Essay on A Comparison of Achilles and Hector - 951 Words

In Homer’s epic, the Iliad, the legendary, has no two characters that are so similar 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. From the very first lines of the epic, we are introduced to Achilles’ murderous rage: â€Å"Rage—Goddess, sing the rage of Peleus’ son Achilles, murderous, doomed, that cost†¦show more content†¦He has concubines, the main one being Breises, a captured Trojan woman who was given to him as a war prize. His love for her is established by his violent reaction to Agamemnon’s urging him to give her up. In the Trojan society, Hector is also given a very special role – not only is he the handsome son of Priam, a prince, he is also the strongest of the fighters. This is established when Achilles himself says of Hector after killing him: Friends — lords of the Argives, O my captains! Now that the gods have let me kill this man Who caused us agonies, loss on crushing loss – More than the rest of their men combined,† (Book 22, Line 291-294) Hector is revered and looked up to by his people, and his status as Prince bolsters this. The Trojan’s admiration in his bravery is what keeps him fighting, knowingly putting himself in great danger and in the hands of death. Hector’s family, his wife and his son, are his other primary motivation in fighting. It is evident that he loves them both very much by the dialogue he shares with his wife, Andromache, before he leaves Troy for the last time. Although she asks him not to leave her widowed and her son orphaned, his pride overshadows her pleas: â€Å"But I would die of shame to face the men of Troy And the Trojan women trailing their long robes If I would shrink from battle now, a coward† (Book 6, Line 62-64) His parents, King Priam and Queen Hecuba, and his siblings, namelyShow MoreRelatedA Comparison of Achilles and Hector881 Words   |  4 Pages(Iliad, pp 87). The Trojan War revolves around the fight between the Trojan and the Myrmidons. They both have warriors who shield the community against the destruction. This is, however, with the help of their gods. Achilles, the son of Thetis, is the leader of the Myrmidons and Hector is the son of king Priam and is the foremost Trojan warrior who forms the forefront line of the warriors. The two warriors lead the army in the fight against each other. Aided by the supernatural powers, they are theRead 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. 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Then Achilles behavior towards the death of hector, can and should be seen as great examples of positively and the negativity of the value of his behavio r and other individual behaviors in the time. 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