The Iliad Essay

The Lion and the Man
Lions, as well as men, are known for their courage, for protecting their pack and people. Each are brave and admirable, but only one of them has let their pride lead them into the arms of death throughout history. In the epic poem “The Iliad” by Homer, two heroes, Hector and Achilles, battle their fates for immortality. This struggle brings out the innermost desires and faults of each warrior, revealing Achilles as a more admirable character. As the supreme protector of Troy, Hector dismisses his obligations and is eclipsed by his personal desire for glory. This ultimately leads to his demise and the destruction of his beloved empire. Achilles however, evolves from a self-contained warrior to a man who can evoke sympathy and compassion for his enemy in their darkest hour.
Hector is a man known for his loyalty to his comrades and community. He fought bravely among his men for ten years protecting his family and people. Even with one foot in his grave, Hector honorably requests that his body be returned to his family and people so that they may lament and have the proper burial for their most prized warrior. However, Hector’s downfall was the result of his most human characteristic, pride. This was recognized by his father, his mother, even his wife “Ah, [Achilles] will put an end to the fatal pride that always possessed [Hector].”(323). They all knew that Hector’s “rash passion” would be the source of his death, Hector included. He admits to his family “…I have ruined them all by my rashness, I am ashamed to face the men and women of Troy.”(315). Had Hector listened to the begging and pleading of his loved ones and thought of them before his pride, he would have been more of an admirable character. Instead Hector fell victim to the glory of war.
Achilles is known to the Greeks as a selfish and brutal man who fights for no one but himself. He is savage, often compared to a lion and wolf, and goes so far as to tell his enemies that he would like to eat them raw. Rage consumes Achilles for the better part of his life, but when confronted by the old king Priam, Hector’s father, who is deeply disturbed by the death of his son, the humanity buried deeply within Achilles finally emerges. Foreign feelings of compassion consume his heart and Achilles is able to sympathize with the old king. “Ah, poor man, indeed your heart has borne many sorrows! ...Your heart must be made of steel…We will let our sorrows lie deep in our hearts awhile.”(359). The warrior instinct that had once controlled Achilles has developed into human understanding. He doesn’t resist the change, but welcomes it, as he welcomes his sorrow stricken enemy into his home. The glory of war and immortalizing himself is not on Achilles’s mind as he shares a meal with the man whose son he has slain. Achilles wisely recognizes that the suffering he feels is not isolated. Perhaps the most honorable deed Achilles performed for the old king was anointing his beloved son and allowing him to have a proper burial. Through his journey in the Trojan War, Achilles developed from a savage warrior to a wise and compassionate man.
Although Hector was known for his courageous qualities and graciousness, his fatal pride, his selfish and rash passion, was the direct cause of his death. Achilles was never the kindest or heartfelt man but he allowed the human emotion deep within him to take precedence over the importance of war. By putting the needs of another before his selfish desires, Achilles’s character shows the more admirable trait of self-sacrifice over self-gratification.