or
dangerous adventure is the hero's normal occupation.
In my opinion,
Odysseus is much more heroic than Achilles. Throughout both the Iliad and the
Odyssey, Odysseus showed more cunning and acts of bravery than Achilles. Both
men did make an attempt to avoid fighting in the Trojan War, however, neither
succeeded. After Odysseus was tricked into serving the Greeks, he was sent to
recruit Achilles. Disguised as a peddler, he approached Achilles, who was
dressed as a woman hiding among the maidens, and displayed trinkets and fine
weapons. "While the girls flocked around the trinkets, Achilles fingered the
swords and daggers." After Odysseus discovered him, he persuaded Achilles into
coming to the Greek camp and joining their army. This shows that Odysseus was
smarter and cleverer than Achilles. Odysseus also showed cunning when he came up
with the plot to defeat Troy, using the Trojan Horse.
Odysseus fought
bravely throughout the entire Trojan War, whereas Achilles spent quite awhile in
his tent pouting after Agamemnon kidnapped his prize maiden, Chryseis. He also
lets his best friend, Patroclus, go into battle alone to die by Hector's spear.
It takes a great loss like this for Achilles to get up and fight again. Even
then he was not fighting out of bravery, but purely out of anger, with the
desire of revenge. Then, after Achilles had killed Hector, he fastened Hector's
feet to his chariot and drug his body around the walls of Troy. This act was
disturbing and definitely not that of a hero.
Even after the Trojan War
was over, Odysseus had to go through twenty years of turmoil before he could get
home. He endured all of this with the hope that someday he would again be with
his family. I thought that this was very honorable.
I would definitely
consider Odysseus a greater hero than Achilles. He was smarter and much nobler.
He showed nobility by tricking Achilles, fighting bravely, and enduring many
hardships to get back to his family. A hero is one who exhibits courage and
honor. It is a person who puts the interest of others ahead of their own. This
is what a hero is and if we all lived by this code of honor, then I think that
the world would be a much better
place.