Between Lions And Men Images Of The Hero In The Iliad Analysis

In almost all instances of war the cause has been related to greed, or the gaining of land and possessions. Greed is presented in the very first book of Homer’s “The Iliad.” It isn’t displayed by the cowards, but the “heroes” of the war such as Agamemnon, Achilles, and Pandarus. The entire cause of the Trojan War is the result of the greedy and cowardly behavior of Paris. There are many factors that had sparked the war, including the interference of the gods; however, the main factor to be blamed for the war is greed.

In the Iliad is a very interesting epic with features two main central characters that are similar in some ways but totally different in other ways. In this epic you will be introduced to Hector and Achilles. Two men from each side in the great Trojan-Greek war. They were both heroes to their people despite their clearly different contrast in their personalities. In this paper I will highlight the life of both of these two leaders of the Greek and Trojans in this epic the Iliad. Also a little will be shed of how Homer portrays the characters deeper then an average thought. I will attempt to show the complexity of his thought process in forming the climax of these two characters coming to battle.

“As is the generation of leaves, so is that of humanity. The wind scatters the leaves on the ground, but the live timber burgeons with leaves again in the season of spring returning. So one generation of men will grow while another dies” (6.146-50)

The first book of the Iliad begins with the beginning of Achilles’ rage, the rage that will eventually cause his own people so much grief and is also the force for Homer’s version of the story of the Trojan War. Whereas the taking of Helen is the focus of the larger, traditional story, the feud between Agamemnon and the hero Achilles over a kidnapped girl defines the Iliad. Both feature a conflict over a woman, Helen and Chryses’ daughter, and a need for resolution as well as a breach of social contract: Paris steals the wife of Agamemnon, ruining the bonds of the guest relationship, while Agamemnon denies Chryse his right to ransom and invokes the wrath of the gods in the form of a plague. In both cases, however, it becomes clear that the conflict will not be resolved quickly, but will continue through the very heart of the story. By “singing of Achilles’ rage” from the first line, the narrator is clearly showing the audience that this Trojan war is not the war of Hector or Paris or Helen, but of the proud Achilles and his hero-sized enemy.

The Epic of Gilgamesh, the Iliad and the Odyssey are epic works. The main characters, Gilgamesh, Achilles and Odysseus, from the three legends portray excessive pride as seen in the poems. Their extreme pride trait has made them arrogant in a way that they can hardly handle some situations correctly with honour, as required. In all the three epics, pride is depicted as a destructive force that not only destroys the individual but the whole society.

In the Greek society, Achilles has the role of the aggressive soldier. From the very first lines of the epic, we are introduced to Achilles’ murderous rage:

Achilles possessed superhuman strength, he was swift and agile, he was brave, and he was intelligent. Achilles shows his extraordinary fighting skills and his intelligence in Book XXII, when he duels against Hector. Achilles manages to kill Hector “…like a high-flown eagle…” with a perfectly timed stab to “…where the collar-bones hold the neck from the shoulders, the throat, where death of the soul comes most swiftly; in this place brilliant Achilles drove the spear as he came on in fury, and clean through the soft part of the neck the spearpoint was driven” (Book XXII Lines 324-327). His intelligence is shown in that he knew a wound to this spot on Hector’s neck would be fatal, as Hector was wearing Achilles’ old armor that he stole off the body of Patroclus. An ordinary warrior most likely would not have had the skill with the sword to kill Hector, nor the intelligence to know to aim for the exact uncovered spot in Hector’s neck in the first place. Achilles also shows his bravery before this fight by wanting and agreeing to actually fight against Hector, who was the strongest warrior of the Trojans and the one person who was believed to actually have a chance in combat against Achilles.

The Iliad, by Homer, is an epic poem set in the era of the Trojan War, accounting the battle logs during the time of conflict between Agamemnon and Achilles, the text’s tragic protagonist. The heroic outlook on life, in Iliadic terms, is exemplified through the construction of one’s honor through hard work. Being an aspect of the heroic outlook of life, this value is demonstrated through his contribution and dedication to the Trojan War, his experience with neglect from the deities, Achilles’ overall disdain towards Agamemnon, and, lastly, his longingness towards Briseis, his dear lover.

One of the main contrasting characteristics of Achilles is his anger. It is apparent from the first sentence of the book, “Rage–Goddess, sing the rage of

Achilles’ insolent pride backfires on him when he becomes ultimately responsible for the death of his best friend Patroclus. Although Achilles still refuses to fight, he allows Patroclus to where his armor into battle. The sight of what the Trojans think is Achilles terrorizes them at first, but Apollo pushes him down and knocks off Patroclus’ armor. Hector sees the injured imposter on the ground and delivers a fatal wound. Only now, out of personal grief, does Achilles return to the battle.

As we discussed in class, the Iliad’s mortals lie between gods and animals in their thoughts and actions, and often struggle to overcome their baser instincts in the pursuit of god-like wisdom and power. However, the events of the Trojan War paradoxically suggest that in order to attain divine glory heroes must become increasingly bestial, slowly losing their humanity as the battle drags on. Homer makes the inhuman ferocity of his heroes obvious, most notably in frequent similes comparing various fighters to predators. These comparisons are more frequent and violent as the war escalates. During the peak of Agamemnon’s fury in battle, he is compared to “a lion [seizing] the innocent young of the running deer…and [ripping] out

Homer’s epic The Iliad, is a great tale of war and glory. It takes place during the last year of the ten year Greek-Trojan war. The Greeks have been fighting with the Trojans for quite some time, and just when peace seemed like a possibility, the youngest prince of Troy, Paris, acts out selfishly and steals the beautiful wife of Menelaus, Helen. This instigates the fighting again. Throughout The Iliad, Homer tells of two heroes, both similar, but also very different in their character; the great and powerful Greek, Achilles, and the strong, loving father, Prince Hector of Troy. In Homer’s The Iliad, Hector and Achilles differ as heroes in regards to pride, duty, and family love, the latter being self-centered and prideful, while the

be looked at as "the wife of Hektor, who was ever the bravest fighter of

The Homeric simile is a trademark of the epic poem. It describes an extended simile, which continues for lines on end, and the extended simile’s vehicle often describes multiple characteristics of its tenor (Cite Sharon Hamilton!). Homer uses the Homeric simile throughout The Iliad to describe the Trojan or Achaean people and/or army as a group. Yet, the Homeric simile also applies to an individual many times throughout the text, specifically, The Iliad’s protagonist: Achilles. Achilles is a complex and dynamic character. Despite his almost superhuman strength defining his identity, he rejects the heroic code, and his fated downfall in The Iliad’s Book 24 ultimately defines him. The Homeric simile symbolizes Achilles’ strength in battle,

In the Iliad there are many characters that could be considered heroic. But the two main characters that stand out as heroes to me are swift-footed Achilles and flashing-helmet Hector. Numerous times throughout the epic they display qualities and traits that are unsurpassed by anyone on their side. Many times throughout the epic Achilles and Hector are tested for their strength, and will to win in battle, which for both warriors always ends up positive because they always win their battles. Although both fighters are among the elite status in the armies, they each show human and god-like qualities that help them be as a fierce and feared as possible.