What Is The Difference Between The Iliad And All Quiet On The Western Front

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There is no question that the men in The Iliad and All Quiet on the Western Front fight for very different reasons. The Iliad focuses on the ancient Greek army during the Trojan War. The film All Quiet on the Western Front spotlights young soldiers in the Imperial German Army during World War I. The former highly emphasizes honor and retribution, while the latter focuses on survival and comradery. Both works contain an intense amount of gore and brutality, but even amongst all the chaos of battle there are glimpses of humanity. Although the soldiers of ancient Greek armies fought for different reasons than those of modern warfare, throughout history heroes have shown hints of mercy in their battles. Menelaus was a hero of The Iliad. He fought …show more content…

He served as a footsoldier, bearing witness to some of the deadliest aspects of trench warfare. Lying about his age in order to enlist in World War I as quickly as possible, Paul was eager to serve his country. He and his peers all enlisted together, with idealized notions of becoming heroes for their nation. Once they arrived at the front however, Paul and his comrades were faced with the grim reality of what combat looks like. Their honorable sacrifice for their country quickly shifts to a battle for survival. Thus the film chronicles the young men simply trying to survive until an armistice is reached by officials far from the …show more content…

He taunts his brother, “O soft one, O Menelaos, why are you so caring of these men? I suppose only the noblest things were done in your house by the Trojans?” (Book 6, Line 55), referencing the Trojan that stole his wife, Helen. This emphasizes the ancient Greek notion that Menelaus should be fighting for revenge, seeking retribution for the unjust theft of his beloved wife. However, he betrays these motivations when he comes to the realization that his enemy is also someone with a family that cherishes