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Theme Of Seduction In The Iliad

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In Book XIV of Homer’s Iliad we can witness one interesting scene of seduction. The main protagonists are Hera and Zeus. It is well described how Gods sometimes tend to behave and think in deceived ways just like humans. But we also see that they are not humanlike in everything because there is a presence of some unrealistic elements on this passage. The Iliad is all about war and battlefields so it was kind of relieving to put scene with different theme. Homer did great choice by writing about seduction because love and love making is always a good choice to keep readers attention. Hera was very passionate hater of Trojans and under any circumstances she wanted to help Poseidon to attack and perhaps destroy Trojans, but first she had to take care of powerful Zeus, her husband: ”Queen Hera wondered, her eyes glowing wide… / how could she outmaneuver Zeus the mastermind”. She had to distract Zeus somehow to keep him out of getting involved in the bloody battles that were going on. If she could achieve that, then Poseidon could help Achaeans. She needed a plan how to prevent a Zeus from helping the Trojans. It was wise to use her lady charms to seduce him. To be sure in complete accomplishing of that, she went to Aphrodite. Hera tricked her by saying that she needs magic breast band to match some lovers. The person who wears it becomes irresistible because it was chanted: “…There is the heat of Love, / the pulsing rush of Longing, the lover’s whisper, / irresistible – magic to make the sanest man go mad.” At this point, a reader can see how much Hera wants to get what she wants and how suddenly she …show more content…

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