The Song Of Roland And The Iliad

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.

In the Greek epic, The Iliad, Homer describes the siege and capture of the ancient city of Troy by Achilles and the Achaean warriors. Achilles, being a fearless fighter, defeated many throughout his battles against the Trojan army, including the brave-hearted Hector during the invasion of Troy. Though Achilles has been given the title of the hero of the Trojan War, many historians believe that Hector was a greater hero than Achilles. When comparing the characteristics of an epic hero such as being a national hero and having supernatural abilities, Hector clearly surpasses Achilles. In this essay, the argument will be supported through the context of the heroic personas revealed by the warriors and the non-heroic qualities that dishonored

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.

In Homer’s epic, the Iliad, the legendary, has no two characters that are so similar yet so different as Greek warrior, Achilles, and the Prince of Troy, Hector. Achilles is the strongest fighter in the Greek side, and Hector is the strongest Trojan. They are both put into the mold of a hero that their respective societies have put them into; however; it is evident that they are both extremely complex characters with different roles within their society and with their families, and with the gods.

The Iliad, a famous book written by homer encomposes multiple characters who are battling the Trojan War. Although many people detested the Trojan war it was fought over a long period of time where people died and many tears were shed. Some of these many tears were loss after the sad death of Achilles, his best friend Patroclus who did not want him to fight supported him to his death. Finny and Gene from A Separate Piece a novel written by John KNowles found themselves in the same situation. Finny shares the same character traits of Achilles such as athleticism and a rebellious character. Gene is more to himself and has many of Patroclus’s attributes, such as intelligence and a bright character. Although Gene and Finny did not participate

The first way in which both characters are similar is in the fact that they both travel from great distances to take part in a battle against some evil. In the medieval Germanic epic, Beowulf leaves his people the Geats of Scandinavia to help Hrothgar, the king of the Danish people, to kill Grendel, a monster who attacks the king's hall and devours the king's men. Beowulf slays Grendel but then must challenge Grendel's mother in order to restore Hrothgar's kingdom to safety. Likewise, Achilles joins the other Greeks and travels to Troy to do battle against Paris, Hector and the other Trojans for having abducted Helen, the wife of Menelaus. Achilles performs many heroic deeds on the battleground and adds renown to his name among the Greeks.

Throughout history, there have been stories of great warriors of one distinction or another. This semester has been full of them. Some have been gods, demigods, or great men protected by gods. Most have, in one fashion or another, been greater than common men. Stories were created to explain how these men came to be and how most have risen to the heights of kings in many cases. The Epic of Gilgamesh and the Song of Roland are two of these stories that tell tale of great epic heroes. They were both larger than life though both were flawed in different and similar fashions. They share the similarities of a complementary companion. Those companions differed greatly in their own character and judgement.

The Iliad is a book full of poems that talk about the history of Trojans and Greeks. Within the Iliad, there is a strong urge to show a world in which was are tremendous and the gods have direct hand in human events and these deities influence fate. The two leading gods, Achillies and Aeneas, the reader can see the ways in which these two cultural problems entwine and try to create an image of the ancient world which is at once barbarously real in terms of the depiction of not just the glory, but also the horrors of war which are filled with supernatural and mystical figures called the gods.

The Epic of Gilgamesh and The Odyssey both are held in high respect by literature analysts and historians alike for the characterization of the hero and his companion, the imagery brought to mind when one of them is read, and the impressive length in relation to the time period it was written in. The similarities that these two epics share do not end with only those three; in fact, the comparability of these works extend to even the information on the author and the archetypes used. However, The Odyssey and The Epic of Gilgamesh contrast from one another in their writing styles, character details, and main ideas. Both epics weave together a story of a lost man who must find his way, but the path of their stories contrast from one another.

In The Iliad, war generates the most meaningful, noble, and glorious actions along with destruction and self-destruction. Homer understands the allure of war as Weil does not, her interpretation is one-sided and fails to recognize the humanity and pathos behind of the slayers. Weil makes this exclusion because, she reads The Iliad as an antiwar poem due to her own experiences in war life. Therefore,

The two Homeric epics, the Illiad and The Epic of Gilgamesh, both contain a Hero’s Journey. They show the readers a look into heroic life during the time of the Trojan War. Achilles and Gilgamesh’s Heroic Journeys are not identical, however the characteristics and qualities of them is what holds the similarities. The two characters have a compelling outlook on death, and immortality. They seek different end results; however, their relationship with death is the same. They are considered a hero on a Hero’s Journey, as they fulfill the mandatory requirements. Their journey changed them from people of negativity to people who have been refined

The Ramayana and The Iliad are both significant pieces of literature in India and Greece. The two main characters in the stories are Rama and Achilles. In the Ramayana, Rama is a prince who had been exiled the kingdom to the forest. In the Iliad, Achilles is an egotistical warrior who goes to war to claim glory and fame. The two heroes from the Ramayana and the Iliad are both epic heroes who share some similarities and differences regarding their heroism.

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

The Iliad is an epic tale of war and hero’s within the Greek way of life. A