Preview

Foils Of Human Nature In The Iliad

Good Essays
Open Document
Open Document
546 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Foils Of Human Nature In The Iliad
Homer's epic poem "The Iliad" is present as a classic because it promotes deep insight into human behavior, it is told in an elevated tone, and it contains a universal theme. Human nature in The Iliad is presented through many seminal characters that can represent different aspects of humanity. The two main characters of this epic, Achilles, the swift runner, and Hector, breaker of horses, are two character foils that, when combined, are able to represent all humanity.

Achilles and Hector are character foils, meaning they are opposites of each other. For example, Hector and Achilles are fighting in different sides of the Trojan War. Hector is son of King Priam and Queen Hecuba; therefore, he is fighting for his hometown, Troy. However, Achilles
Continue Reading
View Writing Issues

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Satisfactory Essays

    The Greek Warrior Code: Annotated Bibliography
    • 259 Words
    • 2 Pages

    The Greek Warrior Code: Annotated Bibliography

    Works Cited Homer. The Iliad in Western Literature in a World Context Volume 1. Eds. Davis, et. al. Boston: St. Martin’s Press, Inc., 1995…

    • 259 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
    Read More
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Odysseus And Achilles Research Paper
    • 223 Words
    • 1 Page

    Odysseus And Achilles Research Paper

    In The Iliad there are many characters. Some characters are alike. Some characters are different. Some are peaceful. Some are skilled. Some are warlike. some even don’t go to war when they are ordered to. Achilles and Odysseus are both alike and different.…

    • 223 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
    Read More
  • Better Essays

    Achilles: Static Rage - Paper
    • 1400 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Achilles: Static Rage - Paper

    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 as a selfish and arrogant young man. It is not until the end of the play that he seems to have changed into a new psychologically and emotionally mature adult, if at all. Throughout the Iliad, Achilles’ pride, and arrogance keep him from developing into a new more mature man, because his blind and unrelenting rage constantly consumes him.…

    • 1400 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Better Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Achilles Flaws In The Iliad
    • 841 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Achilles Flaws In The Iliad

    In the Iliad, the characters of Hector and Achilles carry similar traits, although a deeper investigation into each character will show some stark contrasts between the two. Victory and defeat is not the most telling sign as to which is the greater hero of the two. There are flaws within each character and each one fights to overcome them throughout the story. By the end, it is clear which one emerges as the most appropriate symbol of a hero. The character of Achilles is greater than the character of Hector because he was able to overcome more of his character flaws to become a more realistic portrayal of what a heroic character should be.…

    • 841 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    achilles and hector honorable
    • 984 Words
    • 4 Pages

    achilles and hector honorable

    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, relatively honorable men, and respected leaders, but they also both have human failings that eventually lead to tragedy. In Homer's lyrical verses and in his use of detail, diction, meter and imagery, he paints his own portrait of a classic hero through the brave deeds as well as the human flaws of Hector and Achilles that eventually lead to the downfall of proud and powerful Hector.…

    • 984 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Iliad Dbq
    • 571 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Iliad Dbq

    We have many people we consider heroes but there are many diverse types of heroes. The Iliad, an epic about the revenge of Achilles against Hector for slaying Patroclus, there are two types of heroes: an epic hero and a modern hero. The Iliad is set in the 12th to 13th century during a war with the Trojans and the Greeks caused by the love affair between Helen and Paris. Although Hector and Achilles are both heroes, Achilles is an epic hero while Hector is a modern hero due to particular attributes.…

    • 571 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Powerful Essays

    Odysseus A Leader Analysis
    • 1760 Words
    • 8 Pages

    Odysseus A Leader Analysis

    When considering the impact of ancient Greek literature, it is imperative to acknowledge the importance of The Odyssey and The Iliad, both created by the poet Homer. The Odyssey is centered on the character Odysseus as he returns from war and journeys back to his home in Ithaca. The Iliad focuses on the Trojan War and is largely centered on the fearless warrior Achilles. However, Odysseus plays an important role in both pieces of literature and leads the reader to believe that he truly personifies the image of a Greek hero. With his countless victories and cunning abilities it is no surprise that Odysseus is described as an epic hero. Defining the word epic in its self possesses a challenge because of…

    • 1760 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Powerful Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Examples Of Hubris In The Iliad
    • 841 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Examples Of Hubris In The Iliad

    Achilles is a pure icon for greatness. Ever since Achilles was born, he was fated for greatness. It is said that almighty Achilles was granted the gift of invulnerability when his mother Thetis dipped young Achilles in the river of Styx. Unfortunately, Thetis didn’t dip his heel in the river, leaving his feet the only part on his body that was vulnerable. Achilles display of hubris comes solely from his invulnerability. An excellent example of Achilles hubris is when Agamemnon strips Achilles of his maiden Brisies. The enraged and prideful Achilles refuses to fight for Agamemnon. As a potent warrior, the Greeks viewed Achilles as a symbol of victory and unity. Therefore, when Achilles refuses to fight for Agamemnon, the Greeks lose that sense of victory and unity, thus leading to many deaths on the Greek…

    • 841 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Better Essays

    Iliad American Hero
    • 1466 Words
    • 6 Pages

    Iliad American Hero

    Achilles cares about nothing other than himself and making sure that his name lives on forever, while Hector cares about winning the battle for his family and country. In one battle, Hector kills Patroclus thinking it was Achilles, which really sets Achilles off and is the reason that Achilles rejoins the war. When the two warriors finally meet near the end of the Epic, Hector is confronted with the fact that he is indeed going to die. Hector tries to think of ways to get out of the battle with Achilles, like bribery. This shows that Hector is not the perfect hero like many people may have thought when they first read about him. One cannot forget that Hector is only human, and that he does have the same characteristics as us humans do now. Everyone has to face a fear that they do not necessarily want to from time to time, and courage is the trait that brings the true heroes to the forefront. After being chased by Achilles for a while, Hector finally realizes that he has to fight Achilles. The fact that Hector stands up for himself and his country proves that he is courageous and that he is indeed a…

    • 1466 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Better Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    How Does Agamemnon Change Achilles's Mind
    • 671 Words
    • 3 Pages

    How Does Agamemnon Change Achilles's Mind

    The Iliad by Homer is an epic poem that mainly focuses on the Trojan War. The poem begins in the middle of the war between two kingdoms that lasted up to a total of 10 years. Agamemnon, the king of Greece, has an elite warrior name Achilles. However, Agamemnon fails to convince Achilles to go back to war while Priam, the king of Troy, succeeds to convince Achilles to return Hector’s body back to him. Agamemnon’s embassy fails while Priam’s embassy succeeds. Priam’s selflessness and braveness lead him to have an accomplished embassy that successfully changed Achilles’s mind.…

    • 671 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Iliad: Human Condition
    • 1043 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Iliad: Human Condition

    In Homer’s Iliad, the human condition of life and death are being depicted, while we see how people lived their life in Greek culture. In Book 18, the great warrior Akhilleus looses his good friend Patroklos in the midst of battle, and with him he had Akilleus’ shield. Akhilleus’ mother goes to get another shield for her son from the great G/D, Hephaestus, and the Greek icon was born. The shield is made out of, “ durable fine bronze and tin… with silver and… honorable gold,” while it depicts incredible images of the everyday life, while really focusing in on the earth, sea, and sky. Hephaestus includes images of the: celebrations of life and the joy that comes with it, and how injustices go in the world in order to show the positive and negative aspects of life at that time.…

    • 1043 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Better Essays

    A Comparison between the Poetry of Homer and Ovid
    • 1403 Words
    • 6 Pages

    A Comparison between the Poetry of Homer and Ovid

    Homer and Ovid are two of the oldest, most influential poets that have ever lived. Although they are both poets, they have several differences in their writings. Homer, a Greek poet, is most famous for his epic poems Iliad and Odyssey. Ovid, a Roman poet, is most famous for Metamorphoses a 15 book poem containing over 250 myths. To compare and contrast these two poets and their writing styles, I will use Achilles’ battle with Hector in Homer’s Iliad book 22 and compare it with Achilles’ battle with Cycnus in Ovid’s Metamorphoses book 12. The comparison of these battles will give us a better understanding of these poets different views on the Trojan War.…

    • 1403 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Better Essays
    Read More
  • Better Essays

    How the Values of Today Compare with Those in the Iliad
    • 1031 Words
    • 3 Pages

    How the Values of Today Compare with Those in the Iliad

    Cited: Homer. “The Iliad.” World Mythology: An Anthology of the Great Myths and Epics. Ed. Donna Rosenburg. Chicago: NTC/Contemporary, 1999. 106-155. Print.…

    • 1031 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Better Essays
    Read More
  • Better Essays

    The Illiad and Its Heroes
    • 889 Words
    • 4 Pages

    The Illiad and Its Heroes

    Within the ancient text of The Iliad, heroes define and mold their character through decisions based on a set of principles, which are referred to as the “Code of Honor.” The heroic code which Homer presents to the reader is an underlying cause for many of the events which occur, but many of the characters differ on their perceptions and the gravity of the code. Achilles actions often find him going “against the grain” of the code of honor. His actions lie in stark contrast with those of Hector, a true hero and my hero, who strives to follow and live the code of honor, despite its consequences.…

    • 889 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Better Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Hector Vs Achilles
    • 1373 Words
    • 6 Pages

    Hector Vs Achilles

    Two very distinct heroes were portrayed in the Iliad. Hector was the social hero and Achilles, the individual hero. Achilles was a very selfish and greedy person; he seemed to only care about himself. In the Iliad he refused to go…

    • 1373 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More

Related Topics