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 the ancient Greek poem, “The Odyssey”,by Homer, Odysseus, the king of Ithaca, can be recognized as a great leader based on the actions he has taken in the land of the Cyclops. For example, Polyphemus being a one-eyed monster, Odysseus instantly created an escape plan which began with claiming that his “name is Nohbdy” and that “everyone calls him Nohbdy” (lines 274-275). This quote demonstrates Odysseus’s quick thinking along with the realization of how significant it was to deceive Polyphemus and use a specific name for future use. This strategy formed from the clever Odysseus resulted in the prevention of other Cyclopes rescuing Polyphemus once Polyphemus shouted that no one has attacked him. Inspiration and contribution to the plan struck
Death is extravagantly used in the Iliad. Why is death in a lot of Iliad though?Is it have to do with fate or glory?What are some differences and similarities with the Bible?In this paper i will be comparing the Iliad and the Bible in terms of death.
The Odyssey, Homer, takes the reader on a man's journey back home after being faced with many struggles for 15 years. Throughout the epic poem, The Odyssey, several examples of epic concepts are shown, such as; epithets, epic similes, and archetypes. Epithets are most commonly seen throughout this epic poem. This is evident because there are many examples of epithets in each book of The Odyssey. For example when the gods and goddesses were discussing Odysseus' fate they used a epithet.
The forth crime that was charged was, disbelief ‘in the gods of the city.’ This charge is a result from the first charge of being ‘a natural philosopher.’ He indeed did not believe in any of the Olympian deities. He may have gotten out of this one if he praised any god and paid tribute to them, but he did not. Because he didn’t, he had committed treason.
Homer compares Sarpedon’s death to a slain bull in order to help the reader understand that his death is essential in weakening the Lycians by sending them into grief. Homer writes in The Iliad, “...spirited bull a lion has killed…” The word “spirited” reminds the reader of life and relates to the religious views of having
The Odyssey is often cited as an epitome of the hero’s journey and the monomyth. The hero of the story, Odysseus is on a 10 year battle homeward from the Trojan War to see his wife and son again. With the help divine intervention, Odysseus is able to return home and save his wife from the evil suitors who have continuously tried to win her. One could easily argued that Odysseus is an exemplar of the hero, but there is another story: Odysseus is the opposite of a hero and is not worthy to be called such. He is the villain where the gods are the hero.
In Greek culture honor and shame is everything to them. With honor brings great joy, but with shame disgrace us brought upon the person and their family. The Iliad opens up with this line, “Sing, goddess, the anger of Peleus’ son Achilleus and its devastation, which put pains thousandfold upon the Achaians” (75). This summarizes the whole story of the Iliad, that Achilleus will becomes greatly angered which will bring horrible atrocities upon the Achaians.
In this way, a Homeric hero can achieve what is his ultimate goal, immortality through an honorable “hero’s death.’ Because, society in which the Homeric hero bases his life on values that are primarily in line with war and deeds of astounding strength and athleticism, this means that the heroes actions throughout the poem seek to reiterate that defining goal. Their every action is a reminder of the strict moral and societal guidelines that they find themselves trapped in. Agamemnon, for example, is introduced as a prideful man often controlled by his emotions. In the first book of the Iliad, entitled “the rage of Achilles” we see how when Achilles demands he give up his prize to the war god Apollo to appease his wrath, his immediate response is a negative and defensive reply.
Mr. Keating was right; literature, whether transmitted orally or in written text served in many ways to develop the worlds’ perspectives on religion, history and human existence. It is through our sharing, reading and understanding of literature and orated stories, that we come to realize that as humans, we share variations of the same life experiences and struggles as any other human, regardless of culture or even time. Despite the distinct cultures and time periods of The Epic of Gilgamesh, the Hebrew Bible, and the Odyssey, these three pieces of literature share striking similarities in the way they depict lessons of self-identity, morality, mortality, and the power of higher beings. How will you be remembered? Characters in The Epic of Gilgamesh and the Odyssey struggled with this very question.
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.
Hence, a name given by a mighty god is better than a name given by a normal man. Because it is an impossibility to ask or know the gods themselves, Socrates and Hermogenes tackle the philological argument by surveying the works of Homer. It becomes known that words used by the wise ancestors – whether indicating gods, heroes, or places – have been derived from abstract or common nouns that give reference to the features of the owner, even these common nouns, such as natural elements, come from abstract nouns in the same manner. Although it is possible that one name may be assigned to the same thing, Socrates claims that the name-makers ultimately were describing the nature of something through naming. Language, whether bodily or verbal, is unique in the sense that it should imitate the essence of the
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.