Achilles Achilles And Duryodhana Essay - 1294 Words

John Nguyen Dr. Chance World Literature 26 October 2016 Achilles and Duryodhana Analysis A quick comparison between the characters Achilles in the Iliad and Duryodhana in the Mahabharata suggests that they are extremely similar. Both characters are hard-headed, full of pride, and their eventual demises both occur because of a certain weakness in their invulnerability related to their mothers’ oversight. At closer glance, one notices that while they share many traits, the role Achilles plays is much different from Duryodhana’s. An examination of each character’s motives and the context of the story they are placed in reveals that Duryodhana is clearly the antagonist in the Mahabharata while Achilles appears to be the tragically flawed hero of the Iliad. Some of the similarities between the two characters are obvious. Both come from nobility. Achilles is a Myrmidon prince while Duryodhana is a Kauravan prince. Both princes are also considered to be exceptional warriors, and they are frequently complimented on their amazing fighting abilities. Achilles is described as a â€Å"frenzied god of battle† while Duryodhana is also frequently praised in his great skill with weapons such as his mace (Homer 519). While they may be great warriors, the two men often let their stubbornness and pride take rein of their emotions. When King Agamemnon snatches Briseis, a woman Achilles had captured from the town of Lyrnessus, Achilles swears that he will never again fight under Agamemnon nor â€Å"doShow MoreRelatedThe Iliad And The Mahabharata2022 Words   |  9 Pagesviolent way and  Vyasa  wrote his in a way of spirituality and took dark scenes and made them less vivid unless necessary. Homer and  Vyasa  focused on war and the people who caused it. The Mahabharata involved a war between family due to the hatred of  Duryodhana  for the  Pandava  brothers. If the date that the events occurred is correct it would place it in the Bronze Age where there were battles between different  groups. Some historians believe that one of the battles were the base of the Mahabharata but