The Themes Of Characters In The Iliad And Salammbo

The Iliad written by Homer, translated by Robert Fagles and Salammbo written by Flaubert uses the main protagonist characters to portray messages about war, love, and women throughout the novel. Achilles is the main character in The Iliad and Salammbo is the main charter in Salammbo. Both characters were similar in their characteristics expect the fact that Salammbo is a female and Achilles is a male. Both books analyze the effects of war and relationships that promote the characters to go to war. Both works shows the extremeness of what people will do for their loved ones even if it is going to war. Both books also show the theme of death and its impact. The poem The Iliad takes place in the city of Troy, outside of Troy where the Trojan War

Achilles is the main character who is a strong warrior for the Achaeans but his rage causes the Achaeans countless losses because he would not fight for them. He is “murderous”, wise, skilled, and an intelligent fighter. In Salammbo, the main character Salammbo is bold, attractive and beautiful. While Achilles is a strong fighter and does everything to win the war, Salammbo uses her attractiveness. Achilles is a strong warrior because he is willing to fight anyone who come between his life as it stated on page 77, “Rage – Goddess, sing the rage of Peleus’ son Achilles, Murderous, doomed, that cost the Achaeans countless losses”. This passage from The Iliad emphasize that Achilles is an angry man yet a skilled fighter. Achilles rage causes many fighters to die as their bodies were fed to dogs, birds, and vultures, “Great fighters’ souls, but made their bodies carrion, Feasts for the dogs and birds” (Fagles 77). While it looked like Achilles was the greatest fighter, in Salammbo there were different fighters highlighted. As on page 18, “Men from every nation were there, Ligurians, Lusitanians, Balearics, Negroes, and Fugitives from Rome”. Different nationalities and race came together to fight in the

When Phoenix, Ajax, and Odysseus visit Achilles to convince him to fight, Achilles show the power of friendship by listening to them and not taking his anger on them. Even though Achilles was angry at Agamemnon, he did not let his wrath get to him when he saw his friends. Even though he denies their offer he still listened to them. Family is another theme relatable to the audience. From Achilles family to Hector’s family, there were are characteristics that shows them importance of family in the passage and in the larger economy. Achilles mother prophesied on his son’s future. He lets him know his future so he can be aware. This displays how family are caring and always looking out for each other. Another example is King Priam, Hector’s father who wept freely informs of Achilles to fight for his son proper burial. This is resembles in Salammbo when Salammbo goes back to Matho to get her veil back even if it is meant putting her life at risk. These events leads to the text, “And so the Trojans buried Hector breaker of horses”. This text emphasizes that the Trojans thankfulness and gratitude to be able to bury their own. Even though Hectors was a skilled fighter, “breaker of horses”, he was not strong enough to with stand the confident and murderous Achilles. This is a very powerful message because it displays a very strong relationship between Hectors and his father that the Trojans were able to bury Hector the