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Compare and contrast the odyssey and iliad
The iliad and the odyssey compared
The iliad and the odyssey compared
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In the Iliad, Achilles is faced with two choices which he learned of through his mother, Thetis, which are kleos,”fame,” and nostos, “homecoming.” If Achilles decides to return home, he will lose his kleos, but will have more time at home and an unchallenging death. Though if he stays in Troy and fights his nostos will be lost, but he will obtain kleos. Achilles understands that living would be an extension of time, but that just time itself has no value. At first he chose nostos and after the shift in his anger towards Agamemnon he chose kleos.
Achilles vs Hektor The Iliad, an epic poem by Homer, takes place in the tenth year of the Trojan War. Recalling important events that take place bringing the war to an end the poem uses figurative language and literary devices to enhance its characters, presenting similarities and differences between how the characters handle specific situations and how they deal with the concept of masculinity. For example Homer uses the method of literary foils. A foil is a character that depicts traits that differ with the traits of another character. In The Iliad, Achilles and Hektor are foil characters.
In her critical essay, ‘The Iliad, or, The Poem of Force,’ Simone Weil submits Homer’s epic poem to her concept of force. Through her analysis of the epic, she demonstrates what it is to pay attention to an object — and by extension, another being. That is to say, the way in which Weil analyses the Iliad demonstrates what it is in her terms to love through attention in the face of force. ‘The Poem of Force,’ then, is not merely a passive analysis, nor is it a simple illustration of an example. Weil’s essay does indeed lay out a definition of force, and by bringing to light examples in the Iliad where force is demonstrated, she is subjecting the poem to force as she analyses both it and defines force itself.
In this passage from book 2 of the Aeneid, occurring at the end during the fall of troy, Pyrrhus, the son of Achilles, confronts King Priam and the royal family of Troy at his palace. There, he kills Polites, Priam’s son, in front of both of his parents; which then prompts Priam to denounce Pyrrhus for his dishonorable actions, citing Hector’s death at the hands of Achilles as an example of treating the enemy with honor. Priam then throws his spear at Pyrrhus to no avail, as Pyrrhus blocks it with his shield. In response to Priam’s words and actions, Pyrrhus tells him to tell his father (who is in the underworld) of his deeds. Pyrrhus then proceeds to drag him through Polites’ blood, and drives his sword through the old Trojan king, stopping
One of the major themes of Homer’s, The Iliad, is gift giving. Gift giving in, The Iliad, represents three things which are power, Honor, Trust and they also show Reconciliation. Throughout several passages the exchange of gifts continues and they all represent the different themes of power, Honor, Trust and Reconciliation. Homer’s, The Iliad, explores the theme of Power through the underlying motive of gift-giving. The whole culture of Homer’s, The Iliad, is focused is all about a man’s, “honor”, through giving gifts to each other these men gain power over each other.
In the Iliad, Achilles is responding to Odysseus’s speech attempting to convince him to return to the war. Achilles’ main argument against returning is his incalculable rage against Agamemnon for “the prize of honor / The warlord Agamemnon gave me / And in his insulting arrogance took back” which is not only an insult to Achilles’ status, but also to his honor as a warrior (Il. 9.378-379). In addition to focusing on the main argument of Achilles’ speech, it is worth noting the contradictions present within his speech as well.
One of the most interesting sections in Book 24 of the Iliad when Priam knelt at the feet of his son’s killer. Not only did Achilles kill Hector but had been dragging him around his cart, and attempting to mutilating his sons body. And yet despite this he has the courage to appear before Achilles a man who has been torturing the broken body of his son (scorning the gods by doing so) and ask for the return of his son. The entire passage where Priam appeals to Achilles nature outside his need for revenge by saying: This is incredibly courageous, and works to force Achilles to see the humanity in his foe and recognize Hector as a son with a loving father, rather than just the enemy. Even when Priam takes Hectors body and slips out in the middle
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.
In another address to Achilles, Phoenix cries out, “I made you what you are, my godlike Achilles, and loved you from my heart” (Homer 9.448-449). This phrase helps the reader understand Phoenix’s relation to Achilles and the care and devotion shown to Achilles, deepening the meaning of Phoenix’s appeal. Through the illustration of this unique ‘father-son’ bond, Homer hopes to make both the reader and Achilles feel impassioned. The address from Phoenix to Achilles demonstrates the importance of care and understanding when attempting to persuade
The shields of Achilles is another important image within The Iliad to be considered when Homeric culture is addressed. The shield is made up by the god Hephaestus to Thetis as an offer for Achilles in the war, it is delivered with Thetis’ hope that her son would admire the spectacular paintings of a utopian universe featuring farmers harvesting, cattlemen in their farm sheep, children playing in a fertile land, and the myriad of oral traditions rather than venturing in the battlefield. It is Homer’s alternative of war and his desire to sing of his oral tradition that is far from violence (Oliver Taplin). In The Shield of Achilles within The Iliad, Oliver Taplin pointed out that in his Story of The Iliad, Owen emphasizes this view further
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.
Although Homer wrote The Iliad to begin with, what his real text says is unknown to those untrained in classical Greek. Any english-speaking reader can, however, examine the language used by the translator Robert Fagles and explore how it impacts the reader’s perception of the story. The first distinct type of language used is imagery. In Book 18, Achilles is compared to a tree. “and he shot up like a young branch, like a fine tree I reared him-the orchard’s crowning glory-” (469).
Iliad, the epic poem is written by a great epic poet Homer. This poem is a classic in real terms and recounts some historic facts about the last ten years of Trojan war and the Greek siege city of Troy. Tracing back its history, Iliad is thought to be written back in 8th century B.C. and it is considered one of the earliest works in western literary tradition. It captures the scene of blood, abductions, murders, wrath of Achilles, revenge, anger and intervention of gods. The scene of warfare and blood are presented in the poem through oral tradition initially.
The contrasting intent between the two poems are heightened within the description of the hero's’ shields. Aeneas’ shield portrays the glorious accomplishments that future Rome will achieve.(Mastin). His shield solely revolves around the future of Rome. But Achilles shield is more cynical, it depicts what was occuring during the Siege of Troy and seems to mostly display the detriment of war. (“Iliad”).Considering that The Aeneid is political propaganda, it should come as no surprise to the reader that Aeneas’ shield caters to the Roman delusion that their empire is
Iliad is recognized as one of the most famous ancient monuments of literature. The full understanding of this epic poem is hardly possible without thorough analysis of its main characters. Among all the episodes of the Trojan War, Homer chooses the moment of Achilles’ wrath and thus creates a poem in which he becomes the central figure. From the Ancient Greeks’ point of view, Achilles represents the ideal of manliness and pure heroism, for he is brave and fights for heroics, not profits. Today, one can agree with this interpretation, yet Achilles is probably the most controversial character because he combines various personality traits and acts in accordance with his ambiguous nature.
