Achilles vs. Hector in the Iliad

Achilles vs. Hector in the Iliad

In the Iliad, many of the male characters display heroic

characteristics, consistent with the heroic warrior code of ancient Greece.

They try to win glory in battle, yet are often characterized as having a distinctly

human side. They each have certain strengths and weaknesses, which are

evident at many times throughout the conflicts described in the Iliad. Prime

examples of such characters are Achilles and Hector. These two characters

have obvious differences in their approaches to fitting the heroic mold to

which they both try to conform. However, despite their differences and the fact

that they are fighting for opposing armies and meet each other with hatred in

battle, they also have numerous similar traits which logically lend themselves

to a comparison between the two men. They both display behavior that could

be described as heroism. The first way in which Achilles, who fights for the

Greeks, and Hector, who fights for the Trojans, act differently is how they

approach war and the inevitable violence and death which accompany it.

Although Achilles knows that he is fated to be killed in battle, when his faithful

and devoted friend Patroclus is mercilessly and dishonorably cut down in

combat, he puts aside his pride and chooses to temporarily forget about his

previous feuds with Agamemnon that have up until now prevented him from

participating in the war. He joins the fighting with a deadly and vengeful

mindset that will likely play a major factor in the outcome of the war.

Today,

this lust for revenge might be considered a glaring character flaw. However,

this passion for retribution undoubtedly conforms to the heroic code of Greek

society. Meanwhile, Hector is full of indecision and reluctance about whether

to take part in the war. He too believes that fate has dictated that he will be

killed in battle. He spends much time with his pleading wife Andromache, who

begs him not to go to war, both for his sake and for his familyÕs. He does not

want to die and thus widow Andromache, leaving her "at the loom of another

man." Indeed, when he bids farewell to his young son Astyanax, clothed in his

shining war gear with gleaming helmet complete with plume crest (the