The Aeneid
While outwardly similar, the characters Aeneas and Odysseus are inwardly as different as the authors that brought them to life. The respective views of the authors' societies on gender, race, and social conduct are seen throughout the epics in the characterization and interaction of their heroes. Despite these differences, however, there remain certain parallel themes in the two works that build off of the similarities and differences in the plot structures: honor, the role of fate, the importance of hospitality, and an emphasis on the inner vulnerabilities of the protagonist. Homer's Odyssey, written around 800 B.C.E. and Virgil's Aeneid, written over 700 years later, share a similar framework, which forms the basis for the comparison of two wholly dissimilar societies through the oral tradition. The Aeneid and the Odyssey hold similar views on the concept of honor, or kleos as it was known to the Greeks. In the Odyssey, Odysseus and his companions sought to return to their homeland not only to rest their weary bodies, but also to receive the kleos and time (fame) due them by their countrymen for their participation in the Trojan War. Similarly, in the Aeneid, Aeneas and his companions, fearing dea
A final theme common to both works is that of the protagonist's inner turmoil. As opposed to his warlike characterization in the Iliad, the Odyssey places a much greater emphasis on inner vulnerabilities-emotions such as loss, loneliness, and homesickness. While stranded on the nymph Calypso's island, Odysseus weeps at the thought of returning home to his friends and family. He and his crewmembers face physical trials such as Scylla and Charybdis, but they also face emotional trials that can be just as deadly. The crew's lack of self-restraint with Hyperion's cattle, for example, cost them several extra years of wandering, all because they could not control their inner selves. The same is true in the Aeneid, as Aeneas and his crew constantly fall victim to dwindling spirits-they lose hope in their destined action of founding Rome. After the shipwreck off the coast of Africa, Aeneas kills seven deer to lift the spirits of his men, knowing that their emotion well being is just as important as their physical well-being. The poets Homer and Virgil emphasized these undesirable qualities of their heroes to show their humanity-to make them credible role models for a society whose gods could not. In conclusion, the similarities and differences of the Odyssey and the Aeneid are used to annunciate the similarities and differences of their protagonists. The reason the authors knowingly used these
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Approximate Word count = 948
Approximate Pages = 4 (250 words per page double spaced)
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