Bravery, both heros demonstrate a lot of bravery. Antigone does what the gods say to do even when other people tell her it is not right. In the end, it was the right thing to do. Hector leads great armies into war. Hector has to face his enemy Achilles, the greatest warrior in the Achaean army. He loses, but during the fight he does not…
Achilles wanted revenge on hector for killing his best friend. Hector with the help of Apollo killed Patroclus. Achilles loved his friend Patroclus when he found out he is dead he said " I will kill hector for killing Patroclus." He also said " seeing that my dear comrade Patroclus has fallen- he whom I valued more than all others, and loved as dearly as my own life." The death of his good friend made him angry with hector. He went to fight with out eating and Zeus felt sorry for him and he feed him nectar.“…
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.…
Achilles was a warrior in the epic poem The Iliad written by Homer and Gilgamesh was a king in “The Epic of Gilgamesh” both characters are part man and part god. Achilles is the son of Peleus- the king of Thessay and Thetis- Goddess of the sea. Gilgamesh is called the son of Lugalbanda, king of Uruk, and the goddess Ninsun, Both of the main heroes share many similar characteristics, including a dynamic outlook on life and death, centered on the death of their closest friends. For Achilles he loses his cousin and closest friend Patroclus in a battle with Hector and Gilgamesh loses Endiku. They both chase fame and both go into battle against their perceived enemy.…
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.…
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.…
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' bloodlust, wrath, and pride continue to consume him. As a result he mercilessly mauls his opponents and does not relent in this brutality until the last book when King Priam begs for the return of his son's desecrated corpse. Achilles embodies the characteristics…
The first characteristic of a tragic hero is that they must suffer more than deserved. This stands true for Achilles, Hector, Beowulf, and Hamlet. Achilles, son of King Peleus and Thetis, rightfully earned his title as one of the greatest heroes in the war between the Greeks and Trojans. Achilles was a special warrior because he could only be killed if he was wounded in his…
A hero in the modern age can be described as many different things or people. They are courageous people who have done something selfless. Although, a hero now can be described as someone people idolize that are not always a hero, but a celebrity. Celebrities are often idolized in our modern days because of their fame, riches, and beauty-many people wish to be them. There are the good heroes in our modern era, though they're the war heroes and people who do something that doesn’t only benefit themselves. In our modern days a hero can be anyone from a parent or teacher to a celebrity or a war hero.…
Homer portrays Achilles as a man with great strength and a true passion for fighting. Both Achilles and Odysseus represent the Greek ideals of what makes an epic hero. Their sense of duty, courage, and bravery is what allows them to be heroic leaders in their respective journeys and battles. They both encounter personal struggles and tests, but both have come out stronger. For example, Odysseus endures constant trials along his journey to return to Ithaca. He encounters turbulent weather, the loss of his men, and the continual wrath of Poseidon. Likewise, Achilles’ entire existence is a mixture of war, hardships, and trying to establish himself as an immortal Greek hero. Although they both follow different paths, the countless trials that they face led them both to become great leaders and solidify their status in Greek history. Though they share several similarities, their differences are both interesting and varied. One example is Achilles, who is an honorable man in the beginning of his journey but after the death of Patroclus, he becomes completely irrational and only desires to destroy his enemies. Odysseus is far more level-headed and truly desires to return to his home and his family. As a warrior, Achilles is known for being impulsive and revengeful. He is completely focused on demolishing his opponents and often lacks the human emotion to care for those around him.” In the…
The main character focus in The Iliad is Achilles. Achilles is the son of Thetis, an immortal sea-nymph, and Peleus, the king of the Myrmidons. Because he was the son of Thetis, he was a demigod, which meant that he had one parent who was a God and another parent who was human. Demigods were much stronger than regular humans but did not have as much power as a God. Achilles was the greatest warrior in the Greek army, but that did not make him a hero. Achilles had many character flaws. He was a cry-baby. Whenever something did not go his way, he would cry to his mother about it like she could fix all of his problems. Sometimes she…
Achilles was quick to act upon things. This eventually led to the death of his dear friend, Patroclus. When Achilles withdrew from the battle, he let Patroclus borrow his armor and gear. Hector saw the armor and, assuming it was Achilles, attacked him; “he plummeted, and life ebbed from his bones” (Homer, 394). After this, Hector killed him.¬¬¬¬¬…
Hector and Achilles both view the ethical code in contrasting ways. Hector believes and upholds the importance of honor, while Achilles doubts its relevance in life. The two warriors’ different motivation changed how they fought. Hector’s motivation for obtaining honor, his friends and family, show the duty he has to defend Troy. Duty, according to Homer, gives Hector purpose to life. Priam’s son has a stronger mind-set than Achilles when it comes to insecurities. While Hector acknowledges his fate by focusing on his obligation in obtaining the honor for his people, Achilles lets his fear of death and rage towards Agamemnon consume his actions. However, later in the poem, Achilles returns to battle after the death of Patroclus. Vengeance becomes the main focus of Achilles due to the guilt he feels about his dear friend’s death. He feels that he needs to defend Patroclus’ honor. As a result, Achilles refers back to the ethics and honor once he recognizes the guilt he feels. His return to believing in ethics provides Achilles with a purpose. Even though the two men’s opinion and motivation concerning honor vary, Homer emphasizes the differences to show its importance on the characters’ purpose in…
Hector exemplifies an ancient Greek hero that has no superhuman strength or intellect. He privately confesses to Andromache that being courageous is not something inherent, but something he has had to acquire and learn (Iliad 7: 317-320). However, although he is a hero, he displays cowardice twice when he flees upon encountering the great Ajax (Iliad 26: 318-325; Iliad 6: 180-181). Iliad 's 22nd book portrays Hector outside the walls of Troy waiting to kill Achilles. Again his is stricken by fear at the sight of Achilles, so he flees (Iliad 6: 293). As well as cowardice, Hector shows bad judgment. He makes a grave error and has the Trojans to sleep outside the City’s wall with the absence of Achilles from battle. As…
the hand of Hector, caused Achilles to fight for the honor of is cousin. Achilles was a brave and…