In The Battle, On The Way

Achilles-Odysseus as a literature prototype has been inherited by later generationliterature. This phenomena fully explained and answered the question that why the HomericEpics plays the role as the original source of western literature.The first chapter is mainly analyzing the personality of the Achilles-Odysseus prototypefrom three perspectives including the subject, the identity and the faith. The basic feature ofthe prototype is illustrated as the combination of personal manifestation and concealment. Theliterature motif is concluded as “in the battle” and “on the way” condensing from its life trackand existence. The basic path of its meaning evolution is explored in the relationship betweenthe prototype and the realistic.The second chapter illustrates reappearance of the Achilles-Odysseus prototype in latergeneration literature based on texts including ‘The divine Comedy’,‘Hamlet’,‘Don Quixote’and ‘Faust’. The Achilles-Odysseus prototype can be seen in these four classic in variousways and forms. The literature motif (“in the battle” and “on the way”) is fully explored andenriched.The third chapter interprets and summarized the literature motif in a theoretical way. Thetheme of “in the battle” is due to the inclination of separating self from others, whereas “onthe way” defines human life process as the spiritual existence. These two themes cannot beseparated. They are complemented and attributed to the eternal proposition of ‘humanity’.Overall, in the developing process of western literature, the Achilles-Odysseus prototypeand the literature motif of “in the battle” and “on the way” reappear in different forms andways among various tests. They create numerous vivid classic literary figures and build thedomain of self and others as well as spiritual values of human. The overall meaning of‘human’ in western literature is presented under historical period contexts. The Achilles-Odysseus prototype and the literature motif of “in the battle” and “on the way” provide aserious of “humanity” figures which is bright and profound to the world literature.