Picture Atlas, who is portrayed as being forced to bear the weight of the world on his shoulders. This constant pressure of his grim duty can only be supported because of his titanic immortal strength. Now imagine the combined weight of two worlds, but this time held by a mortal. Can you see both trembling forearms of ropey muscle struggling to keep them in balance? The only question is not will he break, but when. This tragic picture is similar to that of Hector, who was portrayed as the great Trojan hero in Homer 's “The Iliad”. Besides a hero he is many things to many people. Every duty holds a great weight to it. Among them he is a great warrior, beloved son, loving father and passionate husband. Although that may sound normal or manageable …show more content…
Though, in the end he is unable to find it and is torn apart by his contrasting roles. Hector is split between his life as a warrior and his responsibility as a husband, father and of a son. Every duty is an important one so the possibility of slacking in any sector would be disastrous to his loved ones welfare and his own strict sense of honor. Because in Troy Hector is like a rock of stability to his family, citizens and the army who all cling onto his strength to keep from being washed away in a deluge of fear and misery from the ever present threat of the invaders. Within this role of a protector, he often times faces diametrically opposite situations that serve as the great hands pulling Hector limb from limb. For instance, after he returns to the city of Troy he meets his beloved wife Andromache at the sunny gates of his beloved city. When …show more content…
This regret Hector has in the end, both literally and physically tears away his façade, showing him from what he was; a scared and conflicted man. Illustrated during what be believed to be his greatest moment, when he stands as the solitary defender of Troy. Even though, his father screams from the ramparts in a final effort to convince Hector that even if he is young and his death will be glorious, it will be ultimately a selfish death because it will bring no peace upon his family. Hector understands that a death fighting merciless Achilles would mean his family will be left with no body to morn so they all will be left suffering until they are eventually brutally killed by the invaders. (Homer XXII. 44-80). Hector “grim and narrow-eyed, refused to yield” (Homer XXII. 101-102) at first. However while Achilles rushes at him, suddenly all the words of his father, mother, wife begin to make sense, he is on longer narrow-eyed he sees clearly the reality of what his death will mean. So “as he watched, began to tremble./ then he could hold his ground, no more. He ran” (Homer XXII. 150). Because, when facing the cold fact that his warrior lifestyle was not going to save him from death, he has no other choice to but to attempt to preserve his life for his family. Old habits die hard and he is tricked by Athena to fight (Homer XXII. 245-253) When she uses his
In The Iliad, Hector isn't always shown as a courageous character. In book 18, Achilles discovers Patroclus is dead. Upon the realization that Hector is to blame, he is ready to rejoin the fight against Troy. The Trojans start to lose their courage until hearing Hector’s speech in which he says, “Tomorrow at daybreak armed to the hill for battle we slash to attack against their deep curved Hills!...I for one, I'll never run from his grim assault.(18.353-357)” In
Throughout the Iliad, heroic characters make decisions based on a specific set of principles, which are referred to as the “code of honor.” The heroic code that Homer presents to readers is easy to recognize because the heroic code is the cause for many of the events that take place, but many of the characters have different perceptions of how highly the code should be regarded. Hector, the greatest of the Trojan warriors, begins the poem as a model for a hero. His dedication and firm belief in the code of honor is described many times throughout the course of the Iliad. As a reward for heroic traits in battle, prizes were sometimes awarded to victors of war. In Book 1 Achilles receives Chryseis as a prize and a symbol of honor. Heroism had its rewards and its setbacks which ultimately was the backbone of the Illiad in the case of Achilles prize. Hector, arguably the greatest Trojan warrior or even the bravest of the Homeric heroes is very fierce and fights for what he believes is his destiny. In book VI Hector expresses his bravery when Andromache pleads with Hector not to fight when Hector says, “But I would die of shame to face the men of Troy and the Trojan woman trailing their long robes if I would shrink from battle now, a coward. Nor does the sprit urge me on that way. I’ve learned it all too well. To stand up bravely, always to fight in the front ranks of Trojan soldiers, winning my father great glory, glory for myself” (VI, 387).
Homer’s Iliad focuses on the war and its heroes, their emotions and their ultimate glory. In Book 6 of the Iliad, Hector comes home for the last time and shows tenderness as a father, “Then his beloved father laughed out and his honored mother, and at once glorious Hector lifted from his head the helmet… Then taking up his dear son he tossed him about his arms, and kissed him.” This quotation shows us the tender and fatherly nature of Hector while he is still fighting a war. Homer is emphasizing that although one can love his wife and his children, fighting for the city is always the highest duty for a soldier, which transcends all his other personal responsibilities. As Hector leaves, his wife cries; “so glorious Hector spoke and again took up the helmet with its crest of horse-hair, while his beloved wife went homeward turning to look back on the way letting the love tears fall.” Hector’s wife understands that the ultimate glory of a soldier lies in carrying fighting the war bravely and fearlessly, Even though she ...
"Andromache, dear one, why so desperate? Why so much grief for me? No man will hurl me down to Death, against my fate. And fate? No one alive has ever escaped it, neither brave man nor coward, I tell you it 's born with us the day that we are born. So please go home and tend to your own tasks, the distaff and the loom, and keep the women working hard as well. As for the fighting, men will see to that, all who were born in Troy but I most of all" (Homer 6. 579-589). These particular lines demonstrate Hectors ' loyalty to his family and how far he is willing to go for his family. He is willing to die for his family but before he does, he starts to ensure that his family remains safe. Family seems to a driving factor in Hectors ' life, which could be viewed as a negative thing. For him to drop everything in the world for his family, even risk his life for them could stab him in the back if he let it. For example, if his wife was in grave peril and he had to choose between the lives of his people during a war or her life, he would choose her life but a smart leader would choose the lives of his
“ My Hector. It is for him I have come to the Greek ships, to get him back from you. I’ve brought a fortune in ransom. Respect the gods, Achilles. Think of your own father, and pity me. I am more pitiable. I have born what no man who has walked this earth has ever yet borne. I have kissed the hand of the man who killed my son” ( Book 2...
In today's society, a man's mind is his most important tool. In the past, however, a man's courage and strength is all that he had to keep him alive. In Homer's Iliad, courage is valued over honesty and even faithfulness to one's wife. If a hero is the most courageous man in the bunch, then Hector is more heroic than Achilles and King of the Myrmidons. Hector is the true hero of Homer's Iliad.
Throughout the text, major characters seem to be at constant battle with their different emotions. This inner conflict is mirrored by the everyday conflicts between the gods. Just as Zeus and Hera are constantly at odds with one another, so are the different sides of Achilles: his cultural responsibility, pride, honor, and revenge. No one is completely at peace with his or her conflicting emotions in The Iliad – and therefore, neither are the gods, who represent these emotions. Hector is a prime example of a human who finds himself torn between two forces: his love for his growing family, and his duty as a prince of Troy. He admits to Andromache that he worries about his own mortality, but emphasizes that “I would die of shame to face the men of Troy…if I would shrink from battle now, a coward.” (Homer 6: 523, 525). Hector’s deeply ingrained sense of honor and loyalty to home is clearly established in the beginning of the text. Therefore, when Zeus later grants Hector “power to kill and kill till you cut your way to the benched ships” (Homer 11: 241-242), it is not too much of a stretch to attribute Hector’s dodged perseverance to his upbringing and rigid sense of duty, rather than to the
The epic show this theme by having the winner of the battle lose his closest friend Patroclus, which results in him eventually grieving and finding ways to cope with it such as eliminating Patroclus’ killer, Hector. So despite winning the battle Achilles still loses his best friend which balances out if not out weighing the win of his fight with Hector. Hector wins despite no longer having a beating heart because he gains the respect of the gods and goddesses which is typically no easy task to accomplish. Hector gets praised by the people of Troy and gets the honor and respect from many. So even though he lacks the ability to breath he gains much respect and gets the title of saving his city by giving up himself to a very anger induced behemoth. Achilles once again losses after his defeat of Hector because the gods and goddesses lose their respect and regards for him after seeing Achilles’ true nature. Achilles potentially loses his life also, for in Hectors final words he claims Achilles will be brought down by the god Apollo himself. Which will be a pretty big lose and all for slaying someone who slayed a friend. The Iliad is basically one long epic just trying to say that if you’re a winner don’t boast about it because you probably lost in some way or another and if you lose don’t be too upset because you won something it’s just a mere mater if you realize what you won or not. Is that probably the true intention of the epic? No probably not, but it’s my own personal take on it even though we aren’t supposed to include opinions or “I” or “you” in it, but I’m dreadfully sorry because I felt it was rather necessary to state my rather failed attempt at understanding this complex but intriguing
For example, Hector does not like to fight in battle, the only reason why he fights is because he is the only way Troy could ever win the war. However, Achilles loves the war. He even chose being a warrior over having a long life, something that Hector probably would not do. Achilles is drawn to war because of his anger. As I have previously stated, Hector is only fighting in the war because he has to fight for the city of Troy. Achilles on the other hand, does not have to fight for his city. This is because the Greeks are not being attacked. Also, Hector is human. Although his father is a wealthy king, he does not have any god- like powers. Achilles however, is a demi-god he is an exceptional warrior and great runner because of this. Also, because he is a demi-god he is only venerable in his heel. While Hector, being a human, is venerable everywhere. Lastly, Hector is not dictated by rage like Achilles. Even before their battle Hector showed respect towards Achilles. Hector did so by saying “With all the gods as witnesses, I swear: if Zeus gives me the victory over you, I will not dishonor your corps, only strip the armor and give the body back to the Greeks. Promise you’ll do the same.” (22. 281-285). Hector is the perfect foil for Achilles, everything Hector stands for and everything he is, is the polar opposite of
Anyway, this was the main reason Homer wrote the Iliad. The specific story of the Death of Hector shows tells the story of Hector, who wants to fight Achilles outside the city gates. He refuses his father’s request to come inside and be protected. In the end he is killed. This entire episode shows the way one should act.
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 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.
Dennis Prager said “Happiness is dependent on self-discipline. We are the biggest obstacles to our own happiness. It is much easier to do battle with society and with others than to fight our own nature.” Hector notices the repetitiveness of his life and it angers him. ”His world was tidy, uncomplicated” Does the way Hector live makes him happy? Can Hector say his life doesn’t include any regrets? Everyday Hector seems to go through the motion, but “never seem to be authentic” Slowly but surely Hectors anger leaks out until he snaps on one of his patients. Hector now knows he needs to fight his own nature and that he needs to take a journey. He intends to cut the rope and own it. Hectors journey begins as a pursuit for happiness, but it enables
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 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.