Eastern Hero v.s Western Hero

A Comparison / Contrast

            The hero is one of the most common of all archetypes that appear in literature, films, and other forms of popular culture.   Although, all cultures have some version of the hero, eastern and western heroes have specific characteristics that come from their culture and social norms of that particular hemisphere.   A hero is an individual that goes on a quest or adventure, in order to restore order or regain position in society, whether by fate or personal satisfaction.   A hero, often a distinguished individual, overcomes evil and gains a desired position or objective, through their skills.  In this comparison / contrast, some specific concepts and characteristics of the eastern hero, Arjuna of Bhagavad-Gita, and western hero, Archilles of the Iliad, will be examined through the four major conflicts of literature, man verses himself, man verses man, man verses society, and man verses nature.

            The first major conflict, man verses himself, deals with one’s own challenge with one’s self that may conflict with achieving the desired position or objective.   The eastern hero, Arjuna, in his quest for enlightenment, which is achieved through the dissolution of the soul, attained by means of renunciation, selfless service, and meditation, is constrained due to his compassion, grief, and misunderstanding of the concept of detachment, which is the letting go of one’s body cravings, temptations, and aversions of freedom.   Arjuna, through the guidance of Krishna, an incarnation of Vishnu, the Preserver responsible for maintaining the cycle of dharma and karma in the world, realizes that enlightenment can bring him in union and obtain the faith necessary for the yogic path.   With this awakening, Arjuna overcomes his conflict with himself and is about to seize his objective.    For the western hero, Achilles, bloodlust, wrath, pride, and rage distract his ability to act with nobility and integrity.   Unlike Arjuna, Achilles yearns to live a long and easy life, but he is willing to sacrifice everything so that his name will be remembered.   What western heroes most long for is a reputation for excellence and honor; this guarantees meaning and value to one’s life.   To die old and unsung would is a disgrace, thus compels Achilles to be ruled by his senses.   By analyzing the first major conflict, man verses himself, the comparison /contrast of the eastern and western heroes, Arjuna and Achilles, infers that the eastern hero battles with himself to separate himself from his emotions, while the westernhero embraces and is dominated by his emotions.

            The second major conflict, man verses man, looks at the challenge that one has with another person.   The eastern hero, Arjuna, is a great warrior, who is in conflict with the teachings of Krishna.   When Arjuna refuses to follow, Krishna reveals himself as his most powerful form.   The respect Arjuna has for the knowledge gained by Krishna that learning to act in accordance with the Divine, not as the result and in service to one’s own ego, which is destructive illusions, reconciles the conflict; Arjuna completes the purpose of his cycle, which is to work off his karma.   Achilles, the western hero, is a great warrior and is the mightiest in the Achaean army, thrives off of conflict with others.   When King Agamemnon awards and abducts Achilles’ war prize woman, Briseis, he refuses to continue to fight for the king and the Trojan army is inflicted with heavy personal damage.   Conflict continues when Hector slaughters Patroclus, Achilles’ friend (or lover) and ignites Achilles’ rage and pursuit of the death of Hector.   After killing Hector, Achilles ties the body of Hector to his chariot and drags the dead corpse through the dirt and sand for days.   In the comparison / contrast of eastern and western heroes, Arjuna and Achilles, the second major conflict, man verses man, reveals the eastern hero strives to resolve conflict between himself and another person, while the western hero proliferates to conflicts between himself and another person.     The third major conflict, man verses society, is the concept of conflict between the person and many others.   When Arjuna is face with fighting his family, which he believes is a crime to which will breakdown society and causing all men to go to hell.   Thinking that he is fighting over a kingdom to which he is not the rightful heir, Krishna tells Arjuna it is his duty to fight the Kauravas for his kingdom, thus correcting the balance of good and evil.   Arjuna understands and proceeds with his duty.   The western hero, Achilles, has been guilty of numerous murders, rape, and sacrilege.   Achilles tries to dodge the draft through transvestitism.  He abandons his comrades and sits on the sideline while they are being murdered.  As a result, Patroclus was killed.   The assay of the comparison / contrast of the eastern and western heroes, Arjuna and Achilles, in the third major conflict, man verses society, proclaims the eastern hero compiles with authority, duty, and order of society, while the western hero pursues his own authority, duty, and order of society.

 The fourth and final major conflict, man verses nature, examines the conflict between the person and nature (or something non-human).   Both Arjuna and Achilles understand that being a warrior is their fate, a sacrifice of their own lives for duty unto the Gods, society,

           

 and themselves.    Both heroes are aided by the Gods to protect and honor.  The eastern hero embraces mortality, its spiritual cycle of birth and death, and karmic consequences.   The western hero is immobilized with his mortality and the limitations one has to accomplish something within that lifespan.   Considering the conflict, man verses nature, in the comparison / contrast of eastern and western heroes, Arjuna and Achilles, the synopsis is that the eastern hero takes possession of his mortality to enrich life, while the western hero confronts mortality as if to search for the meaning of life within death.

 

The hero, glorified, respected, and feared, is universal in literature, films, and even life.   Their quest for resolution, change, and honor is the center and pivotal at the same time.   Through observing their fight to protect, strive for excellence, and sacrificial fate from the Gods, the eastern and western heroes palpitate to different rhythms and concepts.   In a comparison / contrast of the eastern hero, Arjuna, and the western hero, Achilles, through the four major conflicts, man verses himself, man verses man, man verses society, and man verses nature, it is inferred that the eastern hero battles himself to separate himself from his emotions, strives to resolve conflicts between himself and another person, complies with authority, duty and order of society, and takes possession of his mortality to enrich his life, while the western hero embraces and is dominated by his emotions, advances to conflicts between himself and another person, pursues his own authority, duty, and order of society, and confronts mortality searching for the meaning of life within death.