Harry Potter Influence On The Iliad

Classical literature works are among the oldest in the world - Homer’s epic The Iliad was first written down in sixth century B.C.E. (Homer ix) - yet these works still influence modern works today. J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter series is no exception. While at the University of Exeter, Rowling studied classics (JK Rowling Biography) and she used the knowledge she gained in her writing of Harry Potter. These influences permeate the entire series, from the names of characters to the heroic structure of its protagonist. Influences from The Iliad, specifically, can be found in the heroic makeup of Harry as well as other characters. What exactly is the structure of a Greek hero? The word ‘hero’ itself is descended from Greek. Ancient Greek literature describes its heroes as humans with superhuman

Harry does face battles with Lord Voldemort, but his mental battles receive a fair amount of weight in the plot as well. Mortality is a dominant theme in the stories of Greek heroes and it often culminates in the hero’s violent death on the battlefield (Nagy). The heroes die a violent death, but they die with glory. Achilles faces this predicament with the prophecy he is given about his life. If he fights, he will die young but his glory will live on forever. If he goes home, he will live a long life with no glory (Homer 171). His decision to go back into battle confirms that he values glory over all else. Greek heroes seek a glorious, albeit violent death, but Harry does not. He has strong motivations to survive, yet he is not afraid of death. Upon seeing Severus Snape’s memories in the Pensieve, Harry realizes that he is meant to die. “His job was to walk calmly into Death’s welcoming arms” (Rowling, Deathly Hallows 691). He realizes it is the only way to defeat Voldemort, and so he gets up and heads to the forest to meet his