Hector as the True Hero of Homer’s Iliad Essay - 2389 Words

Hector is the True Hero of Iliad In todays society, a mans mind is his most important tool. In the past, however, a mans courage and strength is all that he had to keep him alive. In Homers Iliad, courage is valued over honesty and even faithfulness to ones wife. If a hero is the most courageous man in the bunch, then Hector is more heroic than Achilles and King of the Myrmidons. Hector is the true hero of Homers Iliad. Although Achilles and Hector are both leaders of men, Hector leads with a mature sense that gives his men reason to respect him. In turn, Hector respects his men which gives fulfillment to both parties. Hector is not a man to sit around and mull over strategies and ideas - Hector is a man of action.†¦show more content†¦At first glance, god-like makes sense, because Achilles is descended from the immortals. As the book progresses, Achilles seems to drift as far away from the definition of god-like (as a beneficent being) as one can get. However, after considering the behavior of the gods/goddesses in Homeric times, Ive come to the conclusion that maybe god-like really is the correct description of Achilles. His ability to kill effortlessly and watch people die without mercy is in keeping with many of Olympus inhabitants. His fickle disposition is very god-like as well. The introduction to the Fagles translation describes a god as someone who is completely wrapped up in their own power, who sees others natures as obstacles to be overcome, and someone who is unable to question or criticize themselves. This is Achilles in a nutshell. Killing seems associated with being similar to a god. Hector is referred to as godlike only when he is triumphing over the corpse of a fallen Greek soldier. I found it interesting that the gods assist both Achilles and Hector in their respective battles. I would think that the gods would help Hector more, because he was a just man, but Hector is handed victory by Zeus only for a short time, while Achilles always appears to have divine intervention. This seems unfair, as Hector is the more godfearing of the two. He has more respect for the gods/goddesses, as weShow MoreRelatedAnalysis Of Homer s Iliad, Heroism801 Words   |  4 Pages​In Homer’s Iliad, heroism plays a major role in the two idols the reader will side with; Achilles or Hector. Society’s image of a hero demands for an altruistic, strong, and compassionate figure, but Homer refutes this idea of a hero. Homer’s Iliad demonstrates that in a realistic society, there is no such thing as a complete hero, and that true heroism does not exist. ​Achilles, the Achaean trophy soldier, was the creation of a mortal named Paleus and of a Goddess named Thetis. Because of his immortalityRead MoreAnalysis Of The Iliad 915 Words   |  4 Pagesas evidence to support this line. 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Although the epic had occurred in 1194–1184 BC, the epic was passed down through generations, orally, until Homer wrote the Iliad 500 years after the Trojan war in 750 BC. An adaptation of the Homers’ Iliad is David Benioff’sRead MoreThe Era Of Homer By Homer911 Words   |  4 Pagessomewhere around 8th century BC and was possibly one of the first literate authors. Other theories suggest that he only spoke his epics and they were put into writing by others. Homer’s stories show us the first glimpse of documented information of Greek myth and religion. Most important was the creation of Homer’s writing style named the Homeric epic. He was the first author to write epics and his writing style held strongly as the first major literature of its type in western civilization.Read MoreIliad - Self image1193 Word s   |  5 Pagesï » ¿The Iliad Essay Prompt 1. Complete one take home essay. Provide textual evidence, specific lines and incidents from The Iliad that proves your thesis. You may also draw from The Odyssey. Use in text parenthetical documentation according to MLA standards. The style guide that many colleges use is DianaHacker.com. We will use this style guide for both MLA format and grammar and mechanics. If you have any questions about MLA format, refer to DianaHacker.com. This paper needs to read asRead MoreAchilles Slaughtered The Great Trojan Hero Essay1271 Words   |  6 PagesAchilles slaughtered the great Trojan hero, Hector and single-handedly changed the tide of the battle. He was a marvelous Greek hero, but his accomplishments paled in comparison to his friend Odysseus. In addition to accruing glory and fame in the Trojan War, Odysseus went on to write history in an epic journey all across the Mediterranean to return to his family. Odysseus acquired more kleos than any other Greek hero in Homer’s epics. The Greeks considered kleos to be the measure of a manRead MoreAchilles Slaughtered The Greatest Trojan Hero Essay1276 Words   |  6 Pages Achilles slaughtered the greatest Trojan hero, Hector and singlehandedly changed the tide of the battle. Achilles was a marvelous Greek hero, but his accomplishments were minor compared to his friend Odysseus. He also accrued glory and fame in the Trojan War but in addition went on to write history in an epic journey all across the Mediterranean to get home to his family. Odysseus acquired more kleos than any other Greek hero in Homer’s epics. In the Greek’s eyes, kleos was the measure ofRead MoreQualities of a Hero Illustrated in Homer’s Epic Poem, The Iliad632 Words   |  3 Pages The Ancient Greeks idealized and worshiped their heroes, this is portrayed in Homer’s epic poem, The Iliad. To become a hero in ancient Greece, one would have to live and die in pursuit of glory and honor. Both Achilles and Hector seek victory in battle to become the â€Å"true hero.† Although both characters possess many hero-like qualities, Hector proved to be the genuine hero. Heroes are viewed differently today as the average person who is admired for courage or outstanding achievements