Homer’s epic poem, The Iliad
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published 03/05/2007
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SummaryHomer’s epic poem, The Iliad, creates two very distinct heroic figures: Achilles and Hektor. These men come from different backgrounds and have different reasons for fighting in the Trojan War; Achilles fights for honor, whereas Hektor fights to defend his city, and yet both know that if they fight, they are fated to die. Because of their differing motives for engaging in warfare, both characters have distinct traits and factors that shape their views of honor and their fates. Achilles places personal honor above the group; he believes that if he chooses to fight and to die in this war, it will be on his own terms. For Achilles, honor and anger drive most of his actions. However, Hektor fights to protect his people, and to defend his city’s honor; Hektor, in general, focuses more on the group and is more concerned with the well-being of his people than with his own safety. Nevertheless, despite their many differences, The Iliad proves that neither of these men are lesser or greater heroes, and that none of their traits are absolute: at times Achilles is selfless and vulnerable, whereas Hektor can be self-centered and individualistic. Homer uses these complex characters to explore heroic figures and to illustrate that there is not one archetype for a hero.
Table of Contents
- In The Iliad, Homer characterizes Achilles and Hektor very differently
- Achilles fights in the Trojan War for glory, not because he is bound by any code of honor to Agamemnon or Menelaos
- Because of their different backgrounds and situations at the start of The Iliad, Achilles and Hektor have very diverse reasons for the actions they take
- Homer also shows that Hektor's original intentions are corrupted by the intervention of the gods
- Achilles is loved by the gods, he has a very intimate relationship with them
- The Iliad is an exploration of anger and heroism, and what motivates a person to act heroic.
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