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  • Essay / History of Heroes - 1137

    As we studied different types of heroes this semester, we came across several examples of heroes and heroines. From the Trojan War to the Italian Renaissance, tragic heroes have always been present in the stories we read this semester. In this essay I will outline the similarities and differences between the tragic heroes we encountered in The Iliad (as reported by Homer), The Aeneid (by Virgil), Oedipus the King (written by Sophocles), and in The Prince (written by Niccolo Machiavelli).Achilles is a great warrior and the central character of The Iliad. Its features were highly valued by the ancient Greeks. Achilles' most obvious heroic traits are his courage, glory, wealth, lineage, and camaraderie. Achilles' greatest tragic flaw is his pride. His pride pushes him to turn his back on his allies in the middle of war after Agamemnon dishonors him. (Iliad Book I) After being begged to return and as things become dark, Patroclus, Achilles' close friend, decides to leave in his place. Killed by Hector, Patroclus' death causes a change in the stubborn Achilles. His indignation at having been dishonored has disappeared; he lost a friend because of this pride. “Despite my anguish, I will strike him down, with fury rising within me, by force. But now I am going to meet this murderer, this Hector who destroyed the dearest life I know. For my own death, I will face it freely. (Book of the Iliad XVIII 133-8) Despite a prophecy according to which he would die if he avenged his friend, Achilles returns to the front enraged and ready for battle. Losing his closest friend to his stubbornness has brought about a change in Achilles and he now returns to battle to avenge and honor his friend's death. The cunning...... middle of paper ...... ruth of what he had done. After discovering the truth, he sees what he has done, but no longer has physical sight. Cesare Borgia, a very skillful strategist and ruler, does not prepare for the damage that can happen to him with the sudden loss of his father, the Pope. Through the heroes we have covered this semester, we have had several tragic heroes. Achilles, Odysseus, and Oedipus fit a similar mold in their character traits, embodying classical virtues considered heroic in classical antiquity as well as today. Machiavelli finds Cesare Borgia to fit his own, but considerably different, definition of hero. Achilles and Odysseus are powerful warriors. Ulysses, Oedipus and Cesare Borgia explicitly show their intelligence and cunning. Achilles, Oedipus and Cesare Borgia all have a certain irony that arises from their downfall..