Achilles Essays & Research Papers

Achilles and Hector similar but different In the Iliad the two main characters are Achilles and Hector. The two have some similar qualities and some different qualities that separate them. Both of these characters are great warriors in their own ways and possess qualities that make them heroes. Both except that they will die in battle and that is their fate. Although they do have some similarities, I think they are more different then the same. In the story, Hector is the more family...

The Achilles of ancient Greek legend is often counted among the greatest of epic heroes for his fantastical exploits during the Trojan War as depicted by Homer in the Iliad. While it is easy to become seduced by the power and might of invincible Achilles we must remember to not confuse unchecked power with heroism. While Achilles is indeed powerful, a master warrior by all qualifications, he fails as a hero to be imitated or idolized due to his lack of restraint, his barbarity, his lack of a...

 Compare Achilles and Gilgamesh as heroes. All heroes are great and powerful. But not one is quite like the other. Some fly and some live right next door to you. A hero is dependent, brave, strong, a leader, and is the noblest of men. Achilles and Gilgamesh are two heroes that lived in different times but share so many heroic qualities. But they are never too alike. I will compare Achilles to Gilgamesh by showing that they both were hungry for more power, they are both...

Achilles, The Man and the Myth Achilles was a half human half supernatural. His father is king Peleus. Thetis, Achilles mother who raised him and his best friend (Patroclus) wanted to make Achilles immortal, so she dipped him in the Styx River, holding him from his heel. This gave immortality to Achilles, he was invincible, he was one of the greatest Greek warriors of all times. Thetis his mother who loved her son and was really worried about his safety, decided to send him with Scyros where...

While Auden's The Shield of Achilles gives a glimpse of the mythology concerning the great Trojan War, the lines themselves are immersed in their own battle of legos vs. pathos as the two main characters' dissenting views and one's triumph over the other illustrate an everlasting plight of humanity. Thetis, the mother of Achilles, is hope personified, as she acts in desperation to save her son from death, in spite of the knowledge of his inevitable fate. As she watches Hephaestus forge the...

Professor Reagan C. Smith Humanities Greek/ Roman 3 June 2011 Homer and The Impact He Has Left Behind Homer can be said one of the greatest poets perhaps even literarily genius of all time. If you can get past the part that Homer may or not even be a person at all. There is no concrete knowledge of even his existence but scholars would say that it is safe to assume if he did existed it would be around 8-9 century BCE. Most likely he would be from the Island of Chios due to the writing style...

Achilles Is The Hero Hector and Achilles; the proud leaders of the Greeks and the Trojans dominate the battle field throughout The Iliad. Hector wins people's hearts, he is brave, strong, he cares for his family, he protects his people, and he leads his soldiers into battle! Achilles, on the other hand, is a cry baby, he stays in a corner when Agamemnon steals his slave girl and causes countless deaths on the Greek side. How can one argue that Achilles is a better leader when he acts so...

In the Iliad certain heroic characters play major roles in the battles. Heroes are thought as being greater human beings than the ordinary warriors. Some may have a divine or semi-divine parent, though the hero himself is till mortal and can be killed, like any other human. Heroes from time to time incite jealousy from the gods and on occasion they would even fight. Heroes are below the gods but above the average human. In a battle against Troy, Achilles was shot in his heel by an arrow...

Aaron K. Gillespie Plotnik ENG 220 Essay 1 Recipe For Remembrance The ancient people of Greek mythology believed there was a recipe for a mortal man to claim immortality, and have a name that echoes throughout the ages. The ingredients can be found between the two very popular mythical figures of ancient Greece, Odysseus from Homer’s “The Odyssey and Achilles from his other timeless story, “The Iliad”. This document will relay the commonalities shared through tragedy,...

Achilles Honor InThe Iliad, warriors from the Achaean and Trojan armies show plenty of noble traits; the warrior that shows the most noble traits is the great Achaean warrior, Achilles. Despite the fact that Hector killed Achilles’s prodigy, and close friend, Patroclus he found pity for Troy’s King, Priam. The release of Hector’s body to Priam was an Noble act by Achilles. Achilles respected Troy’s burial traditions for a prince and held back the Achaean army for twelve days. Achilles knew...

Emily Bennett Humanities 1 February 3rd 2015 Iliad questions How would you describe the personality of Achilles? I see Achilles as ill-tempered and reactionary because he cannot control his temper and becomes furious when his pride is hurt. He is very prideful and will do basically anything for his name to be remembered. His mother, a Goddess and fortune teller, tells him his fate, if he goes to Troy to fight Hector his name will be forgotten. He still goes because of his strong desire to...

 The Shield of Achilles Achilles’ shield wa like no other piece of armor. Eva Brann, in her article “Hephaestus’ World: The Shield”, described the shield as “the world of the god who makes it but just as much the world of the man who bears it”. Brann, in the same article, went on to describe such meanings of the shield. Brann explained that in both of Homer’s poems, he believed that artifacts, chariots, garments and shields were all “wonders to behold” but Achilles’ shield was far beyond...

Hector and Achilles: protagonist and antagonist “The lights of stars that were extinguished ages ago still reach us. So it is with great men who died centuries ago, but still reach us with the radiations of their personalities.” -Kahlil Gibran Greek literature and mythology present two epic warriors in the Iliad: Hector and Achilles. The modern Greeks favored both heroes during their ancient time period. In Greek, Héktōr literally means “to hold” or “to have,” which symbolizes his...

The Iliad, a book by Homer about the Trojan War, focuses a lot on Achilles and his internal struggle with his personal desires. In the time of the Trojan War, there was an unspoken code of morals and how warriors of honor should follow. If they did not fight or acted cowardly it not only brought them shame but their family name was looked down on. Warriors that were defeated weren't always killed because they were sometimes taken prisoner to be used for ransom money or gifts. However, in the...

The reflection of the uncreated in the created necessarily presents itself under diverse aspects, and even under an indefinite variety of aspects, each of which has about it something whole and total, so that there are a multiplicity of visions of the cosmos, all equally possible and legitimate in so far as they spring from the universal and immutable principles. Titus Burkhardt. To every shield, there is another side, hidden. A. N. Whitehead. In the Hesiodic account of the...

Socrates and Achilles: the Martyr Heroes Madelyn Vogel ILS 205 By comparing himself to the Greek hero Achilles before the jury in Plato’s Apology, Socrates attempts to portray himself as a hero of equal merit to Achilles and others of similar standing. By selecting the greatest of the Classical Greeks to compare and contrast himself to in his argument, Socrates surreptitiously urges his audience to view him as being of the same caliber as Achilles. This not only authenticates Socrates’ claims,...

Achilles and Agamemnon If I were to side with Achilles or Agamemnon in their quarrel, I would choose to side with Achilles. Based on the story from the book, it seems as though Achilles is much more worthiness than Agamemnon. Achilles is not as dishonorable as Agamemnon, nor is he as greedy, and he is also more useful for the Greeks rather than Agamemnon is. Although Agamemnon is the king of Mycenae, he is a king with great disgrace. A first example would be when Agamemnon dishonored...

The Poem W. H. Auden’s “The Shield of Achilles” is a nine-stanza poem that uses an episode from Homer’s ancient Greek epic Iliad (c. 800 b.c.e.; Eng. trans., 1616) to meditate on the violence and brutality of the modern world. The poem begins with an unnamed woman looking over the shoulder of an unnamed man; the two are named in the last stanza, but those who know the Iliad well will immediately recognize from the poem’s title that the woman is the goddess Thetis, the mother of the Greek hero...

The opening of Virgil’s epic [“I sing of warfare and a man of war” or “ I sing of arms and of the man”] is a skillful allusion to Homer’s Iliad [“Rage—Goddess, sing the rage of Peleus’ son Achilles”]. Both rely on nouns. Discuss how the two interact in both works. Just as Homer used the first lines of the Iliad and Odyssey to announce the main themes of those poems, Virgil presents the two main themes of the Aeneid in the first line. What are these two central themes? In The Aeneid, Virgil's...

Anger is significant in the Iliad because most of the central events that take place in it are fueled by anger. The first time anger becomes important to the Iliad is Achilles’ anger at Agamemnon and his selfish decisions. Achilles is angry because Agamemnon brought the wrath of Apollo down upon the entire Greek force. Apollo is angry at Agamemnon because he rudely refused to return his war prize, Chryseis, to her father Chryses, who is a priest of Apollo, and Chryses prays to Apollo that he...

Despite the grand scope of Homer's epics--which present warfare, heroism, adventure and divinity as forces that shape human destiny—The Iliad may be seen as an account of the circumstances that irrevocably alter the life of one man: Achilles, greatest of warriors. Through the course of the poem, Achilles goes through many ordeals that change his character immensely. From the initial callousness and stubborn temper of Achilles to the eventual ‘humanization' of Achilles in his interaction with...

Iliad 21.70-135 (Lykaon supplicates Achilles, Achilles kills him) Consider Achilles’ response to supplication in this passage. How does this compare to his attitude in the extracts from the Iliad in your lecture/tutorial readings? The cruel rejection by Achilles to the supplication of Lykaon in Book 21 represents a fundamental transformation in the attitude of Achilles. Achilles has become full of anger and self-loathing following the death of Patroclus. Achilles answers Lykaon’s...

Emily Johnson Prof. Foley 12/8/14 Term Paper The Myth of Achilles The myth of Achilles, the great Greek warrior of the Trojan War, is focused on his awesome power and destructive capabilities. The opening line of The Iliad begs, “Sing, goddess, the anger of Peleus’ son Achilles and its devastation” as if his exploits needed an introduction (Homer 1.1-2). However, there lies a deeper story within the epic poem, which I found to be more impactful than any account of Achilles’ talent....

Both Creon of Sophocles' Antigone and Achilles of Homer's The Iliad end up allowing the body of their enemy a proper burial. During the time following the death of Hector, Achilles is in a position very similar to that which Creon deals with in Antigone. Both men show similar flaws, and face similar struggles. The difference between the two men is only subtly discernible until the telling moment when each man is faced with pressure to change his stance on the fate of the fallen warrior. Each...

Fate and Destiny in Homer’s Iliad The Iliad portrays fate and destiny as a supreme and ultimate force that is decided by each man’s actions and decisions. A man’s fate lies in the consequences of his actions and decisions. A man indirectly controls his destiny by his actions and decisions. One action or decision has a consequence that leads to another action or decision. A man is born with a web of many predetermined fates and one or more destinies. A man’s decisions control which...

World Literature 3 26 September 2013 The Mighty Achilles Achilles is considered immortal, but has many features that make him human. In the epic poem Iliad, written by Homer, Achilles is known to be strong and courageous; he leaves his family to fight in the war against the Trojans. Achilles is a mighty warrior that shows feelings and emotions that are human. Although Achilles may exhibit heartless and cruel tendencies like the way he killed Hector showing virtually no feelings, he is...

Theme W.H.Auden's "The Shield of Achilles" is thematically quite similar to Eliot's "Wasteland" in its depiction of a world devoid of principles and ethics that in its march for success has lost the true meaning of life as echoed in phrases like "an unintelligible multitude", "column by column in a cloud of dust". etc. An analysis exemplifies how the Homeric myth is rendered into an allegory of the contemporary times. A conceptual construct drives us from myth to reality, where reality is...

Achilles --- angry, arrogant and loyal. On the battlefield, he is unstoppable, able to rout whole armies single-handedly. He suffered from an overweening pride, called Hubris, which seemed to be a common characteristic of many Greek heroes. Achilles is also an exceedingly proud person. When the Greek general Agamemon takes Achilles' war prizes for his own, Achilles' hurt pride causes him to declare that he will no longer fight for the Greek side. He is seen as impetuous, but loving to his...

The story of the Odyssey starts with Odysseus, a Greek war hero in the Battle of Troy. He is trying to make his way back to his home in Ithaca. His wife, Penelope, is waiting for him to return home from war. She does not know if her husband is still alive, but still remains faithful to him. Even with all of the suitors that have bombarded Odysseus’ home trying to take his place, Penelope still remains loyal to her husband. Their son, Prince Telemachus, is still at the home with all of...

The Shield of Achilles W.H.Auden 1. Central Feeling/Themes A Juxtaposition between the cultured and civilized world and the corrupt and oppressed world War A Lack of freedom and independence Drawing the line between reality and the image one chooses to see The irony of what something that looks marvelous (what Thetis sees) is actually disastrous (what Hephaestos portrays on the shield) 2.What happens - Thetis goes to Hephaestos to create a shield for her invincible, "iron-hearted",...

Reading the conclusion of The Iliad was very interesting. The poet focused more on action than on conversations, so it was easy for the reader to imagine the events as they happened. One of the things that mostly caught my attention is the difference between Achilles and Hector regarding their last fight and death. Both characters have opposite perspectives regarding honor and respect. Before their final battle, Hector says to Achilles, “We should swear a solemn oath. With all the gods as...

Throughout the enitre epic that is the Iliad, Homer gives us a choice. Do we believe that the gods of Mt. Olympus control and interfere in human lives creating the many dramas that is the Greek life or do humans control their own destiny while using the gods as an excuse for their misfortunes? The arguement and reconciliation of Achilles and Agamemnon perfectly illustrate this delimma through their speeches of supposed forgiveness and understanding. The reconciliation begins with the death...

Achilles VS Hector In the Iliad, several of the male characters show heroic characteristics, according to the heroic warrior code of ancient Greece. They try to win glory in battle, yet are often characterized as having a clearly human side. They each have sure strengths and weaknesses, which are evident at many times throughout the conflicts described within the Iliad. Prime examples of such characters are Achilles and Hector. These two characters have obvious variations in their approaches...

Daniel Schapira Dev of Western Civ Dr. Patrick Macfarlane 9/21/14 Medea Seminar Question 5 The “barbarian” woman Medea is similar to the Greek male Achilles in the Iliad. In Euripides Medea, Medea seeks revenge against Jason after Jason abandons her and their children. Jason abandons his own children in order to remarry with Glauce, the daughter of Creon, king of Corinth. (Svarlien, 14-25) In the Iliad, Achilles seeks revenge against Hector after Hector kills Patroclus. (Lombardo 21.105-110)...

Character Analysis: Achilles In Homer’s epic “The Iliad” the main character, Achilles, is not really the typical run of the mill hero. Even though he is a great warrior he doesn’t come off as one in the epic. His rage constantly comes up when his feelings get hurt or someone insults him. Because of this he stops fighting with his own people all because he has been offended by his commander, Agamemnon. It is not till after his friend gets killed in battle that he re-enters the war, only again...

Achilles Motivation Fighting for personal honor Knows that his fate leads him to death so he is willing to sacrifice his life so his name will be remembered Cared little about anything except for his own desire ”...but this man’s ambition, remember, is to lead, to lord it over everyone, give orders to the rest of us!” (lines 337-340) ”Well, this time I make sail for home. Better to take now to my ships. Why linger, cheated of winnings, to make wealth for you?” (lines...

Paper Topic #4 11/14/2010 Achilles: Static Rage Homer’s Iliad is one of the greatest epics known to man. It is an epic of love, war, morals, tragedy, and friendship. While some say it is the story of Achilles’ metamorphosis into a strong man, one could also argue that Achilles stays under the influence of rage and pride. The Iliad’s central character changes very little over the entire course of the entire epic. At the beginning of the story and for the majority of the text, Achilles is seen...

How does Ransom explore the concept of loss? Central to David Malouf’s Ransom, is the notion of loss, to deeply depict the fastidiousness and fragility of life. Achilles, in his quest to seek vengeance for the death of his be-loved friend, Patroclus, becomes distant as he struggles to remain emotionally intact, being unable to grasp onto the warrior and the leader he once was. Similarly, Priam’s better judgement and role as the King of Troy are clouded by the slaying of his son, Hector,...

Gilgamesh Vs. Achilles Back in the days of ancient Greece and before this time, epic heros have had their lives chronicled and the stories of them passed on from generation to generation, all the way to our present day in our lives. Two of the greatest heros that have been expressed in past epic stories were Gilgamesh from the epic named after him, and Achilles from Homer’s Iliad. The two of their stories however, transpired in two different eras, their lives both had a surprising...

 Achilles vs. Gilgamesh By Greg R Honors Humanities I 1 For thousands of years, cultures have remembered their heroes through long, narrative poems known as epics. The most well-known Mesopotamian epic was the Epic of Gilgamesh. The Greeks were also well known for their writing ability. One of the most popular Greek epics was the Iliad. Just recently, ideas began to pop up that there are...

Beowulf and Achilles Ilyas Wilkinson-Hayat When tales are told of valiant heroes in history, a handful stand out as some of the most well-known and revered of them all. Although the two in the title are not as famous as Superman or Spiderman, this does not make their tale any less epic. Both Achilles and Beowulf brought a new style of hero to the table. The two heroes had their flaws, however paid it back in spades with the bravery displayed in their respective epics. What is interesting...

Mandy Kauppila Mr. Brakke AP Lit & Comp 6th hour 2 November 2012 The Character of Achilles Achilles is the main character in Homer’s The Iliad translated by Robert Fagles. The Iliad is the story of the battle of Troy, in which Greek heroes fight and die, with much interference from the various gods and goddesses. The story ends when Achilles gives Hector’s body back to King Priam and Hector is buried. Homer uses a number of different literary devices to illustrate Achilles’ character...

Achilles, Modern Soldier I was privy to many discussions and arguments that took place behind the backs of the soldiers’ leadership as to why they should do what they were being commanded to do by them. All too often soldiers begin to become complacent when they feel over taxed by their leadership or taken advantage of and become pathos driven when they cannot see the fruits of their labor coming to fruition during war or even peacekeeping missions; especially long deployments such as Iraq,...

The subject of mythology deals a lot with the notion of battle, or good versus evil. In this struggle many individuals are singled out for either the evil they cause, or from the good they bring to people. When you mention heroes in mythology, there are two distinct names that a majority of people bring up, Achilles and Hercules. Each of these heroes has at least one thing that separates them from regular men, something that is special about them. For Achilles it is his invulnerability and...

[Student name] [Instructor name] [Course name] [Date] Achilles, Warrior Hero “Oh, brave Achilles” is a common refrain throughout the first book as Agamemnon speaks to Achilles. From the beginning, the audience is led to believe that Achilles is a brave warrior, especially since he appears to be so revered from the way that Agamemnon speaks to him. The question remains, is Achilles meant to be a hero for all time or is he nothing but a glorified savage? As we begin our journey through the...

In Greek mythology there is an innumerable amount of gods, most of which have a specialized function in both the realm of gods and humans. Yet, no god is more striking, more memorable, or more powerful than Zeus, the father of the gods of Olympus. His authority is far-ranging and definite; there is no revoking his command once it has been ordained. In the same fashion, there are hundreds of Greek heroes, yet there are none braver, stronger, or more wrathful than the swift runner Achilles who...

In the modern world, people, as a society, have always given themselves a goal or goals that they would like to attain at some point during their lifetime. Many people seek to attain riches, love, happiness or high stature within society. When we people set that goal, we tend to mold our lifestyles around it. As people work throughout their lives to achieve this ultimate goal, it becomes apparent to others what it is we are working so hard for. Just as this pattern is evident in modern...

A True Hero When I hear the word “hero” the first thing that comes to my mind is a person who is courageous, has ability, and is admired for his or her brave actions and noble individuality. A hero is also someone who is afraid to die but who still does what is right because the lives of people he cares about hangs in the balance. In Homer’s The Iliad, Hector and Achilles are both great warriors and great men but differ in many ways. They are heroes of their time, but fight for completely...

Achilles possesses superhuman power and has a close relationship with the gods, he may strike modern readers as less than heroic. He has all the marks of a great warrior, but his deep-seated character flaws constantly obstruct his ability to act with nobility and honesty. He cannot control his pride or the rage that surges up when that pride is injured. This attribute so poisons him that he abandons his comrades and even prays that the Trojans will kill them, all because he has been slighted at...

Malina Sidarasavath English 2309 – TTH 12:30 The Iliad February 16, 2009 The Iliad There are many similarities and differences between Achilles and Gilgamesh. He was the most powerful hero that fought in the Trojan War. Achilles went into the Trojan War willingly; no one had forced him, and he most definitely went into it out of rage. He followed the steps of a Hero’s Journey very accordingly. Achilles’ rage put him through a war where he acquired what was important to most heroes,...

ACHILLES: A HERO NO MORE In the introduction of the Essential Illiad given by Sheila Murnaghan, Achilles is labeled as "the greatest of the Greek heroes". In classic mythology a hero is a person of great strength and courage celebrated for bold exploits and is often the offspring of a mortal and a god. Achilles was the greatest fighter among the Greeks or Trojans and feared no man in battle. He was also the offspring of a mortal and a god so by classic mythology definition, Achilles was...

Beowulf vs. Achilles The stories of Beowulf and Achilles have many parallels, including the character’s traits. Beowulf and Achilles are both leading characters with an intense plot that circles around them, displaying their heroic traits and themes that they show throughout the two epics. The epic Beowulf centers and focuses almost solely on Beowulf’s heroic traits. One of the first heroic traits shown through Beowulf is his generosity, faithfulness, and loyalty. Once he receives news...

The Secrets of the Swift Runner Achilles is classic literatures' greatest characters ever engraved on paper. Achilles, son of Peleus, King of Myrmidons, and Thetis, sea nymph, comes to Troy as part of a Greek force led by King Agamemnon. Unlike most protagonists, Achilles does not develop significantly over the course of the epic. As the story unravels Achilles wrath for Agamemnon intensifies, but only after the death of Patroclus does he redirect his rage towards Hector. Achilles'...

Achilles, son of Peleus, King of Myrmidons, and Thetis, sea nymph, comes to Troy as part of a Greek force led by King Agamemnon. Unlike most protagonists, Achilles does not develop significantly over the course of the epic. “Swift” Achilles, having been a famed and valiant soldier, was sought after and loved by all, except his adversary Agamemnon. He was a prominent warrior known for his great strength that actually caused the Achaeans to win many battles. How was Achilles such a bloodlust...

Imagine living in a turbulent world, where people lived their day to day lives praying that they would see the next sunrise. That was life for villagers that lived during the times of the ancient Greeks and Romans, as well as during the medieval period when Germanic tribes ruled Europe. To help them get through their very insecure days, people would tell oral stories of great heroes, like those of Achilles, Aeneas, and Roland. Achilles was a Greek war hero who fights in the Trojan War, a ten...

A Comparative Analysis of Odysseus and Achilles The Trojan War was more than a series of battles between opposing forces, it was the climax of an age of heroes. The retrieval of Helen brought together many of the mythological characters of that time onto a single stage. Of the thousands of brave men who fought at Ilion, two men stood above the masses, sharing the title of hero. They were born in the line of those on Mt. Olympus, favored by the gods. Excelling in courage and skill, adored by...

Idea of the Hero’s A Review on the heroes Gilgamesh, Achilles, Aeneas, and Roland Over the past many years researchers have been studying the great hero’s (Gilgamesh, Achilles, Aeneas, and Roland) of the past. Just how great these heroes are is an exceptional question to most. Researchers agree to what extent of how great and far most these hero’s have come and to what extent they were driven. Below you will find conclusions addressing the following question: 1. What is there about...

Samantha Guzman ENC 1102 Professor Clark 7 February 2014 Achilles vs. Hector Homer’s epic poem The Iliad takes place in the ninth year of the Trojan War. The epic focuses on two of the war’s greatest warriors, Achilles of the Achaeans and Hector of the Trojans. Both men are recognized as the strongest and most influential warriors within their respective communities. They share many characteristics associated with great war heroes including leadership, bravery, honor, worth, and strength....

The concept of the hero is as old as myth itself. Throughout history both concepts have evolved together. Myths tell tales of the adventures of man, frequently the son of a god or goddess and a human, who is endowed with great promise and destined to perform great feats. Often these feats involve acts of rescue, war or protection. This heroic myth is rooted in the ideal of familial romance. Particularly during adolescence it sustains and expresses the identification of the ego with...

Achilles Introduction Once upon a time, long ago there was a marvelous battle called the Trojan War, but before hand, there lived a Greek god named Peleus who extracted love for the Sea goddess Thetis. As time passed, they became one, so they thought why not form our love in to a child. When their child was born, Thetis dipped him into the river styx which was in the underworld (Achilles). Thus made him immortal and his name was Achilles. When Thetis dipped Achilles in to the...

English 101 July 12, 2011 Achilles Achilles, the Greek hero, is used allusively to represent great weakness. in Greek mythology, foremost Greek hero of the Trojan War, son of Peleus and Thetis). He was a formidable warrior, possessing fierce and uncontrollable anger. Thetis, knowing that Achilles was fated to die at Troy, disguised him as a girl and hid him among the women at the court of King Lycomedes of Skyros. He was discovered there by Odysseus, who persuaded him to go to...

Hector v. Achilles In Homers Iliad many of the male characters display characteristics that define the heroic warrior code of ancient Greece. They try to obtain glory and power through victories in war; yet still have a distinct human side. Throughout many conflicts described in the Iliad their weaknesses and strengths appear evident. Two examples of this are Achilles and Hector. Both of these men try to uphold the warrior code but with distinctly different approaches in war, relationships and...

The Iliad is a work read in many junior highs and high schools to start students off in their readings of classic literature. Not only is it one of the first major pieces written chronologically and therefore a good place to start, but it can also be read many times over and almost become an entirely new work each time you read it. Many a historian as well as literary critic has taken to tearing apart this work of Homer in order to make it fit whatever theory they want to prove. I will use my...

Title Joel Abudarham World Views-Ancient Greek Civilization Marie Michelle Wilband “He who is unable to live in society, or who has no need because he is sufficient for himself, must be either a beast or a god.” -Aristotle Tuesday October 2nd, 2012 Achilles is the main character, and, without doubt, the most complex character in Homer’s famous poem, The Iliad. Son of the goddess nymph Thetis and the king of the Myrmidons, Peleus, Achilles is a semi-god, known throughout and...

Aghamirza Muradzade 21002688 Compare and contrast Achilles and Gilgamesh. Are they villains or heroes? Two oldest and greatest poems "Gilgamesh" and "The Illiad" begins with description of the protagonist works. Both main characters in the poems are very young, strong, brave, endowed with extraordinary beauty and indomitable energy. Each of them is a model of selfless friendship. We see that in poems the death of a friend pushes both of them to decisive action, leading to the end of poem....

Achilles and the Honor Code Achilles is a tragic figure who believes strongly in social order, but questions the idea of fighting for glory. When Aias and Odysseus are sent by Agamemnon to plead with Achilles' to fight for the Greeks, Achilles denies them, saying "There was no gratitude given for fighting incessantly forever against your enemies. Fate is the same for the man who holds back, the same if he fights hard" (9:316). This statement shows that Achilles is an individual, and does not...

The Iliad by Reanna Shah The definition of a tragic hero was a great or virtuous character in a dramatic tragedy that was destined for downfall, suffering, or defeat. A tragic hero was a literary character who made an error of judgment or had a fatal flaw that, combined with fate and external forces, brings on tragedy. A tragic hero is usually good, but makes bad decisions, associated with a tragic flaw that haunts the character throughout the story. In the Iliad, Achilles played a large role...

The Shield of Achilles W. H. Auden Analysis of the poem: The Shield of Achilles is a poem of nine stanzas where the author W.H.Auden has used an episode from the famous Homeric epic ‘Iliad’, as the name suggests. Achilles as we know was the greatest hero of the Trojan War and his shield as mentioned here has its reference in the book eighteen of the Iliad. There Thetis, the sea goddess and Achilles’ mother requests Hephaestus the divine blacksmith to make a shield for Achilles whose armor has...

A Comparative Study of the Shield of Achilles and the Shield of Aeneas In Homer’s great work, the Iliad, Achilles is given a set of armor, including a glorious shield which allows him to return to battle and carry out his revenge against Hector. Likewise, in Virgil’s Aeneid, Aeneas is sent a shield for the purpose of aiding him in defending Rome from invasion. However, these shields are made special not by their military value, but by the engravings that decorate their surfaces. Achilles’...

Comparison and Contrast: Achilles and Hector In Homer's epic poem, The Iliad, the subject is war. The Greek army has traveled to Troy to battle the Trojan army, resulting in a war that rages on for the better part of a ten year time span. The men of both armies fight not only for their prospective sides, but also for their own personal glory, which is consistent with the heroic warrior code of ancient Greece. Two of the main characters, Achilles and Hector, both continuously display a...

Literary heroes have been important to stories and poems throughout history. Each author develops his hero through a unique writing style, combining conscious use of detail, diction, tone and other narrative techniques to outline a hero's personality. Homer, in his epic poem The Iliad, develops two classic heroes who are distinctly different at first glance, but upon closer inspection are very similar in terms of their basic characteristics. Hector and Achilles both are courageous soldiers,...

In the Iliad, warriors participate in war as a way of defending their land and people. They try to win glory in battle and each have certain strengths and weaknesses which are displayed throughout the book. Examples of such warriors are Achilles and Hector. These two men have obvious differences in their approaches to fitting the mold of what a great warrior should be. However, despite their differences and the fact that they are fighting against each other on opposing armies, they also have...

The Rage That Drives Achilles In Homer’s book the “Iliad” lays an epic conflict between a man and his inner self that ultimately leads to great loss on a wider scale and not just to himself. Achilles is a man with a superpower but has a severe problem when his ego is insulted. Achilles is driven by rage and anger and will do everything in his power to seek vengeance on anyone whom gets in the way of his pride whether it is friend or foe. One might argue whether Achilles is an epic hero but...

Top of Form Poetry Analysis:W.H.Auden's “The Shield of Achilles” 01. Analysis of W.H.Auden's “The Shield of Achilles” .“The Shield of Achilles” belongs to W.H.Auden’s collection The Shield of Achilles published in 1955The classical myth of Achilles is employed by Auden to exemplify the contrast between the valiant past and unheroic present. The myth of the past is juxtaposed with the reality of the present. The classical world is set against modernity. Monroe.K.Spears asserts that the...

when these epics are first read, they may seem utterly boring to most, with the old English text it makes some people just want to fall asleep. but if paid attention to, the characteristics of the main characters liven up the story. both Beowulf and Achilles exhibit courage, which is a characteristic that is required to be titled as an epic hero, along with the affect left on their nations, and the evil mystical creatures they fought on the way. Beowulf and Achilles use their courage to...

Mitchell Williams TA: Kevin Lord HIST 1010 Paper I: The Iliad and the World of the Ancient Greeks To have the utmost strength and courage in times of adversity and despair is to possess the Greek ideal of arête. This is a notion of excellence ultimately connected with the fulfillment of purpose. In Homers epic, The Iliad, Achilles embodies the arête trait very well. Achilles is referred to as strong, swift and god like, he is the great runner and most powerful warrior of the...

The Forces of Achilles in the Iliad Thesis Simone Weil’s portrayal of the forces within the Iliad shows violence reducing its conveyer and its heirs to mere objects and Achilles being the embodiment of the force’s multivalent meaning as it develops from violence to a gallant virtue. This can be interpreted from Achilles first being introduced as the archetype of a caustic potency but soon realizes that his true force is greater than the simple martial dominance over another when he...

Jonathan Belter Professor Mary French World Literature to 1650 February 11, 2012 Achilles vs. Hector In the story the Iliad, there are two main characters Achilles and Hector, who both are incredible warriors. Achilles is the leader of the Myrmidon soldiers, and he fights for the Greeks. Hector is the son of Kind Priam and he fights for the Trojans. Both of these characters are said to be the strongest and greatest warriors of each of their armies. Both Achilles and Hector have many...

Sainath Gopi Mrs. Policastro August 30 2009 Achilles vs. Hector “He who knows others is wise; he who knows himself is enlightened.” This quote was once stated by a Chinese man named Tao Te Ching. The reason this quote was stated is because it encompasses the meaning of the Iliad. Not in a great way but in a vague but familiar way. The Iliad was a tale about the wrathful withdrawal from battle of Achilles, the premiere Greek warrior, after King Agamemnon dishonored him — an internecine...

George Honey Mrs. Moore English Literature 3 April 2011 Most Honorable Character: Hector or Achilles? Honor: honesty, fairness, or integrity in one's beliefs and actions; this is the definition by which these two characters, Hector and Achilles, ought to be judged. By taking this definition to heart, Achilles is far from honorable. Throughout the Iliad, Achilles acts on rage and revenge. “Rage-Goddess, sing the rage of Peleus’ son Achilles, murderous, doomed, that cost the Achaens...

ACHILLES Achilles is considered the greatest warrior of the Trojan War. He was the son of the sea nymph Thetis and the mortal Peleus, king of the Myrmidons of Thessaly. According to the legend when he was a child his mother Thetis held him by the heel and dipped him into the River Styx. This was supposed to make him immortal. Because she held him by the heel, this part of his body was not put into the water. He was made invulnerable except for his heel. This is where we get the phrase...

Achilles’ Decision on the Embassy An extremely large problem in the world today and in Homeric times as well, is people not knowing how to set their pride aside and clean up their own messes. In Book IX of The Iliad, we see Agamemnon’s struggle with war and Achilles personal war in his own head. Achilles is not a door mat for Agamemnon, nor should he be; Achilles is a great warrior. Book IX truly illustrates what kind of men they both are. Achilles is right to refuse the embassy in Book IX...

Larger-Than-Life Heroes: Achilles and Odysseus What are the main characteristics of a larger-than-life epic hero? An epic hero is a brave and powerful warrior who is motivated to fight both internal and external conflicts to achieve glory and ranks above a normal man. In Homer’s epic poems The Iliad and The Odyssey, Achilles and Odysseus are the well-known heroes. Achilles fights Hektor outside the walls of Troy because Hektor killed his best friend, Patroclus. After fighting in the...

'Don't offer me mellow wine, mother, not now-you'd sap my limbs, I'd lose my nerve for war.' (VI, 179-180) Like all the other men of their time and culture, both Hector and Achilles knew that their most important duty was to fight wars. In the Iliad, by Homer, war was of the utmost importance, and the Greeks felt that dying in battle was the noblest way to die. Outside of war, men made their own decisions as to what else would be important in their lives. Hector valued his family, was able to...

War is presented as having both a damaging and reparative impact on relationships. With reference to ‘The Song of Achilles’ and ‘Half of a Yellow Sun’, to what extent do you agree with this view? Introduction here. One could initially argue that Miller utilises the first person narration of Patroclus in The Song of Achilles, to create a romanticised narrative of the relationship between him and “god-born […] soft as the delicate of velvet petals […] golden haired” Achilles. This provides for...

ENGL 2301.04 10 September 2013 Achilles Vs. Agamemnon In Homer’s, The Iliad, Book 1, “The Rage of Achilles,” one of the main concepts presented is the idea that the gods desire honor and glory. It is very evident that both Achilles and Agamemnon are in competition for more power and dominance. This idea is demonstrated primarily through the two prize women, Briseis and Chryseis, daughter of Chrsyses. While the Trojan war was going on, both Achilles and Agamemnon had a fight amongst...

Strauss, Barry “Achilles Bronze Age Warrior” in the Military History Barry Strauss grew up in and around New York City. He received Bachelors, Masters, and Doctoral degrees in history from Cornell and Yale Universities. He has lived and studied in Greece, Germany, and Israel and has traveled extensively in Italy, Turkey, Croatia, Cyprus, Jordan, and other countries with historic sites; he has also taken part in archaeological excavations. He speaks and reads seven foreign...

Achilles, the famous mythological war hero, is the central character in The Iliad. It is his storyline that creates the essence of the epic war written by Homer. Although it may seem that the main theme is about the dominance, gruesomeness, and destruction of Troy when the poem is first read, this is not the main focus. It is in The Iliad, that we see how Achilles transforms from youth to maturity; and grows through undergoing permanent and fundamental personality changes from a ferocious...

Based on the text, I find it undeniable that Achilles' treatment of Hector's body was despicable. But the argument can be furthered with the question of Achilles' role in the story. Was Achilles a knight at all? Or was he simply a killer with an army? If Achilles can only be considered a knight technically, then can his actions really be measured by something he isn't truly? If it is assumed Achilles was a "knight" the argument will go one way. But if Achilles is viewed as a killer, all...

The Great Ajax in “The Iliad” receives little recognition as a character, with most of the fame and praise at the feet of Hector or Achilles. Ajax, being one of the most strongest, bravest, and courageous warriors of the Greeks, second only to Achilles, should definitely receive more credit than what is handed out to him. Ajax was known as one of the most important figures in the Achean army, but with deeper insight, can also be viewed as one of the most important figures in the entire book...

In Book 1 of the Iliad, Agamemnon should be the one that is responsible for the rage of Achiles. As the victory of the Achaeans’ battle, Agamemnon takes Chryseis as his prize while Achilles claims Briseis. Chryses begs Agamemnon to return his daughter but Agamemnon refuses to do it so Chryses asks Apollo for help. Apollo sends a plague which kills many Greek soldiers. Agamemnon returns Chryseis to Chryses and takes Briseis away from Achiles. Agamemnon’s action is inconsiderate and disrespectful...

From beginning to end of Homer's The Iliad, Achilles is portrayed as a man stagnant in his ways. He is arrogant, impatient, unforgiving, vengeful, and extremely stubborn, and these awful attributes never cease. Achilles' lack of compassion perplexes the present situation involving the Achaens and the Trojans by making it difficult to figure out which side is truly good and evil--both sides have good reason to fight. Even though Achilles is set in his ignorant ways, he does manage to do some good...

Is Achilles Justified in Killing Hector and is Odysseus Justified in Killing the Suitors? Holding the power of life and death is a very serious responsibility. Under most circumstances death penalty is not right and can be handled in a much better way. Because we are made in the image of God we are commanded not to kill. But there...

Achilles, Agamemnon and Hektor, three great heroes with different characteristics. In the center of ancient Greek history are the big heroes, Gods and Goddesses but one of the heroes described with mastery is Achilles the Greek hero who is not described with disdain like other Greek heroes but with more love. The wrath of Achilles and the death of Hector, the biggest hero amongst Trojans, are described with rare mastery and love for Achilles despite the fact that he commits a cruel deed by...

[Abstract: The pivotal figures of paleo-modernism in English poetry have consistently expressed a profound fervor for the classical mythic world- a world that is deeply real and vivid to them. The appeal of mythic world to these poets is profound and they have sought poetic inspiration from here. Naturally, the subject of myths is predominantly present in the poetry of the modernists. The aim of this research is to show W. H. Auden’s treatment of classical myths in “The Shield of...

Achilles possesses superhuman strength and has a close relationship with the gods; he has all the marks of a great warrior, and indeed is proved to be the mightiest man in the Achaean army. At the beginning his mind is calm and collected, he stands up justly for the men around him and shows understanding when confronting Agamemnon, however his deep-seated character flaws constantly hinder his ability to act with nobility and integrity constantly. He cannot control his arrogance or the rage that...