Achilles vs Superman

     Modern day heroes compared to the ancient Greek heroes share many similarities. They are seen as extraordinary, “god- like”, brave, noble, powerful, invincible; the list is endless. There is one defining factor that these heroes have in common, most of them have one fatal flaw. The Greek hero Achilles, is a demi- god who is dipped in the river Styx by his mother. His mother accidentally holds him by his heel and his heel becomes his weakness. Achilles is the strongest and most heroic soldier in the Trojan War. The modern-day hero Superman, shares many similarities with the mythic hero, Achilles. Superman’s home planet is Krypton and he is rocketed to Earth moments before Krypton destructs. Superman has a vast amount of powers, but his fatal flaw is Kryptonite. Kryptonite drains him of his powers and if he is exposed to it for too long, it may kill him. Both heroes endure life changing journeys that give them their heroic qualities.

 

ACHILLES

    The warrior Achilles is one of the great heroes of Greek mythology. According to legend, Achilles was extraordinarily strong, courageous and loyal, but he had one vulnerability–his “Achilles heel.” Homer’s epic poem The Iliad tells the story of his adventures during the last year of the Trojan War.

    Although Achilles possesses superhuman strength and has a close relationship with the gods, he may strike modern readers as less than heroic. He has all the marks of a great warrior, and indeed proves the mightiest man in the Achaean army, but his deep-seated character flaws constantly impede his ability to act with nobility and integrity. He cannot control his pride or the rage that surges up when that pride is injured. This attribute so poisons him that he abandons his comrades and even prays that the Trojans will slaughter them, all because he has been slighted at the hands of his commander, Agamemnon. Achilles is driven primarily by a thirst for glory. Part of him yearns to live a long, easy life, but he knows that his personal fate forces him to choose between the two. Ultimately, he is willing to sacrifice everything else so that his name will be remembered.

SUPERMAN 

    Superman was born Kal-El, the only survivor of a distant planet called Krypton. His father, Jor-El, placed him in a rocket ship to Earth, when Jor-El realized that their home planet would be destroyed. Kal-El landed in the United States and was raised as a normal boy under the name Clark Kent. He discovered his powers as a teenager and became dedicated to “truth, justice and the American way.” Under the guise of Clark Kent, he took a job as a reporter for the "Daily Planet," a newspaper in the fictitious city of Metropolis.

    Superman expresses a resolutely noble personality, so much so that it can be hard to find noticeable flaws in him. He’s gentle, kindhearted and selfless. He is also resolute, with a firm knowledge of right and wrong and an ability to act decisively in a crisis.

COMPARISON AND CONTRAST BETWEEN THE TWO CHARACTERS 

Similarities

 

 

    Achilles and Superman are comparable in many ways. they are both invincible and heroic, they both have one weakness that would lead to their undoing, and their parents also tried to save them. They both went through the call to adventure, refusal of the call, had divine help, and went through a supreme ordeal, although there really was no return journey for either of them since Achilles died and Superman never really stopped. Superman and Achilles are both very similar in what they did and how their stories progressed. 

Differences

 

• Born a demigod as the son of Peleus and Thetis.
• Raised by his mother and centaur Chiron but not his father
• Achilles was called upon by Agamemnon to fight the Trojans to win back Helen. His mother warned him that he was destined a good life at home if he didn't go or glory and remembrance of his name after his death if he did go. He decides to go for the glory.
• Athena was Achilles supernatural aid because she's a goddess and she helped him defeat Hector of Troy.
• His abilities are superhuman strength, stamina, and immortality. 
• His only weakness was the spot where he wasn't immortal which was the area by his heel.

 

• Born on a world that was on the verge of destruction so he was rocketed to earth.
• Received help from his father from crystals that were programmed with his planet's science and his father's memories.
• His abilities are superhuman strength, heat vision, x-ray vision, flight, cold breath, super-speed, enhanced hearing, and nigh-invulnerability
• The loss of his home and father leads him to use his powers to try to protect and later on save his new world, planet earth.
• Raised by farmers on Earth after escaping the destruction of his world.

While Superman and Achilles are separated by centuries of literature, they remain deeply connected through shared fundamental characteristics. Both characters are distinguishable from other super heroes in their respective universes through their supernatural abilities and weaknesses. Both the heroes portray amazing strengths but the modern-day hero story has an underlying difference when compared to an ancient Greek hero myth. Superman is self-aware and knows his limits or weaknesses. Achilles did not. He is brave and bold but his lack in awareness leads him to his death by a poisonous arrow to his one vulnerable spot, his heel. Superman is sometimes claimed as the modern- day Achilles. With many similarities linking the two hero stories together, they also have a difference. Even though they both go through the stages of a “hero’s journey”, it comes down to which hero knows themselves better and their own limits.