The Greeks are known for their stories, and epics, and poetry of legendary heroes surpassing all odds. Homer, is one such Greek widely known for his tales. One of his greatest heroes is Achilles, however he was not the only focus of the tale of the Iliad, Prince Hector of Troy was a central figure as well. The son of King Priam and Queen Hecuba, Hector was the Crown Prince of Troy and was well respected throughout (Grimal, 82). He was present when his brother Paris abducted Helen of Sparta out of love, much to Hector’s disappointment, igniting the Greek attack and the Trojan War (Grimal,143). Hector of Troy had a significant impact on the Trojan War as the leader of the Trojans, and the main opponent of Achilles, showing that once one’s fate …show more content…
At the beginning, Hector explicitly displayed his disappointment in Paris for abducting Helen, raging about why he put his country in danger for simple love; in order to discredit his brother’s claims of his cowardice, Paris decided to duel Menelaus (Helen’s husband) in order to resolve the conflict once and for all (“The Story”). Following a brief battle , Paris failed to defeat Menelaus due to the intervention of Aphrodite, and fighting ensued, led by Hector who spurred the Trojan army into attack, showing Hector’s immense influence amongst the soldiers (“Overview”). In the following months,the God Apollo greatly supported Troy, causing them to pay great tribute to him, and he was an apparent influence on the Trojan’s way of life. Feeling confident, the Trojans attacked the Greek ships, but ultimately failed when the Greeks retaliated (Homer 202). Hector, who had refrained from battle thus far, continued to rally the Trojan army to charge into battle “like some fierce tempest that swoops down upon the sea,” bringing forth a wave of uproar and confusion (Homer 207). Promptly, this wave was disrupted by Patroclus, disguised as his close friend and Greeks’ greatest warrior, Achilles; Patroclus led Achilles’s warriors and the rest of the Greeks into opposition with the Trojans (“The …show more content…
Simply put, the heroic qualities that existed in Homer’s time were largely different than the qualities we perceive as heroic today (“Overview”). Hector is fierce and brave, yet humane and fatherly, a man who never enjoyed killing, and one who never talked ill of an opponent (Clarke 34). Achilles on the other hand, is murderous and drunk on rage, he lives for war and glory, is constantly ferocious, has no mercy, and takes no insults (Clarke 35). At the time, the Greeks valued glory in battle over all else, and men were expected to relish in the grandeur of war, and consequently Achilles was seen as more honorable in the eyes of the ancient Greeks (“Overview”). Glory and honor are not the only factors that play into heroic qualities, divine reverence of the Gods is also important. Hector and the Trojans were never well supported by the Gods, for the Trojans’ fate had already been sealed before war even began (Rosenburg 321). Knowing that it was the Greeks’ destiny to overrun Troy, and the Trojans’ general lack of faith in divinity led to the majority of the Gods siding with the Greeks (Rosenburg, 323). For example, Athena tricks Hector into turning around and fighting Achilles, while also convincing Zeus to abstain assistance, for the Trojans were meant to fall (“The Overview”). Athena supported the idea that one cannot change his destiny, especially when divinity is involved. This
The Iliad is an epic written by Homer around 750 BC. It tells the story of the struggles of the 10th year of the Trojan War. Hector, prince of Troy, is one of the main characters in this book and was killed by Achilles. The hero of The Iliad is Hector because although he isn't the most courageous soldier, his respect for others and dedication in battle makes him the hero of The Iliad.
Achilles was the bravest, most skilled, and greatest warrior of the army of the Trojan War. One of the non-Homeric tales of his childhood relates that Achilles’s mother dipped Achilles in the waters of the River Styx, by which means he became invulnerable, except for the part of his heel by which she held him. Achilles was willing to fight to the death for the people and the ideals that he loved. Was it to honor his loved ones or to fulfill a personal gain of being the best there ever was? Achilles can be seen as the most honorable person doing this. But he can also be seen as very dishonorable, for example when he killed hector and refused to return hector's body to his father, this was very dishonorable.
Hector was the best warrior in all of Troy. He was the Trojans best hope of winning the war against the Greeks. Achilles was the Greeks best warrior, and their best chance of winning the war. This automatically made the two characters adversaries,
As Hector saw the anger that burned within Achilles as he walk towards him, “Hector began to shake in fear. His courage gone, he could no longer stand there. terrified , he started running” (Homer 22. 140). Hector should be this great hero who will fight to the death in order to protect his country, but some may see his fear as a weakness that makes him unqualified to be called a hero. However Hector reflected his bravery because to chose to stand and wait for Achilles, but he also realizes when fighting will end in his demise. Hector is not a god, he is not immortal, he is human and he does not want to go into a fight where he knows he will die because he cannot protect his country if he is dead. Previously in the war, Hector broke through the mighty Greeks defences he “ jumped inside the gates, no moving out to stop him could hold him back, expect the gods. From his eyes fire blazed” Homer (83). Hectors bravery helped him push through the Greeks defences even though there were people all around him trying to kill him. After this Hector acts as a model for the rest of the Trojan soldiers, inspiring them to push forward with Hector. After making the decision to join the Marines Tillman was “not sure where this new direction will take [his] life though [he is] positive it will include its share of sacrifices and difficulty, most of which falling squarely on Marie’s shoulders.” (Tillman 2). There are many strong people in the world, but only the brave few will be willing to step up where others would not. Heros are the people who will do what most others would not do in order to protect the greater good. Just as Tillman acted as a role model for everyone Hector showed the Trojan army that they could
In Homer’s Iliad, an extremely courageous and noble character is Hector, Prince of Troy. Hector does not want war, so his decision to lead the assault on the Achaean forces may seem strange. However, if there were a noble way out of the war, Hector might have taken it. “Without a noble escape, Hector is forced to fight”(Willcock 62).
In the introduction of the Essential Illiad given by Sheila Murnaghan, Achilles is labeled as “the greatest of the Greek heroes”. In classic mythology a hero is a person of great strength and courage celebrated for bold exploits and is often the offspring of a mortal and a god. Achilles was the greatest fighter among the Greeks or Trojans and feared no man in battle. He was also the offspring of a mortal and a god so by classic mythology definition, Achilles was indeed a hero. A hero is defined by the present day Websters Dictionary as: “one who inspires through manners and actions; an individual who leads through personal example and accomplishments requiring bravery, skill, determination, and other admirable qualities.” Achilles, in no manner, fits this definition. By contemporary standards, he is instead a pathetic villain. Aside from being a kidnapper, rapist and murderer, Achilles proves to be emotionally weak, selfish, and malicious. Many times throughout the Illiad, Achilles is also referred to as “godlike”. The gods of Greek mythology were subject to the same emotions and character flaws as humans, and though privileged to some foresight, the gods had similar mental capacities as humans. What really set the gods apart were their powers (controlling the elements, changing their appearance, etc.), great strength, and immortality. Because of his great strength and apparent invincibility, it is easy to see why Achilles would...
The scene begins after a long battle in which many of the Trojan warriors were lost. The remaining Trojans retreated back into the city of Troy taking advantage of Apollo distracting Achilles. Outside of the city’s walls, the Greeks pressed closer. Apollo revealed his identity to Achilles, causing Achilles to turn back to the city. Hector had “Taken his stand before the Western gate, Determined to meet Achilles in combat” (42-43) rather than retreat, against the advice and pleading of his parents. He is wary of the reproach he would receive from the others
In his classic work "Poetics" Aristotle provided a model of the tragic hero. According to Aristotle, the tragic hero is more admirable than the average person. This results in the tragic hero being admired by the audience. For the audience to accept a tragic ending as just, it is crucial that the tragic hero be responsible for their undoing. At the same time though, they must remain admired and respected. This is achieved by the tragic hero having a fatal flaw that leads to their undoing. One of literature's examples of the tragic hero is Achilles from Homer's The Iliad. However, Achilles is different from the classic tragic hero in one major way - his story does not end tragically. Unlike the usual tragic hero, Achilles is able to change, reverse his downfall, and actually prove himself as a true hero.
The Iliad, the Greek epic documented by Homer that describes the battles and events of the ten year siege on Troy by the Greek army. Both Trojans and Greeks had their fair share of heroes and warriors, but none could match the skill and strength of the swift runner, Achilles. Achilles had the attributes of a perfect warrior with his god-like speed and combat abilities. However, even though he was Greek’s greatest warrior, he still possessed several flaws that made him fit the role of the Tragic Hero impeccably. Defined by Aristotle, a Tragic Hero is someone who possesses a high status of nobility and greatness, but must have imperfections so that mere mortals cannot relate to the hero. Lastly, the Tragic Hero’s downfall must be partially their own fault through personal choice rather than by an evil act, while also appearing to be not entirely deserved of their unfortunate fate. Achilles is a true Tragic Hero because he withholds all of these traits. Achilles proves to be a good man that puts his loved ones first, reveals his tragic flaws of pride and anger, shows dynamic qualities as a character when his flaws are challenged, and has a moment of clarity at the end of his rage. Achilles truly exemplifies the qualities of a Tragic Hero.
In the Greek epic, The Iliad, Homer describes the siege and capture of the ancient city of Troy by Achilles and the Achaean warriors. Achilles, being a fearless fighter, defeated many throughout his battles against the Trojan army, including the brave-hearted Hector during the invasion of Troy. Though Achilles has been given the title of the hero of the Trojan War, many historians believe that Hector was a greater hero than Achilles. When comparing the characteristics of an epic hero such as being a national hero and having supernatural abilities, Hector clearly surpasses Achilles. In this essay, the argument will be supported through the context of the heroic personas revealed by the warriors and the non-heroic qualities that dishonored them.
According the Iliad by Homer, Hector and Achilles are the main characters that have many different, but also they have some similarity.They both have the different in personalities and life. Also, they have the different about leadership and relationship with their family. Both are the two strong warriors and heroes. Achilles is in Greek side, Hector is in the Trojans side , and they both want to win the battle . Both characteristics believed that their fate is to die on the battle as the warrior, but approach war differently. However, they all have the advantage and disadvantage. Also, They have the different reasons to fight the battle that hector fight for his homeland and his family's honor and Achilles fight for Helen , also because he is the best warrior that he want people to respected him.
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.
Every war has its own hero who saves the community from the destruction. It is the same case for the Trojans and the Greeks. They have their warriors who with the support of their Gods lead the troops in the fight against each other. The warriors are never short of flaws as indicated in the Iliad. They suffer from anger, thirst for glory among other issues. Hector is depicted as weak after failing to return to the city for the fear of what his people might say of him. Similarly, Achilles is obsessed with his fame and glory.
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.
In Homer’s epic, the Iliad, the legendary, has no two characters that are so similar yet so different as Greek warrior, Achilles, and the Prince of Troy, Hector. Achilles is the strongest fighter in the Greek side, and Hector is the strongest Trojan. They are both put into the mold of a hero that their respective societies have put them into; however; it is evident that they are both extremely complex characters with different roles within their society and with their families, and with the gods.