Compare the view of class in Homer, Boccaccio, Austen - Essay Example

In book II of Homer’s Odyssey, the protagonist Odysseus is described as “thoughtful, mild, kindly” king. Also, he rules the like a “gentle father”. This description is given by Mentor, however it does not convey the whole spectrum of Odysseus’ personality. In most of the parts of the poem, Odysseus is depicted as wise, caring and gentle leader. With his calmness and cleverness, Odysseus is able to help himself and his shipmates and he escapes from the jeopardy many times. Thanks to his mild character, his crew perceived him more as a friend, than as a commander.

With his kindness, Odysseus wins the total loyalty of his thankful slaves. In Homer’s poem there are moments when Odysseus is described as inconsiderate and stubborn. He loses his caution when he is elated by his triumph over the strong Kyklops Polyphemos. Because of his temporary loss of common sense his puts his men in great danger. Despite his crew unwillingness, Odysseus embarks into the Kyklops’ island. There are other scenes in which Odysseus shows his selfish nature, for example the moment when he sends his crew to the unknown land of Kirke.

He does this to avoid a potential danger which puts his life in peril. Although the initial description that Mentor gives is true, to an extend he idolizes Odysseus and portrays him in idealized fashion. In comparison, the protagonist in Dante’s Inferno is Dante himself. The novel is written from first-person perspective, which indicates that the character Dante is narrating the story. In Inferno we have to distinguish between the author Dante and the protagonist Dante. The author creates his character as a fictional one.

The novel represents a journey of the protagonist Dante, written as if it was happening to the author Dante. At the beginning the protagonist has pity for the sinners in Hell. He shows how merciful he is. Then he realizes that the sinners deserve to be punished for their wrongdoing. Here the protagonist is described as ruthless. Dante’s character undergoes a noticeable change throughout his journey. His compassion for the sinners reduces as he goes down through Hell. The protagonist is also described as curious and caution at the same time, because he asks Virgil for advice every step on his way.

Dante’s character is also adventurous during his journey. He is not afraid of what is happening around him and shows no fear. The protagonist is also wise, because he knows that he can not be hurt, and he can prevent the suffering that the sinners experience. In Emma, Jane Austin creates a fictional character in the face of Emma Woodhouse, who is the protagonist of the story. She is a young lady, highly intellectual, pretty and high-spirited. Emma’s mother died when she was very young and since then she has been the master of the house, especially when her older sister got married.

Even though Emma is described in many ways as mature for her age, she also makes some critical mistakes. To a degree this is so, because Emma is strongly convinced that she is always right. On another note she is so self-confident because she lacks experience from the real world and life. Emma’s character is very contradicting, because she doesn’t want to marry, but she is constantly making matches for the others. She is described as unable to love, however at the end she realizes that she has always loved Mr. Knightly. In the comparisons of the three protagonists, we can see the whole range of emotions, life changes and character development.

The evolvement of the protagonists is what makes them similar as well as the complex and profound roles they play in the novels.