Is Hector A Hero In The Iliad

Hector - a character from The Iliad - is a subset of a historical hero, an epic hero because of his compassion, devotion to others, courage, humbleness, and the adoration of him by people lower than him and his peers. In an instance of compassionate nature showing through this hero, Hector rushes around like a madman, asking the maids and servants where his loyal wife had gone. (Kinsella, 336). While running his way around his lodgings and the streets, by doing this action Hector shows compassion for his wife and her wellbeing, which makes him a hero to his spouse. Compassion, being one of the features of a historical hero, is one of the most important that proves a hero a hero. Within book six of The Iliad, Hector showed his devotion to his

From book twenty two of Homer’s The Iliad, in the historical hero Hector’s death scene, he shows courage in facing his enemy Achilles by not running away from the battle and knowing it is his time to come. Also when Hector know it is his time to die and to become a casualty in battle, it also shows his humble nature which is a lesser recognized and vague characteristic of a hero. The Trojans adored Hector’s epic loyal deed because, “it was you, Hector, and you alone who shielded the gates and the long walls of Troy” (Kinsella 358). A hero can be a hero also because he is adored by others for doing a great deed, such as Hector fighting for his own city, Troy. The story of Hector’s death, as told in book twenty two of The Iliad, will be told for years to come because he helped save a city and that is a momentous deed that will be reflected on and helped save a city. What makes Hector a hero is his deeds and what those deeds show. His words become actions, his actions become his person, and his person is remembered as a hero who did great and archetypal heroic