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Iliad and odyssey their honor
How is pride and honor manifesred in Homer by Illiad
How is pride and honor manifesred in Homer by Illiad
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Eternal Honor and Glory
"My life is more to me than all the wealth...If I stay here and fight, I shall not return alive but my name will live forever: whereas if I go home my name will die" (Homer 170). The concept of glory and honor is prevalent throughout the text, as it is something that all men strive for. With no after life promised, the mortal characters aim to receive glory in their present lives to ensure that their name lives on. To create this legacy, many characters looked to war as something to be celebrated due to the emergence of worth, bravery, and admiration for those that go into battle receive. By fighting, men prove their integrity and obtain the glory they are striving for. Hector models what a Homeric man should be by
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not only proving himself as a great warrior but also dedicating his life to the service of others. By doing both he has acquired the glory and honor so many men seek. Hector's death emphasized just how much this glory means. The yearn for his body in its absence and the longing to give him a proper funeral gave insight to the affect he had on his people. Funerals are a way of celebrating a life that no longer physically lives on. Homer ends the story with Hector's funeral to show the sacredness and importance of funerals in Greek life, to emphasize how the remembrance of one's honor lives on eternally. The funeral is such an important part of Greek culture because no after life is promised. The ransom given to retrieve Hector's body, was imperative because it was the only chance at securing his body and giving him a proper funeral. Hector's funeral proceeds to 10 days until the body is burned, the other 9 days before so are the product of lamentation. "Although lament is the form that is not fixed and is being spontaneously created at the occasion of death as an emotional response to it, at the same time it is a form that is creative, and as such it obeys to certain, defined rules, or as Gail Holst-Warhaft defines, it is a "structured emotional response to death" (Stevanović 43). The excessive grieving and mourning is a beautiful thing, as it brings together those to collectively share these emotions in the remembrance of someone who holds much honor. According to Stevanović, lamentation is a duty of all women (38). In the Iliad we observe that the slave girls were forced to mourn the dead Greeks. As apart of the Greek tradition, women were expected to grieve together, as to let out the emotion but to also be there to support and mediate one another. Homer didn't insinuate the women were forced to mourn just because they had the authority to make them do so or treat them cruelly, but because it was tradition and considered a "norm", it was something all women were expected to do. Especially for those, such as Hector himself, who died with honor. Women however, are not the only ones we observe showing emotion regarding death, we witness Achilles lament on behalf of his friend Patroklos. "A dark cloud of grief fell upon Achilles as he listened. He filled both hands with dust from off the ground, and poured it over his head, disfiguring his comely face, and letting the refuse settle over his shirt so fair and new. He flung himself down all huge and hugely at full length, and tore his hair with his hands" (Homer 365). Lamentation is more than just grieving and mourning a person, it brings out the misfortune received due to the loss of an individual. This is why we see not only Achilles, but also with Briseis express their grief by hurting themselves because they are letting out all the misfortune they feel, as well as the fortune that potentially may come. Although we observe Achilles participating in lamentation in such a manner, it doesn't parallel with Greek ideology. It is a sense frowned upon for men to portray such emotions because they are considered undesirable because it questions their bravery and dedication to the motherland which is a part of the Athenian and Greek identity (Stevanović 40). The point and emphasis on the lamentation aspect of the funeral is to show the worthiness and honor the deceased has left behind. By doing so we see a range of emotion being poured out from the simple mourning of a body to self-mutilation. The practice of lamentation can be a beautiful way to honor a person's life or it can be ugly in a sense where misfortune takes over one's mind causing them to self-destruct. Furthermore, we see lamentation and the need for it regarding Hector's death as a significant point in honoring a hero's glory which will last on forever to show that the loss of Hector was tragic and should be mourned for. The Iliad reflects Greek culture's emphasis on having a proper funeral and burial to give the soul a peaceful rest which is why Homer ended the story with it, to express the need of a proper burial, funeral, and time allotted for lamentation to take place. Eternal glory is the never ending remembrance of honor and achievements. Amongst most societies, past and present, people live their lives hoping to be remembered once they are physically gone. The fame after death is something observed in the Iliad as well. Honor and glory are the two key factors that drive the characters to live their lives, serving as the foundation and the motivation for pursuing the different aspects of their lives. The honor of the individual, family, and even society guide every action and reaction. Glory isn't just received but is earned, whereas it be done through heroic actions or deeds, often occurring through battle and war. This is why throughout the text we see the emphasis and celebration of war. Men emerge as being worthy through their display of bravery by fighting in battles. It isn't just about the participation in the battle, however, but the effect on the battle of one's presence. Fighting led to one proving himself of being worthy of honor which is one step closer towards the overall goal of achieving eternal glory. Aside from just participating in war, an individual could gain honor through loyalty and dedication to one's people, as well as being a noble aristocrat. Gaining honor and glory allowed men to get a grasp of true power. With so much genuine respect and admiration geared toward an individual allowed them to receive an immediate influence in their society. Social status wasn't fixed in the Greek society. Therefore, any action could elevate a person's status, giving himself a higher rank amongst society. Hector elevated his status and brought himself so much honor in many different ways aside from just being a great warrior. Hector also proved himself as a thoughtful leader, always aware of the duty he had to his troops, as well as being a responsible family man, and possessing heroic qualities and responsibility. All of these things brought him honor which raised his status, giving him an influence that led him to be loved by his people, as well as the Gods. This eternal glory and honor is realized as Homer describes his funeral, and the depth of lamentation over his loss. Hector is lamented by the entire city, including the Gods who even protect his body from the mutilation of Achilles. This was done to dishonor his body by preventing him from receiving the proper burial he deserved, due to the honor and glory he brought to his name. Honor and glory were the center of Greek progress in Homer's time, as the Greeks recognized that honor and glory last far longer than any physical parts of a person's life.
The strive for these qualities in all their various forms were the driving force behind everything the Greek people did. Honor and glory made it reasonable to go to war and to be away from home and separated from family for many years. In the Iliad, honor and glory were the victories of a life well lived. Homer ended the story with the death and funeral of Hector, as well as the lamentation that went along with it to emphasize how much and honor and glory meant to Greek culture. By ending off on this note, he reminds us if what is really important, eternal glory. Hector will be remembered for all of the honor he brought to his name, family, and his community for many decades. By dying with honor he will live eternally. As a mortal man, we all know the fate of one's live eventually coming to an end, we observe this in the story as well regarding Hector. His body is gone , however his presence, legacy, and glory continue to shine over his people. Homer expressed to us that we should live our lives accordingly so we don't diminish along with our bodies. Homer could have ended with the Fall of Troy, the downfall of a nation of people due to a loss of an extraordinary leader. He could have ended with death of Achilles, showing the fate of what one might see of a villain. However, Homer ended us with an underlying goal throughout the story, something that will give a lasting impression and be worthwhile, that being that living a life full of honor and respect will give one eternal
glory.
Throughout The Odyssey, Odysseus’ power was gained through the power of others resulting in three phases of understanding: self-determination, courage, and having a greater vision in life. In order to understand these three phases, one must be able to conquer predominance from those less useful than others. Although Odysseus was physically strong, he was not who he was mentally, without the help and guidance through the gods. Odysseus was like one who has no friends, but when he meets up with more people, he becomes popular. One who was alone and meets new people, has more friends and finds out more interesting subjects about daily life. They are the ones who have more predominance than others because they know more people and have much more interesting subjects. Odysseus was like this because he didn’t know much without the help and guidance from others.
The film O Brother, Where Art Thou? is a reinterpretation of the epic poem The Odyssey. The Coen brothers, writers and directors of the film, did not over analyze their representation. “It just sort of occurred to us after we’d gotten into it somewhat that it was a story about someone going home, and sort of episodic in nature, and it kind of evolved into that,” says Joel Coen in Blood Siblings, “It’s very loosely and very sort of unseriously based on The Odyssey” (Woods 32). O Brother, Where Art Thou? contains ideas from The Odyssey for the sake of modernization and entertainment of an audience that comprehends the allusions to the epic. The Coen brothers utilize elements of Homer’s The Odyssey to improve and to give direction to O Brother, Where Art Thou?, a reinterpretation which was made simply to show that an epic-adventure such as The Odyssey could be modernized to apply to modern times.
book takes place in, is called to action and set in motion on his Hero
The epic poem called The Odyssey, which was written by the poet Homer, is one of the many classical stories from Ancient Greek culture. It tells the story of Odysseus, King of Ithaca, and his journey back home from the war with Troy, which had occurred in Homer’s other epic Greek poem, The Illiad. Odysseus faces many trials and quests in his journey home and to take back his kingdom from the suitors, such as meeting the witch Circe, blinding a Cyclops named Polyphemus, dealing with Poseidon, and staying with the goddess Calypso. The poem has many themes that are relevant to it. One such theme is the factor of redemption. Redemption is usually a typical subject in any kind of religion, like the Greek religion and Christian religion. The story of Odysseus has an underlying message of him receiving redemption from the Greek gods. The Odyssey is a tale of redemption because it deals with Odysseus being forgiven by the gods after having to go through many trials and wrongs to rightfully claim back his wife and the throne of Ithaca.
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).
but he is the only one who can discern the proper course of action in the
In book eight of Homer’s The Odyssey, Odysseus is on the island of the Phaeacians and is waiting to return home to Ithaca. Meanwhile, Alcinous, the Phaeacian king, has arranged for a feast and celebration of games in honor of Odysseus, who has not yet revealed his true identity. During the feast, a blind bard named Demodocus sings about the quarrel between Odysseus and Achilles at Troy. The song causes Odysseus to start weeping, so Alcinous ends the feast and orders the games to begin. During dinner after the games, Odysseus asks Demodocus to sing about the Trojan horse and the sack of Troy. This song too causes Odysseus to break down and cry. Homer uses a dramatic simile to describe the pain and sorrow that Odysseus feels as he recalls the story of Troy.
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
The notion of personal honor is prevalent throughout the Iliad. The honor of every person in Homeric culture was important, but to the hero, his honor was paramount. He could not endure insults, and he felt that he had to protect his reputation — even unto death. The hero 's duty was to fight, and the only way he had of gaining glory and immortality was through heroic action on the battlefield; thus, he continually prepared his life for the life-and-death risks of battle. The Homeric hero believed that men had to stand together in battle; men had to respect each other; and they had to refrain from excessive cruelty. This last condition was critically important for the Homeric hero. He loathed deliberate acts of cruelty and injustice. If he were ready to kill a victim, he believed that he should do it quickly; he was not to mutilate him, as Achilles does with Hektor 's body. By following this code, a hero gained a sense of dignity and a reputation for honor that would ensure his place in the social memory of his community.
This epic poem by the ancient Greek poet Homer, recounts some of the significant events of the final weeks of the Trojan War and the Greek siege of the city of Troy. All of the places where Homer’s stories took place were in areas that had been significant in the Bronze Age of Ancient Greece. Excavations at Troy and Mycenae have revealed that affluent kingdoms did indeed exist there. The Iliad provides examples of the culture and traditions that took place in Ancient Greece. The warrior culture that is presented in The Iliad is based on honor and bravery, a good example of this is when Diomedes is trying to rally his fellow warriors in says, “I know only cowards depart from battle. A real warrior stands his ground. Whether he is hit or hits another.” This society was strongly against cowardice; bravery was the only option in these times. The Iliad preserves the Ancient Greek’s views on masculinity and what it meant to be a “real warrior” in their times. The evolution of what people consider honorable and brave is evident, for The Iliad has conserved past views that can be juxtaposed with more modern
The notion of honor is prevalent throughout the Iliad and Antigone. Both texts demonstrate that honor is essential to Greek heroes because honor is the foundation of the society and family. Homer and Sophocles clearly show that honor guides people’s actions and responses and decides the fate of themselves and others. Both authors also place emphasis on the importance of proper burial because it is a strong indication of honor to the deceased and the deceased’s family. As can be seen in the Iliad and Antigone, the aim of every Greek hero is to gain everlasting honor because it ensures his place in the social memory of his society resounding even after death.
The ethical values reflected in the Iliad should be taken seriously because they are not only plausible, but also congruent with the time and place. Homer is narrating tales of a society where men expect to fight and likely die in battle, where courage is demanded of all men, and where honor and glory are seen as steps toward achieving excellence. What makes the Iliad a masterpiece of Western civilization is not just the stirring story, but most of all Homer’s even-handed portrayal of the Homeric world, for the Trojans are never depicted as being less than the Greeks. The Greeks, even their greatest military heroes, are seen as flawed human beings. In conclusion, what Homer presents in the Iliad is a worldview rather than the local perspective of a distant war. In the end, Homer seems to be saying that all men may aspire to virtue.
...den tone, and despite all the fame and greatness Hektor has acquired, all is lost in Troy, as a result of his death. Homer must be portraying an anti-war attitude here, otherwise he would surely end the play with the triumph of Achilleus, or the victory of the Argives over Troy. If he had positive or even neutral thoughts about war, he would end with and upbeat triumph, but he does not. The final book makes the Iliad out to be a tragedy, which is exactly what Homer thought war was, an unnecessary tragedy. The point that Homer wants to get across with his final book is that all the action and all the fighting that went on for all those years is not something to be proud of, for it ruined multitudes of lives. The extreme agony and woe only help to show that Homer believes that the positives of war could never encompass all the sorrow and negative consequences of war.
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.