Hektors glory is being compared to his fate in the simile from(22.365-367). Homer compares Hektors fighting ability to “[swooping] like a soaring eagle”: he is graceful, strong and swift. Hektor fights for Troy, his people and his family, even standing up to Achilles knowing that he will die. The heroic code is more important to Hektor than his own life. In Homers epic simile he compares Hektors passion for glory to the qualities of an eagle.
An eagle protects his young similar to the way Hektor protects the city of Troy. An eagle would soar to any length to protect his young. He would attack anything even if it meant his death. An Eagle brings his prey back to his nest while a warrior brings back his geras to his people to prove he was victorious. Achilles is portrayed a “hare” because he has sat back and so far has brought no geras to anyone. The simile used by Homer represents Hektor’s heroic actions based on his fate. Hektor knows he has been abandoned by the gods but he stays to fight because he “would rather die than to fail in his task.” He fights, remembering from the heroic code that “the things that heroes desired from battle were honour, glory, fame and reputation” as
…show more content…
Despite the disapproval from his wife, Hektor believes that he must “stand up bravely, always to fight……., winning [his] father great glory, glory for [himself].” He must prove his devotion to the heroic code. Homer compares Hektor to that of an eagle to show how much confidence he has in his own skills and how much passion he was for glory. Homers simile helps to portray a vivid image of not just his swift fighting style but also his greatness. Achilles is portrayed as “trembling hare” to boost Hektors heroic image even more. Achilles does finally step up to fight but not for the reason an eagle would defend its nest. Only for a single friend who was lost not for the hundreds lost. Achilles is only a hare trying to escape
Achilles vs Hektor The Iliad, an epic poem by Homer, takes place in the tenth year of the Trojan War. Recalling important events that take place bringing the war to an end the poem uses figurative language and literary devices to enhance its characters, presenting similarities and differences between how the characters handle specific situations and how they deal with the concept of masculinity. For example Homer uses the method of literary foils. A foil is a character that depicts traits that differ with the traits of another character. In The Iliad, Achilles and Hektor are foil characters.
“A hero does good for good, not for glory” (Unknown). This quote summarizes exactly what a hero is supposed to do. A true hero is selfless and caring, not prideful and unloyal. A hero does what he/she thinks is best and plans accordingly. In Homer’s epic poem, The Odyssey, the character Odysseus has just won the ten-year long Trojan War with the help of many loyal Greek soldiers.
He says, “I’d rather be a slave on earth for another man--/some dirt-poor tenant farmer who scrapes to keep alive--/than rule down here over all the breathless dead.” This is very intriguing to me because Achilles is in a position of power over the Underworld, and is still in agony. Homer’s idea of The Underworld is pretty similar to the ideology of the
The Odyssey would be less memorable without Homer’s masterful use of figurative language. This poem can only stand the test of time when the figurative language is used to help readers relate to the text no matter what time period they come from. Figurative language in the text has made the story as a whole more interesting and has made countless readers engaged by this tale of, in Homer’s own words, “that man skilled in all ways of contending.” (p. 813,
The Odyssey by Homer revolves around the character, Odysseus, and his ten-year struggle to return home after the Trojan War. As the epic’s idol, he displays the combination of a clever, handsome, and courageous man popular among the mortals as well as the gods. Essentially, he embodies the ideals of the ancient Greek culture, being adorned with many favored characteristics of the era. However, an intriguing aspect of Odysseus lies in his personality. As the protagonist, he does not manifest the entirety of a stereotypical hero because Odysseus has a fatal flaw—his arrogance.
However, some characters in the epic display many great qualities. In The Odyssey by Homer, loyalty, courage, and trickery are displayed throughout the book in a positive manner, showing that they are the Greek’s cultural values. First, loyalty is shown as a cultural
In the epic poem, the Iliad written by Homer, several characters taking part in the warfare between the Achaeans and the Trojans are portrayed as embodying the heroic code of courage, physical strength, leadership, arete of value of honour, and the acceptance of fate. The heroic code is illustrated by the actions of the Trojan prince, Hector and the Achaeans strongest warrior, Achilles. Both of these characters display the Greek’s image of a hero, and can also let the reader discern what the society admires, looks up to and aspires to in its heroes. There are also characters who fail to be heroic, such as the Trojan “vivid and beautiful” prince, Paris. These characters in the Iliad illustrate the qualities that Ancient Greek society values.
The epic poem, The Iliad written by Homer shows the conflicts and events that occurred between the Greeks and Trojans during the Trojan War. Among both sides there are warriors who follow a distinct code, known as the heroic code. This Heroic code helps portray the characteristics of the warriors and their perspective on war. This distinct code is composed of many elements such as arete, acceptance of fate, honour, excellence in war, leadership, courage and power. These traits are shown within the main warriors, Hector and Achilles throughout the epic war poem and helps to guide their decisions.
Nicole Tschida ENG 210 Paper 1 2-26-18 The Iliad and The Consequences of War The plot of the Iliad takes place in the middle of the war between the Greeks and the Trojans that lasted for ten years. This conflict according to Homer and ancient Greek mythology occurred because the Trojan prince Paris abducted Helen, the wife of Menelaus, brother to king Agamemnon. In this paper, I will be examining the consequences of war, as outlined by Homer.
(Homer 257) “Either I shall kill him and return in triumph, or I shall die with honour
He has little care for his comrades, with the exception of Patroclus. Contrasting this, Aeneas is a placid and disciplined warrior. In the Aeneid, Aeneas is a venerable leader and a benevolent Roman. Homer’s did not idolize Achilles by turning a blind eye to his very human flaws, his actions have clear consequences. The raw, emotional depiction of Achilles is almost the polar opposite of the sober Aeneas.
The Ancient Greeks value specific qualities in a person however they did not value other. Ancient Greeks valued these qualities based on certain achievements or on a performances in war or even inside the city walls making substantial decisions. The Iliad is a epic novel by the Greek poet Homer. The Iliad is based off of the Trojan war between the Achaeans led by King Agamemnon and the Trojans led by King Priam of Troy. This novel focuses on the actions of several characters and how the disparate gods interfered with the war to help one or the other side have a chance to win.
Iliad is recognized as one of the most famous ancient monuments of literature. The full understanding of this epic poem is hardly possible without thorough analysis of its main characters. Among all the episodes of the Trojan War, Homer chooses the moment of Achilles’ wrath and thus creates a poem in which he becomes the central figure. From the Ancient Greeks’ point of view, Achilles represents the ideal of manliness and pure heroism, for he is brave and fights for heroics, not profits. Today, one can agree with this interpretation, yet Achilles is probably the most controversial character because he combines various personality traits and acts in accordance with his ambiguous nature.
By studying Homer’s works, men and women learned that doing the right thing and being a good person was much better than immorality. The message was also given that a man of good quality was far greater than a wicked man with great achievements. Greek males poured over the texts of Homer and learned the importance of being excellent, such as the war heroes were. Achilles and Odysseus are both war heroes featured in Homer’s epics that displayed a great amount of excellence. A man should constantly strive to achieve excellence, also known as arete.
Homer, in his poem, incorporates scenes in which the characters contemplate how meaningful war and violence really is; a thought which, tragically, many individuals in today’s world contemplate every day. Despite having been written nearly two millenniums ago, the Iliad’s themes still ring true today and further illustrate how human nature has not changed. Throughout the poem, Homer portrays how military victory and honor, or kleos, was valued in Greek and Trojan society,