Arrogance of Greek Heroes Essay -- Epic Conceit Aeneid Odysseus Essays

Arrogance of Greek HeroesOften readers will criticize the champions of real and medieval epics for egotism. Critics cite examples from the Odyssey, the Aeneid, and Beowulf of conceit and egocentric behavior. Odysseus, Aeneas, and Beowulf display a well-known arrogance befitting their accomplishments. The motivation for this arrogance, to complete these tasks, to perform these feats, is often over-generalized to the earthoeuver of inaccuracy and confusion. One must not let such misinterpretations interrupt the humanization of these characters. Through the examination of the desires and behavior of these epic heroes, we can discover an key need for recognition or detect. In classical and medieval western epics, the heros desire to complete a given pursuit is fueled by their desire to gain or maintain honor or fame. The first hero to be considered is one of the original Greek champions. Odysseus, often characterized as a braggart and self-centered, displays all t he traits of a man doing his best to leave his mark. He will never take the simplest of r stunnedes to sack a problem he would much rather use his chancy and inventiveness to contrive a plan that exploits the weaknesses of his foe and uses all the resources at his disposal God help me the man of intrigue broke outCome weave us a scheme so I can pay them back Stand beside me, Athena, fire me with daring, fierce as the day we ripped Troys glittering crown of towers down. Stand by mefurious now as then, my bright-eyed oneand I would fight triad hundred men, great goddess, with you to brace me, comrade-in-arms in battle(l.437-47, VIII) Odysseus would rather engineer a plan that ensures a total elimination of the suit... ... wife and billet as well as his place in Carthage in the remark of the gods, in the name of a quest that does not directly returns him. From this pursuit, he does not stand to gain spoils, and the most that could be say of his fame would be drawn from hi s descendents. It is this moral stance, this understanding of universal placement, of purpose, that sets Aeneas apart from separate heroes. Not every hero is a perfect model of character, solely these well-known heroes of epic poetry do have powerful senses of honor and endeavor. Perhaps the authors meant these characters to exhibit flaws, or to relate to an idealized hero range of mountains that modern readers cannot understand. Regardless, it cannot be assumed that these characters are driven by a simple egotism, but rather by the same desire of galore(postnominal) other men to be remembered, especially to be remembered for great things.