ipl-logo

The Real Hero In Homer's The Iliad

1897 Words8 Pages

In The Iliad, a real hero is brave and must not stand down, but also be victorious and willing to fight for his land. Paris offered to fight himself to not cause his innocent men to be killed, and Achilles actually won to bring justice to his dead friend Patroclus. In reality, none of these two men are the hero. Clearly, both men were being brave and killed many men, but it is not just about being the strongest and courageous. For the Iliad, there is a heroic code that a character must complete all of the guidelines to it to be considered a hero. Many people save each other from dying, and many people convince each other to stand tall. However, to be the real hero, one has to stand out from all of the rest. In the Iliad, there is a heroic code that designates one character more compatible than the rest. This is evident when analyzing the characteristics of a Homer hero, the character who emerges better, and the character who fell short and less qualified.
In the Iliad, few men reflect characteristic of a Homer hero that aids to determine who is the better choice. For a Homer hero, the hero must desire to achieve a goal. The hero must also wish to have much honor, by everyone. The title of having honor is gained when the hero participates in life threatening activities. It is obvious that a hero would not back down from threatening situations and maintain his honor throughout his life, fearless. A hero would also appreciate his honor over his life, willing to change and

Show More
Related

  • Foolishness In Homer's The Odyssey

    1020 Words  | 5 Pages

    A hero is a person who is recognized or idealized for his or her outstanding achievements and noble qualities. The deaths of his men are the result of Odysseus’ weaknesses. The possession of the character trait, arrogance, does not help him in escaping, but rather puts him closer to danger. Another trait that ends up killing a number of his men is his lack of leadership skills, or rather the lack of respect and trust from his men. In some parts of this epic poem, Odysseus also displays the characteristic, foolishness, in which that also results in the deaths of a number of his men.

    Read More

  • Odysseus: The True Hero In Homer's The Odyssey

    997 Words  | 4 Pages

    A hero is someone who is revered for his or her exceptional achievements and bravery. Anyone who puts themselves before others not for recognition or an award, but because it is the right thing to do, is a true hero. In "The Odyssey," written by Homer is an epic poem about a man named Odysseus and his crewmates competing against the power of the gods to return to their homeland, Ithaca. Throughout his journey, he loses almost all of his men, but Odysseus finally arrives home, concluding his prolonged twenty-year voyage. Odysseus must battle the suitors that have taken his wife Penelope, and may soon kill his son Telemachus.

    Read More

  • Honor Courage And Guile In The Odyssey

    110 Words  | 1 Pages

    The decisions and actions Odysseus makes throughout his Odyssey, not only call upon the person he is but shape the person he becomes, with many of the challenges honing his character. Homer uncovers the traits that most befittingly define Odysseus as honor, courage and guile. The traits that are glorified in The Odyssey, connect to recent times because they are comparable to those we think of when defining a hero or an impeccable human being. Odysseus’ use of his honor, courage and guile showcase how these traits allowed him to excel in his time and also are key traits all should have for the challenges we must face in

    Read More

  • Sacrifice In The Odyssey

    319 Words  | 2 Pages

    Heroes have resurfaced countless times throughout history in literature, hearsay, and the oral tradition. Although they might have different adventures and adversaries, heroes almost always share two defining characteristics. Typically, heroes that exist in literature must be willing to sacrifice something special in order to achieve the greater good, and they must end up victorious by defeating the antagonist or succeed in their quests, missions, and objectives. The victory should result from the defeat of a dastardly villain or occur despite formidable odds. Odysseus, the hero in the Odyssey, provides an excellent classical example.

    Read More

  • Cultural Values In The Odyssey In Homer's The Odyssey

    1299 Words  | 6 Pages

    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

    Read More

  • The Importance Of Heroic Code In The Iliad

    1570 Words  | 7 Pages

    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.

    Read More

  • Heroism In The Odyssey

    1332 Words  | 6 Pages

    Heroism, tends to be difficult to define and remarkably ambiguous in literary works. In the Odyssey, however, Homer clearly defines a hero as a humble, determined, and loyal individual; thus, according to Homer, it is not enough to claim to be a hero, but it is also important to exhibit those qualities that Homer values as heroism. Odysseus, despite claiming heroism, upholds these traits inconsistently, as seen in his taunting of Polyphemus. In contrast, Telemachus, Odysseus’ overlooked son, dramatically grows up over the course of the epic and ultimately reveals his truly heroic qualities by the end of the poem. Thus, because Odysseus claims to be a hero, but fails to remain humble, determined, and loyal throughout the epic, he is not a hero.

    Read More

  • Importance Of Heroic Code In The Iliad

    1785 Words  | 8 Pages

    These abilities are important as a warrior because both his men and the hero reflect and are influenced by them. Some of the abilities are excellence in war, courage, leadership and fighting qualities. These qualities are seen through the heroic characters Hector and Achilles. When Achilles is not present with his men, the Greeks are well defeated by the Trojans with no motivation or support. Achilles is also described by his men as a power figure when the poem says “These were his words,/ and all Achaeans gave a roar of joy/ to hear the Prince abjure his rage.”

    Read More

  • The Role Of Heroes In Ancient Greece

    234 Words  | 1 Pages

    Heroes in Ancient Greece were exalted and looked at as eminent individuals within their own society. Heroes in modern society often appear supernatural or extremely skilled like Superman or Batman, but for the Greeks heroicness was often displayed through mundane deeds like fighting in war or having rational, common sense that affected the way certain these heroes completed certain tasks. The term “hero” for the Greeks was a appellation only bestowed upon those who protected and fought for others through selfless acts. Resulting in those men being truly influential within their culture and society abroad.

    Read More

  • The Consequences Of War In Homer's The Iliad

    1661 Words  | 7 Pages

    I will be analyzing a battle scene to answer the question of why do the men in Homer’s “The Iliad” continue to fight when all hope of winning perishes? especially as they face the consequences and horrific tragedies of war. What is it that they continue to fight for, even at the expense of their lives? What is considered to be so valuable that they are willing to die? And is it worth the risk?

    Read More

  • The Nature And Character Of War In Homer's The Iliad

    727 Words  | 3 Pages

    Homer’s depiction of the nature and character of war itself seem to be unmerciful in its raw form. Throughout the course of book seven of the epic, The Iliad, many events and actions of the characters are in the motive of war and winning a battle. A war in its raw form is where characters are pitted against other characters for the sake of a battle and defeating their enemy, whether they want to annihilate them or to win the spoils of war. The characters in this book when fighting in battles appear to be almost patriotic for their army and are unmerciful. They are passionate in the art of fighting and are eager for it.

    Read More

  • Characteristics Of Greek Values In The Iliad

    1395 Words  | 6 Pages

    The Iliad also spotlights the individual qualities of a Greek hero or non-hero. Numerous characters in the Iliad demonstrated exceptional qualities of a Greek person that was valued, such as bravery and helpfulness and that was disproved of like selfishness. One trait that is highly appreciated by the greeks in the Iliad is bravery. In battle Hector killed Achilles´s best friend Pactorlos in battle.

    Read More

  • Greek Values In The Iliad

    1381 Words  | 6 Pages

    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.

    Read More

  • The Characteristics Of Achilles: The Hero Of Iliad

    1512 Words  | 7 Pages

    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.

    Read More

  • Homer Dark Age

    677 Words  | 3 Pages

    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.

    Read More

More about The Real Hero In Homer's The Iliad

Open Document