Essay on a comparison of achilles and hector 951 words. The war is frequently paused or interrupted while the gods debate how an event will play out and how the characters fates change as a result. Chryses, priest of apollo, comes to the greek camp to ransom his daughter, chryseis, held captive by agamemnon. Powerpoint of achilles in books 1824 ares mars in latin is the god of war 315. The fight between trojans and achaeans was now left to rage as it. Achilles is finally able to avenge the death of his dear friend, patroclus. Book 1 book 2 book 3 book 4 book 5 book 6 book 7 book 8 book 9 book 10 book 11 book 12 book book 14 book 15 book 16 book 17 book 18 book 19 book 20 book 21 book 22 book 23 book 24 themes all themes fate, the gods, and free will piety, customs, and justice cunning, disguise, and selfrestraint memory and grief glory and honor. Each characters fate is predetermined from the start, leaving the real element of drama in the way each acts or reacts despite already knowing what the ultimate outcome will be. After returning to the achaean camp, achilles and the myrmidons mourn patroclus, and achilles vents his anger by abusing hectors corpse. Priam foresees, as andromache did in book 7, that troy will fall without hector. The help of the gods motherly love apollo attacks later on, priam stayed the night behind achilles hut. It is a curious fact about the iliad that, for all its focus on the theme of death, it rarely shows characters longing for immortality. Like the inner dialogue we heard from agenor, this dialogue is another rare instance in which we get inside the mind of a major character.
The iliad is unique in that there is no real element of suspense or surprise for the audience or the characters. A massive sacrifice is made to the gods, including the twelve trojans that achilles took captive the previous day. Books sixteen to twentytwo all quotations from the iliad are from the translation of richmond lattimore, university of chicago press, 1951like book nine, book sixteen marks a crucial turning point in the iliad. Find a summary of this and each chapter of the iliad. Lines 463465 standing over him, so theyd gloat and stab his body. The goddess appears beside hector in the form of deiphobus, telling him that the two of them together can face.
Inextricably linked with hectors doom, the impending doom of troy lies especially heavy in book 22. Read the commentary on books 2022 readings tuesday night class, sept. But stern fate bade hector stay where he was before ilius and the scaean gates. The men prepare for the funeral, putting on their arms and building patroclus pyre. Achilles will receive the glory of killing the greatest of the trojan fighters. Paolo vivante, the homeric imagination, bloomington, indiana, 1970, 4344. Achilles still chases apollo who turns and tells him that it.
T hus the trojans in the city, scared like fawns, wiped the sweat from off them and drank to quench their thirst, leaning against the goodly battlements, while the achaeans with their shields laid upon their shoulders drew close up to the walls. At first patroclus pyre does not burn, but achilles prays to the gods of the west and north wind. As all the troops of troy catch their breath within its walls, hector stands at the gates to withstand the coming raid. Friends, my lords, and captains of argives, now that the gods at last have let me bring to earth this man who wrought. Hector consults within himself what measures to take. It provides us with a clear view of hectors concernsfirst, the fear of ridicule and blame for having made tactical errors. Menelaus, king of sparta and the abandoned husband of helen. Hermes appeared and grabbed priam and his sons dead corpse and fled them back to troy. This is a list of principal characters in homers iliad and odyssey greeks in the trojan war. First, the priest chryses comes to ask their leader, king agamemnon, to release his daughter, whom agamemnon was holding captive. Eumelus, diomedes, menelaus, antilochus, and meriones participate in the race. The iliad quotes, famous iliad quotes, quotations sayings.
So all through troy the men who had fled tike panicked fawns. Priam king of troy and husband of hecuba, priam is the father of fifty trojan warriors, including hector and paris. There are roughly names referenced in the chapters of the iliad, and it is very easy to get overwhelmed and discouraged by trying to keep up with them all. Aug 30, 2007 book xxii recounts the climax of the iliad. These epics tell the story of the trojan war and odysseus journey home after the war, respectively. Sing of it from the moment when agamemnon, atreus son, that king of. The point is, now that you know what the things are, its high time we jumped into the middle of them. Buy now enter your mobile number or email address below and well send you a link to download the free kindle app. The first scene of the iliad finds chryses, the priest of apollo god of the sun and a whole lot of other stuff, approaching the achaian camp to ask for his daughter back. In book 1 of homers the iliad, the setting and basic conflict of the story was established. The first lines of an ancient epic poem typically offer a capsule summary of the subject the poem will treat, and the first lines of the iliad conform to this pattern. Chapter summary for homers the iliad, book 23 summary. Read the commentary on books 2022 and on books 2324 readings wednesday class, sept. The battle between hektor and achilles brings about a reconsideration of two ideas that have been implicit throughout the iliad.
Zeus takes up his scales and tips the balance against hector, sentencing hector to death. Indeed, homer announces his subject in the very first word of the very first line. Achilles pursues him thrice round the walls of troy. Rodents do spread plague, so the association between a divine mouse function and delivering plague makes sense, even if the greeks werent completely aware of the connection. He was said to be the only one of his brothers to survive an assault from heracles. Popes the iliad of homer, books i, vi, xxii, and xxiv.
Even hector realizes the inevitability of his impending death. Meanwhile thefleet runner antilochus who had been sent as messenger reachedachilles and found him. Plunging us into the ninth year of the 10year trojan war, homer introduces us to the. The first event is the chariot race, and achilles lays out rich prizes for the victors. The lion, the witch and the wardrobescore artist harry gregsonwilliams. This image draws a parallel between the allies of world war ii and the greek armies of the iliad. Book 22 1st edition by homer author, michael comenetz editor visit amazons michael comenetz page. Though too old to fight, he has earned the respect of both the trojans and the achaeans by virtue of his levelheaded, wise, and benevolent rule. In the very first line of the iliad, the poet addresses the muse, who inspires him with song, and asks her to sing through him the story of the wrath of the son of peleus, aka achilles. He treats helen kindly, though he laments the war that her beauty has sparked. He is insulted and sent away, and apollo sends a plague on the greeks. Then you can start reading kindle books on your smartphone, tablet, or computer no kindle device required. The trick athena plays on hector is one of the final examples of a godly intervention in battle, but the trick is not portrayed as underhanded.
The cover of a recent translation of the iliad published by hackett in 1997 features a blackandwhite photograph of the 1944 dday landing at normandy, as seen from the point of view of a soldier about to jump from the open door of the troop transport into the freezing surf. Hector should be thinking, good lord, mother, put that back. This study guide consists of approximately 114 pages of chapter summaries, quotes, character analysis, themes, and more everything you need to sharpen your knowledge of the iliad. Gill is a freelance classics and ancient history writer. This puts the reader in the know before characters ever actually play out the will of the gods. Homer calls upon the goddess of poetry and inspiration the muse to sing of achilleus anger.
The first idea is the conflict between the values symbolized by the two warriors. Book xix book xx book xxi book xxii book xxiii book xxiv character analysis. Book 24 iliad period 7 book 24 iliad period 4 book 24 iliad period 5. The comparison of these battles will give us a better understanding of these poets different views on the trojan war. Thus then did they fight as it were a flaming fire. The killing of hector book 22 is almost entirely from hectors point of view, except where we see the battle from the point of view of hektors grieving parents, or the now involved and rather sad gods. She has a masters degree in linguistics and is a former latin teacher.
Learn about all the major characters, both mortal and immortal, from the iliad. While achilleus still refuses to return to battle, his friend, patroklos, persuades him to let him fight in his place. Major characters of the iliad one of the challenges of reading epic poetry is keeping track of all the names. The lord of ithaca who tries to persuade achilles to rejoin the fray. She protected helen, to whom she gave great beauty, and, in book three, she rescues. Find all the books, read about the author, and more. Athena appears behind achilles, telling him she will persuade hector to fight. Perfect for acing essays, tests, and quizzes, as well as for writing lesson plans.
Apollo, still angry with diomedes, knocks his whip out of his hand, but athena gives it back to. The next day, an achaean force led by meriones cuts timber for patroclus funeral pyre. Heroes in the iliad certain heroic characters play major roles in the battles even. Achilles still chases apollo who turns and tells him that it is impossible to kill him. To repay the indignity chryses has suffered, apollo, the mouse god, rains arrows of plague on the greek forces for 9 days. Learn vocabulary, terms, and more with flashcards, games, and other study tools. Information on the first book of the iliad of homer. Read book 22 death of hector of the iliad by homer. Book 22 of homers the iliad brings about the resolution of the dispute between hector and achilles. Thou knowst the oereager vehemence of youth, how quick in temper, and in judgement weak. Astyanax, that is lord of the city, the trojans call him, since you hector were the great defender of the gates and the high walls. Goddess, sing me the anger, of achilles, peleus son, that fatal anger that brought countless sorrows on the greeks, and sent many valiant souls of warriors down to hades, leaving their bodies as spoil for dogs and carrion birds. Achilles oversees a series of funeral games to celebrate the memory of patroclus.
She says that she will focus on homers language and his narrative style in my own experience, she accomplishes a great deal more, bringing out meanings and connections that cast book 22 in an entirely fresh light and reveal this books close connections to the iliad as a whole. Now by the beaked ships, far from your kin, the writhing worms will devour your corpse, once the dogs have had their fill, your naked corpse, though in your house are all the fine, finelywoven clothes that women. The focus of this book is on the duel between achilles and hector and the. The quarrel between achilles and agamemnon in book 1 of homers iliad sets in motion a chain of events that will affect the tenth and final year of the legendary trojan war. The account of the trojan war in the iliad is neither fictional nor real.
Thus the trojans in the city scared like fawns wiped the sweatfrom off them and drank to quench their thirst leaning against thegoodly battlements. Home english literature classic books the iliad book vi. Yes, nowadays, the term is used to denote a false story, but that wasnt the case back then. This makes the scene in which andromache learns of hectors death especially poignant. Homers epic poem the iliad tells the story of the trojan war and the epic heroes and gods, including achilles, hector, odysseus, athena, ares, paris. This is one of the few times when this happens, and it is interesting that hektor says it out of excitement wanting the moment to last forever instead of despair at a moment passing. He vows he will not wash hectors blood off his body until he has buried patroclus. With the tipping of the scales, hectors fate is no longer in the slightest doubt. The plot of the iliad begins in medias res, or in the middle of the action. Learn exactly what happened in this chapter, scene, or section of the iliad and what it means.
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