Similarities And Differences Between Troy And The Iliad

Troy is a movie that first debuted in 2004 that was based on the epic, The Iliad. There are many similarities that can be found between the Iliad and the movie Troy due to the fact the movie is based off The Iliad. Although, there are many differences that I found between these two. I am going to compare Troy and The Iliad to show how the Trojan War is portrayed in each of these. To begin, since Troy is formed from The Iliad, there are so many similarities between the two. One similarity I noticed was that Achilles mother, Thetis, reveals her sons fate in the movie and the book. In the book, Achilles says,

For my mother the goddess, silver-footed Thetis, informs me that I must choose one or other manner of life and death. If I remain here, attacking the city and land of the Trojans, all hope of returning is lost, but I win a glory undying. If, however, I choose to the land of my fathers, I must bid farewell to my glory, but survive to a quiet old age. Death, the end of all men, will be slow and tardy to find me (Powell, p. 547).

In the movie, Thetis tells her son of his fate when they our on the beach. She says that if doesn’t go to Troy, he will find a wife, have children, and live a long life. Although, if he stays home, he won’t be remembered by future generations of his family. However, if he fights at Troy, he will be remembered for generations, but he will die. Both of these versions of the story show that Achilles wants to be remembered for glory no matter