In the epic poem, the Iliad written by Homer, several characters taking part in the warfare between the Achaeans and the Trojans are portrayed as embodying the heroic code of courage, physical strength, leadership, arete of value of honour, and the acceptance of fate. The heroic code is illustrated by the actions of the Trojan prince, Hector and the Achaeans strongest warrior, Achilles. Both of these characters display the Greek’s image of a hero, and can also let the reader discern what the society admires, looks up to and aspires to in its heroes. There are also characters who fail to be heroic, such as the Trojan “vivid and beautiful” prince, Paris. These characters in the Iliad illustrate the qualities that Ancient Greek society values. …show more content…
You now no man dispatches me into thee under gloom against my fate; no mortal, either can escape his fate, coward of brave man, once he comes to be (J 205-210) In this speech Hector, is trying to comfort his wife Andromache, because of his upcoming fate of death. This is when he truly accepts the possibility of death. Furthermore, his acceptance of fate brings courage and strength to his heart, and gives a feeling to fullfill his duty as a Trojan prince and as a warrior. Achilles also accepts his fate: Now I must go to look for the destroyer of my great friend. I shall confront the dark dear spirit of death at any hour Zeus and the other gods may wish to make an end (Q 65-68). Here, Achilles shows fearlessness and audacity in his acceptance of death. However, he accepted his fate, to avenge the killer of his friend Patroclus. How these two character faces their fate, can be considered heroic. Accepting fate is very hard and cannot be done without a strong heart. This is shown by the two characters, one who accepts with and the other with fury.In addition, accepting fate is seen as very courageous in the society and can show the characters strong and fearless
In the Trojan War two opposing leaders, Achilles on the side of the Greeks and Hector from Troy, are described to the reader in full detail. Hamilton clearly depicts her favored war hero by the stories and actions that the two men go through. Hamilton, through tone and diction, clearly shows the Trojan hero, Hector, is favored more than Achilles. When Hector is introduced, Hamilton uses a prideful tone, “no man anywhere was nobler or more brave…” than him [260].
Unlike Achilles, Hector does not realize that his own death approaches and this ignorance makes his experience entirely human. Throughout the poem, Homer only alludes to his death through the words of the gods and of the poet himself, thus neither Hector nor his companions know that his death is imminent. Hector never dwells on the thought of his own mortality, only occasionally veering between fear and hope for his success in the war. When Hector finally faces death, Homer has already prepared the reader, which makes the scene when Hector finally realizes that there is no hope for him even more poignant. Comparing the foreshadowing of Achilles' and Hector's deaths, the poet skillfully develops the reader’s emotional involvement for these
An ancient Greek hero is often portrayed differently than a hero in modern society. An epic hero must face impossible challenges by using their extraordinary strength, with some help from the deities. Although a fatal flaw may delay their Return, their “rebirth” will help conclude the voyage. In Homer’s The Odyssey, Odysseus possesses the qualities of an epic hero during the Hero’s Journey through his cleverness in the Challenges, the change in his impulsive personality in the Transformation, and the help he receives from supernatural beings in the Return.
Homer’s The Odyssey describes the story of the main character’s, Odysseus, 10 year journey traveling back to Ithaca from fighting in the Trojan War. Odysseus, the king of Ithaca is, in fact, the hero of the story. A hero is a person that is admired for his noble qualities, achievements, and his strength and courage. The traits that exemplifies his heroism also causes to have many problems throughout the poem which is justifiable because he is not perfect.
In Homer’s The Iliad, epic hero Achilles serves as an example of how rage, when unchecked, leads to disastrous repercussions. Achilles, though nearly superhuman in his physical abilities, struggles repeatedly to contain his anger. Throughout The Iliad, as Achilles’ fury compounds, the consequences of his actions become catastrophic, eventually leading to the death of his best friend, Patroclus. Although Achilles ultimately chooses to avenge Patroclus’ death and achieve his own kleos, or honor, his rage-driven actions lead to the death of many Achaean soldiers, and change the course of his fate.
Achilles is maddened and appeals to his goddess mother saying, “If I am to die soon, shouldn’t I have what I want?” Feeling only sorrow for her son, Thetis requests Zeus to cause to Greeks to lose until Achilles fights again. Slowly the Greeks are pushed back farther and Agamemnon pleads with Achilles, offering Briseis back. Achilles declines due to his pride and the Trojans come close to burn the Greek ships. Even when a ship was burning, Achilles refused to fight and instead sends out Patroclus.
Here Andromache makes Hector feel sorrowful for his wife and son when she says “‘ Pity me, please’” and it seems like Hector might be afraid of dying because he says “‘this weighs down my mind.”’ However, Hector is not actually afraid of dying. Later on he says to Andromache,“ ...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..." ( 6.579-584).
The epic poem, The Iliad written by Homer shows the conflicts and events that occurred between the Greeks and Trojans during the Trojan War. Among both sides there are warriors who follow a distinct code, known as the heroic code. This Heroic code helps portray the characteristics of the warriors and their perspective on war. This distinct code is composed of many elements such as arete, acceptance of fate, honour, excellence in war, leadership, courage and power. These traits are shown within the main warriors, Hector and Achilles throughout the epic war poem and helps to guide their decisions.
Achilles knew he would not return alive if he participated in the Trojan War; however, he overlooks it because he did not want to escape the fate that was given to him the day he was conceived. Initially abandoning the war due to an altercation with Agamemnon regarding his slave, Achilles was forced back into the war after hearing the heartbreaking news about his closest friend, Patroclus. Achilles lended Patroclus his signature armor recognized and feared by many, in order to encourage the Greeks to continue fighting. Prince of Troy, Hector, mistakenly kills Patroclus, thinking it was Achilles. Spurred on by grief and the desire for revenge, Achilles slaughters the Trojans in large numbers without hesitation, in search for Hector.
Heroes have always stood out in time as wondrous beings. In literature they possess certain special traits. These traits are ones such as courage, strength, selflessness and intelligence. Theseus an Athenian hero possess some of these great qualities,“... he was as compassionate as he was brave and a man of great intellect as well as great bodily strength” (133).
Estrada, Ma. Luisa Teresita O. Sir Jojo Nicdao LIT101 The Iliad Final Paper An epic is a narrative poem that talks about heroic deeds and events that are important to the culture of the poet which in this case is Homer. These kinds of poems were ideal in the Ancient world because expressing stories orally was rampant. [1] The Iliad is an epic poem which was predated by the judgment of Paris.
In this story, the final years of the Trojan War are described and explained from different sides. The book’s main focus is on the Achaean side, specifically the character Achilles, in whom we can see correlations with Joseph Campbell’s Hero With A Thousand Faces and the Homeric Pattern. Achilles was seen as one of the biggest heroes of his day, however, some people today disagree. After examining Achilles’ actions and motivations throughout the story, it can be seen that he is not the hero his people believed him to be. Achilles is the son of the goddess Thetis, and therefore one of the strongest immortals.
The Nature of War is expressed though out the Iliad and can be related to not only the Trojan War but all wars throughout history. The ideas of Heroism, Honour and pride are the basis of all warriors. The Dark Ages, a time of regression in ancient Greece after the fall of the Mycenaean civilization, was when the first known telling of the Iliad occurred. During the dark ages written text was non-existent therefore the Iliad was passed down in the oral tradition. When civilisation emerged from the Dark Age and into the beginning of the archaic age and the Iliad was written down, it was written to be read aloud, as it was still to be an oral tradition.
To begin, Achilles learns life is not fair. From a very young age a child learns that you don’t always get what you want in life, especially when they don’t receive
From the grief of the Greeks and the Trojans comes greater understanding of the price of war. According to “The Type of Stories Chart” the epic poem is categorized as a success story of Greeks in the Trojan war, but the poem sobers the success of the Greeks with the constant reminder of death in war. In