About humanity Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

About humanity - Essay Example The main reason that heroes from these two different cultures are so different is because of the vastly differing views in the afterlife. To demonstrate these differences, we can examine Achilles and Sir Gawain, two exemplary heroes from their own specific eras. In Homer’s Iliad, Achilles was the greatest warrior of the Trojan War. His decisions to fight and to not fight turned the entire tide of the entire war. Often times, though, people of today have a hard time accepting Achilles’ place as a great hero. He was prideful, thirsted for glory, did not seem to act with much integrity, and seemed to have abandoned his comrades for a time. However, it is pridefulness and thirst for glory that made him a hero in ancient Greek ties. This is because to the Greeks, the vision of the afterlife was one where people basically disappeared into the underworld. In order for people to earn some sort of immortality, they had to do something so great that they would be remembered as a great hero for all time. This is why Achilles was such a great hero to the Greeks. Achilles was by far the greatest warrior of the Trojan war. No other warriors came as close to slaying as many enemies as he did. When he decided to not participate in the war, the Trojans felt a certain amount of certainty that they could win. After Patroclus’ death, Achilles lets out a great cry, signaling his return to the battle: â€Å"The great sound shocked the Trojans/ into tumult, as a trumpet blown/ by a savage foe shocks an encircled town,/ so harsh and clarion was Achilles’ cry† (6. 251-254). So great was Achilles’ strength that just the sound of his voice alone was enough to send terror through the Trojans. This even more than examples of his fierceness in battle shows the extent of Achilles’ reputation. In this comparison, Homer is stating that the sound of Achilles’ voice is comparable to what a town