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Achilles Magnificent Shield In The Iliad

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Throughout book 18 of the Iliad, we are told in great detail of Achilles magnificent shield. Achilles decides to go into battle, but Hector has his armor. His mother, Thetis, hears his cries and comes down to him. He asks her to find armor that is stronger than his armor that Hector has taken. Thetis goes up to Hephaistos and requests him to make this armor as fast as he can. Hephaistos decorates the shield with representation of the entire world. He shows the polarities of human life; war and peace, city and country, and conflict and celebration. We are shown war and peace on pages 441 and 442. We are told of two cities who both experience war and peace. At the first, there is a wedding going on when a dispute breaks out. It was said, “Two men were quarreling over the blood-price for a man who had been killed,’(Iliad. 18.441). The men argued for some time before the elders had to make the decision for the mens peace. At the second city “the besiegers made an offer to the towns people: either be destroyed …show more content…

City men that are conflicted with each other, and the towns people conflicted with the armed men outside of their town. Though there are conflicts, we are shown the celebration of man when they got together to share the ox that was killed. “Two tumblers whirled through their middle as leaders in the dance,”(445). After the conflict between man, there is still celebration after the quarrels. It shows that no matter how extreme things can get, there is always something worth celebrating. Hephaistos decorates the shield with representation of the entire world to show that Achilles is not only fighting for himself, but also for the whole world. He is wearing the strength of the whole world on him. We know that Achilles is powerful, but now he has even more power. Not only in book 18, but throughout the whole text we are shown the polarities of human life; war and peace, city and country, and conflict and

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