The Iliad is a story about the war between the Trojans and the Greeks. They believe that if you fight in a war, this is how you prove ones honor and integrity, but to not fight would show cowardice or fear. During this time, the males were trained from a young age to assume a major role in the war efforts (Rosenberg, 1999, p. 119). The most powerful warriors in this story were Hector and Achilles. Both men were given the title of heroes and displayed great power, skills and courage. But the values of Hector and Achilles were very different from one another and very different from the people of today’s society. Dignity, pride, honor, glory, fame, and revenge are very important to these people as it still is today, but it is achieved in a much different way. Hector is the prince of Troy and a mighty warrior. He is the son of King Priam and Queen Hecuba. He is described as a devoted husband and father, who did not fight for his own glory, but for the honor of his men and those he loved. Achilles is considered the greatest Greek fighter and is the son of a military man Peleus and the sea goddess Thetis. Achilles was a proud headstrong commander who rarely acted with nobility or integrity. As a child, his mother Thetis knew that he would only live a short life because he was mortal and tried to burn away his immortality but when that didn’t work she held him by the heel and dipped him into the River Styx which protected him from injury on every part of his body except one heel (Rosenberg, 1999, p. 126). During the war, Hector was faithful to the fight, but Achilles withdrew from the war due to an argument with Agamemnon. Agamemnon had angered one of Apollo's priests and in accordance with the wishes of his priest Apollo started reigni... ... middle of paper ... ...come of everything. They determine which warriors will succeed, and which will die and the fate of every single person. It is hugely important to praise and glorify the Gods, and if one does not do this or if one gives himself too much credit and glory, disaster will surely strike him. Achilles feels like his honor has been taken away from him, and wants the Greeks to learn their lesson and respect him. This war between the Trojans and the Greeks is not fought just over Paris taking Helen from her home but, the fact that the pride and honor that Menelaus feels has been taken away from him. There is no good or evil side to this war. It is just two opposing forces, and whomever the Gods prefer shall succeed. The heroes fought for their own glory, they wanted to be the best and they wanted their side to win. In doing this they would have to obey and respect the Gods.
Achilles had an extreme responsibility in the Trojan War as the supposed "leader" of the Achaean army. However, after Agamemnon wronged him he pulled himself from the war. By doing this, he abandoned his whole army in a vulnerable state without their leader for his own selfish reasons. Agamemnon had even offered him many gifts in exchange for his re-entering into the war, but failed. Achilles was leaving his army out to be killed.
At the time of the Illiad, Greek society had many set ideas and an abundance of values that were vital to their people. In the Iliad, honor and glory appear to be the central theme throughout the text. Fame after death became relatively important to the Greeks, as a result, a conflict is sparked between the Trojans and Achaeans. The value of honor was so significant that it was influential not only to the individual, but the family and one’s status as well. This is believed to be the reason to why the war as well as events occurred. Overall, honor was important to the Greeks, as a result, it defined them.
There was once a time of great warriors, heroes that fought for their honor and the honor of their people. This was the time of Homer’s Iliad when the great armies of the Achaeans charged Ilium, the Trojan Citadel. Although this ten-year epic battle, called the Trojan War, was supposedly fought over Helen, “the face that launched a thousand ships1,” the true heart of the Iliad is the characterization of the Homeric hero. These men possessed seemingly superhuman strength and courage, they fought and risked their lives for their people and their comrades in arms, and many of them were descendants of the gods themselves. Among the Achaeans, there emerged one man above all others in greatness. The son of the goddess Thetis, it was swift Achilles who defeated Hector, the mighty Trojan prince.
“Wife, all this concerns me, too. But I’d be disgraced, dreadfully shamed among Trojan men and Trojan women in their trailing gowns, if I should, like a coward, slink away from war. My heart will never prompt me to do that, for I have learned always to be brave, to fight alongside Trojans at the front, striving to win fame for father and myself.”(VI, 540-557) Hector’s virtues are also valued greatly by the Greeks. Although they admire the heroic courage and strength of Achilles, Hector remains the sympathetic hero of The Iliad. The power and strength of Achilles has reduced Hector to a non-human thing drawn through the dirt. However, in his attempt to humiliate Hector, Achilles has diminished his own stature among men. Hector, who represents the best in humanity because he loves his family and wants to protect them, exposes the tragic flaw of the excessive pride of Achilles, the great hero on the
In the Iliad is a very interesting epic with features two main central characters that are similar in some ways but totally different in other ways. In this epic you will be introduced to Hector and Achilles. Two men from each side in the great Trojan-Greek war. They were both heroes to their people despite their clearly different contrast in their personalities. In this paper I will highlight the life of both of these two leaders of the Greek and Trojans in this epic the Iliad. Also a little will be shed of how Homer portrays the characters deeper then an average thought. I will attempt to show the complexity of his thought process in forming the climax of these two characters coming to battle.
Achilles’ character is tempered by his actions, specifically his actions in battle. The warrior is expected to be brave, daring, and strong, and these character traits are best shown and strengthened on the slaughter-fields before
The honor of a warrior was to be held in high regard. Honor was important, which was why Achilles friends: Odysseus, Phoenix, and Ajax partially understood Achilles ire, and refusal to return to battle. They do insist though that he “control [his] proud spirit,” in order to have the...
In the “Iliad”, written by Homer, there are two soldiers named Achilles and Hector that have an epic battle. Achilles is the youngest Greek soldier to fight the Trojans, and Hector is the prince and the youngest Trojan fighter. The two soldiers have many different characteristics and similarities.
Achilles was the greatest Greek hero during the Trojan War. He portrays the nature of myth theory from the fact that he was close to gods and that his body was invulnerable to injuries except his heels. His character also explains the social charter theory in the ancient times. Achilles grief and pride negatively and positively impacted the two military institutions that were at war: the Achaean and Trojan. Achilles also represents the ritual as his death explains how funeral rituals were done in the ancient times. This paper critically analyzes Achilles’ story in three theoretical contexts: nature of myth, social charter theory, and ritual theory.
And far more than anything, there is a trait of Achilles that is of most import which should be addressed. Despite Hector being the most ideal hero, he was alone in this feat of his. When one talks of Hector’s achievements and role in the Trojan War, one can just mention him alone. Achilles however, in his entire splendor, cannot simply be narrated with only himself because he is not just a hero alone even though he far surpassed humans. Even with his
As cultures have evolved, so have the values that they cherish—heroism being one of them. In The Iliad, Achilles and Hector are the two most powerful and fearsome warriors on the battlefield at Troy. Both of them exhibit heroic values, but the two heroes are notably different. When they fight, they give every ounce of what they have to the fight and inspire their men to do the same. The Ancient Greeks for whom this epic was written craved this type of hero, and with Achilles and Hector, they got two. In The Iliad, Achilles and Hector, although very different, exemplify Ancient Greek heroic ideals, some of which are still recognizable today.
The Iliad is an epic poem, usually attributed to Homer. The poem narrates the story of the war between the Greeks and the Trojans, known as the Trojan War. The Trojan War started when Paris of Troy took Helen, wife of Menelaus, to his homeland. Angered by the kidnapping of his wife, Menelaus (king of Sparta) asks his brother the King Agamemnon (king of the Achaeans) to march to war against the Trojans. The war is fought on the outskirts of Troy, and lasted ten years. The importance of this war is that it marks the end of the Heroic era. The protagonists in the poem are Achilles of the Achaean army, and Hector of the Trojan army. The purpose of this essay is to compare and contrast Achilles and Hector by discussing their similitudes and roles in the Trojan War.
Achilles demonstrated the values of determination, great bravery, strength and skills to accomplish many achievements as a warrior in the 10 year span of the Trojan War. When he meets with Agamemnon’s messengers, Achilles even points out how he conquered several Trojan cities by land and sea, and contributed to Agamemnon’s treasures as a result of his achievements as a great warrior. Hector also proves he is strong, brave and determined, but he also shows he is responsible to his people. Hector loyally supports his family, even though he does not agree with brother’s decisions and actions. He leads fearlessly in battle, to uphold his responsibilities to the Trojan people, as he was raised to do so. Even when Hector’s wife pleads with him to stay with her and their son, he responds by following his duty and not his personal desires. To me, these values are reflected in the George Washington statue by the sword held in his hand, which is reflective of the great sense of duty to the cause, bravery and skill George Washington demonstrated in the Revolutionary
In Homer’s The Iliad he tells of the battles and events during the time of a quarrel between King Agamemnon and the warrior Achilles. This was just a small portion of the Trojan War that had lasted ten years. The Iliad shares the ideas of the glory of war, military values over family life, and the impermanence of human life and its creation. One thing that Homer does is characterize the two different warriors Achilles and Hector. These two great warriors both show different kinds of traits that shape the character they become throughout the The Iliad. Achilles is the main hero in The Iliad, but Homer subliminally tries to persuade the reader that Hector is the true hero in this story.
In the poem, Iliad, Achilles and Hector both show relative heroism in their own different ways. Achilles may have been the more popular hero, but Hector had great heroism as well. Each of these characters possess their own different strengths and weaknesses. These two characters both have pride as being one of their main weaknesses. Hector seems as if he would suit best in the modern world, but there are a few different reasons as to why the ancients may have chose Achilles. Hector and Achilles both lost a lot by letting their pride get in the way of their heroism. Both of these characters were their country’s best warrior. Achilles and Hector have very different personalities, and very different ways of approaching situations.