Free Essays on The Iliad

Achilles vs. Hector: The Epic Hero In today’s world, a hero is commonly thought of as someone who has saved lives, or has donated his service to their country or groups of beleifs. According to Homer, though, an epic hero is a brute fighting force of a man, whom often may cruelly and unnecessarily take life, but nonetheless is the pride of his army and the land he represents. The epic hero must demonstrate a level of leadership and self control, as well as humanity to earn this title. Importance, whether relating to the gods or royalty is a characteristic the epic hero possesses, and it is through this natural hierarchy that the hero rises to become an idol of all the men he represents. Through The Iliad, both Hector, a Trojan warrior, and Achilles, a Greek warrior stand out as fighters that identify much of Homer’s ideals concerning the definition of the Epic Hero. Despite this, Hector better embodies those characteristics, and ultimately is the most accurate classification of the Epic Hero in the Iliad. In the Iliad, Achilles is developed by Homer as the most valuable and skilled Greek fighter. He is a great warrior, vital to the Achaean army but also is the moodiest and most overly prided man in the war. Achilles knows the influence he has on his army, and takes advantage of the power that it gives him. For example, when he is disrespected by Agamemnon when the King takes his prized woman, he disregards all ties he has the to the Greeks and abandons the Trojan War. Not only does he disrespect his army by doing that, he manages to wish death upon them for the way he feels he has been treated. Both Hector and Achilles prove to be ruthless warriors at times, but the competitive nature that Achilles possesses is more than an appropriate level for an epic hero. He is so conceited that he often randomly, and unnecessarily kills other man simply because he is mad, or to prove that he can. For example, at the fun... Free Essays on The Iliad Free Essays on The Iliad Achilles vs. Hector: The Epic Hero In today’s world, a hero is commonly thought of as someone who has saved lives, or has donated his service to their country or groups of beleifs. According to Homer, though, an epic hero is a brute fighting force of a man, whom often may cruelly and unnecessarily take life, but nonetheless is the pride of his army and the land he represents. The epic hero must demonstrate a level of leadership and self control, as well as humanity to earn this title. Importance, whether relating to the gods or royalty is a characteristic the epic hero possesses, and it is through this natural hierarchy that the hero rises to become an idol of all the men he represents. Through The Iliad, both Hector, a Trojan warrior, and Achilles, a Greek warrior stand out as fighters that identify much of Homer’s ideals concerning the definition of the Epic Hero. Despite this, Hector better embodies those characteristics, and ultimately is the most accurate classification of the Epic Hero in the Iliad. In the Iliad, Achilles is developed by Homer as the most valuable and skilled Greek fighter. He is a great warrior, vital to the Achaean army but also is the moodiest and most overly prided man in the war. Achilles knows the influence he has on his army, and takes advantage of the power that it gives him. For example, when he is disrespected by Agamemnon when the King takes his prized woman, he disregards all ties he has the to the Greeks and abandons the Trojan War. Not only does he disrespect his army by doing that, he manages to wish death upon them for the way he feels he has been treated. Both Hector and Achilles prove to be ruthless warriors at times, but the competitive nature that Achilles possesses is more than an appropriate level for an epic hero. He is so conceited that he often randomly, and unnecessarily kills other man simply because he is mad, or to prove that he can. For example, at the fun... Free Essays on The Iliad â€Å"Passion in The Iliad† In Homer’s Iliad, the character Helen plays a very significant role in the poem. For she is the reason why the great war amongst the Greeks and the Trojans are being fought. In this essay I would like to explore how Helen is the symbol of passion and sexuality. I hope to fully establish that passion is the driving force in this poem. Helen is Menelaos’ wife, Paris steals her out of their home. This is very significant because it is the meaning behind the war. Paris went in the home of Menelaos and stole his possessions. One of which is Helen. Helen in turn, is forced to live as Paris’ wife/lover. Helen is supposedly the most beautiful, most desired woman in the world. Paris is unable to resist the beauty and the desire of Helen, which explains Paris’ motive for taking her. It is never made clear in the text if Helen is a willing accomplice to Paris’ scheme or if she is a resisting victim of the kidnapping. When Helen is speaking with Hektor she says to him, â€Å"Brother/ by marriage to me, who am a nasty bitch evil-intriguing, / how I wish that on that day when my mother first bore me/ the foul whirlwind of the storm had caught me away and swept me/ to the mountain, or into the wash of the sea deep-thundering/ where the waves would have swept me away before all of these things/ had happened† (6.343-349)#. Helen’s constant references to herself as a bitch or a prostitute forces us to see her as a victim. When Paris and Menelaos battle for Helen, Paris looses the duel, but is saved by Aphrodite and is whisked away to his bedroom in Troy. Helen attempts to reject Paris by announcing that she will have nothing more to do with him. But when Aphrodite threatens her, she immediately give in and goes to bed with Paris. Paris responds to Helen by saying, â€Å"Come, then, rather let us go to bed and turn to love-making† (4.441). Helen does not argue or resist him, instead she allow...