A Comparison of Achilles and Hector - 881 Words

Homers Iliad refers to an ancient epic Greek poem. The poem is based on the events of the Trojan War, the siege of the Troy city by a combination of Greek states that took almost ten years. The poem outlines the events and battle that took place between the Greeks and the Trojans. The events captured in the poem cover a few weeks to the end of the war. However, the poem contains deep Greek mythical allusion. It describes the great Greek legends involved in the siege, the events that occurred before the actual war such as meeting of the warriors planning the siege, the reason and the foundation of the battle and the events that happened in the beginning. It further illustrates prophesies of the future such as the death of the Troy (Iliad,†¦show more content†¦The Greeks gets overwhelmed in the fight and wall of the gate are broken. Hector charges in despite the constant warnings by Trojan seers, Polydamas (Iliad, pp 67). They are the heroes who receive the support from their gods in the respective communities. They lead the battle between the Trojans and the Greeks; the attacks are carried out with their consent in front of the battle. â€Å"Hector rallies the Trojans to charge forth for the battle. He enters the city and urges prayers and sacrifices to incite the Paris to battle and bids farewell to his wife and son Astyanax and rejoins the battle. The two heroes have supernatural powers that help them in their battle against each other. Both of the warriors look forward to the support of the gods to win the battle. It is only with the aid of the deities they can have the ability of defeating their opponents. Hector calls for sacrifices and prayers to the gods for them to succeed in the fight against the Greeks. The two warriors exhibit significant stubbornness when the honor issue is at stake. Achilles refuses to lead his army and fight after Agamemnon robs him of his battle prize. Achilles refuses to join hands with the other forces even after his wife pleads with him not to do so. At the end of the fight, the warriors exude with confidence to beat each other, they go for each others neck without fear. Achilles manages to slay Hector. On the otherShow MoreRelatedEssay on A Comparison of Achilles and Hector951 Words   |  4 Pagessimilar yet so different as Greek warrior, Achilles, and the Prince of Troy, Hector. Achilles is the strongest fighter in the Greek side, and Hector is the strongest Trojan. They are both put into the mold of a hero that their respective societies have put them into; however; it is evident that they are both extremely complex characters with different roles within their society and with their families, and with the gods. In the Greek society, Achilles has the role of the aggressive soldier. FromRead MoreAchilles Pursuit Of Hector Essay1025 Words   |  5 PagesAchilles’ Pursuit of Hector In The Iliad, Homer uses vivid similes developed over several lines to enhance the atmosphere of the scene. Assisting the reader to understand the vastness of the situation and enhance imagery, these epic similes immerse the reader in an alternate, distinct, seemingly detached, image directly comparing it to what is occurring in the story. In Achilles’ pursuit of Hector, Homer did this using two similes rather than one. Both similes hold different imagery of the sameRead More The True Hero of Homers The Iliad Essay890 Words   |  4 Pagestwo great leaders of opposing sides. Achilles, who represents the Achaians and Hector, who represents the Trojans. Though both show their bravery during many different instances in the poem, it?s quite obvious to the reader who the better of the two is. The rest of this paper will prove why Hector is a greater hero in comparison to Achilles. The reader is introduced to Achilles in the first book of the poem. King Agamemnon and Achilles are having a conflict over a woman. ButRead MoreEssay about Homer vs. Ovid1417 Words   |  6 Pagesthese 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. This battle also takes place outside the city of Troy, at the beginning of the Trojan War, nine years previous to Achilles’ battle with Hector. Rumour, the god rumor, told the Trojans that a fleetRead More The Role of Women in Homer’s Iliad Essay796 Words   |  4 PagesThe Role of Women in Homer’s Iliad Homer’s Iliad is undoubtedly focused on its male characters: Achilles, primarily, but also Hector and Agamemnon. Nevertheless, it seems that the most crucial characters in the epic are female. 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One of theRead MoreKleos in the Iliad Essay1074 Words   |  5 Pageskleos is such an integral part of ancient Greek culture can be shown through a comparison of the young Trojan princes, Hector and Paris. Paris, who is essentially blamed for the instigation of the Trojan-Greek war, fails to appear on the battlefield to defend his home. Paris has chosen instead to stay at home with his bride Helen, for whom the Trojan armies fight.   However, as Helen describes to Paris’ brother, Hector, â€Å"I wish I had been the wife of a better man, someone alive to outrage, with witheringRead MoreSocrates And Achilles1466 Words   |  6 Pagesï » ¿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,Read MoreCompare and Contrast of Hector and Achilles1355 Words   |  6 Pagesthe characters of Hector and Achilles. I choose to compare and contrast the characters of Hector and Achilles because I am interested in their story. I think there are many theme in this story, but the central theme is the fate of men; if it is ï ¬ xed or changed by the will of men. I feel interesting that the gods decides the fate of people. And I choose this option because I feel that I can understand what the author wants to express to the readers by comparing Hector and Achilles. Therefore, I willRead MoreThe Iliad Or The Poem Of Force1472 Words   |  6 Pagess commitment to heroism, a concept she assigns force as the poem s true hero. Weil overlooks the Homeric hero’s investment in the ethos of glory and the participation in the â€Å"noblest deeds of men,† which is present in The Iliad’s â€Å"true hero,† Hector. In The Iliad, war generates the most meaningful, noble, and glorious actions along with destruction and self-destruction. Homer understands the allure of war as Weil does not, her interpretation is one-sided and fails to recognize the humanity and