Homer 's epic The Iliad written in 800-700BCE displays a war between the Trojans and the Greeks. Achilles and Hector are two of the main characters in the poem who are caught in this war. Hector is on the Trojan side and Achilles is a part of the Greek army. In the poem Homer uses rage to uproot the fate of both men and also included the God’s as the story is being told. “In the Absence of God, fate becomes the agent of retribution. Hector has to pay for Patroclus’ inglorious death, just as Achilles, later on will pay for the death of Hector” (Bespaloff 43). With this being said fate works in its own favor and time for these things to happen, regardless if the characters try to adjust this. Despite similarities as great warriors, the pair In the poem, there are two value systems portrayed: value system of warfare and the value system of domesticity. Achilles and Hector both displayed the way they were trapped between both the value system of warfare and domesticity. Although they represented both value systems they started off with just one. Achilles was a part of the value system of warfare at the beginning and later switched to the value system of domesticity. Whereas Hector started off with the Value system of domesticity and later changed to the value system of warfare. These changes were due to the different upbringings of both me and also due to things they encountered on and off of the battle Homer states that the rim of Hectors shield was tapping his ankle and neck, which tells us that he was protecting himself in case he was attacked. He also left his helmet on while he ventured through the city of Troy. These gestures shows that Hector is already caught up in the warfare system . Only someone who is taking part in a war or battle would wear these kinds of things. If he wasn’t connected to this system, then he probably would have taken off his protection when entering the city. "This is a fine time to be nursing your anger, You idiot! We 're dying out there defending the walls"(210). This confrontation with Hector to his brother also depicts his change in value systems. He is encouraging his brother to fight and he also went to do this before confronting his wife and child.This is an indication that Hector is fully converted to this system because he knows that he has a great chance at being defeated by Achilles in the war, but yet he is still ready to take on this dangerous act. “He was passing through it out onto the plain when his wife came running up to meet him, his beautiful wife, Andromache” (128). Even after seeing his Brother and finding out from the housekeeper that his wife went running like a mad woman to see if he was okay he still did not go to see her or his child. He see 's his self as military commander more important than being a family
Hector is the anomaly to the rank and positon roles that have been seen. He does not follow the yellow brick road, so to speak. He is always on the battle field with his men, who are most definitely not his equals. Hector proves that he does not think of himself as higher than his men when he states to Helen, “I grow impatient now to lend a hand to Trojans in the field who feel a gap when I am gone” (Homer 153). He does not wish to pull the rank card and flee from battle like a coward. Hector does not hold himself above his men, but more as if he is a part of them. He is loved by his people because he does what needs to be done and he does it with his head held high. Even as Hector speaks of his certain death with his wife Andromakhe he says, “But I should die of shame before our Trojan men and noblewomen if like a coward I avoided battle…” (Homer 155). Simply by telling his wife that he will not back down and let others fight his own battles, shows that Hector holds himself with honor and courage. As Hector is talking to his wife he quiets her grief by saying, “As for the war, that is for men… to put their minds on, most of all for me” (Homer 157). Even though Paris and Helen started his war many years ago, Hector is pulling his rank and position of power around himself and fighting it with his own hands. As a leader, he does not hold himself higher, but as one and the same as all the other men of
He encountered Achilles every time the man (or his armor) stepped onto the battlefield, knowing one or the other would eventually die. While on shores of Troy, Hector sees who he believes is Achilles leading the charge of Greeks into battle. He comes into contact with the man wearing Achilles armor and kills him in a swift blow to the neck. After the battle is over, Hector finds out that he had not killed Achilles, but instead he killed Achilles's cousin. And, in the end, knowing he has failed in killing who he thought was Achilles, he walks outside the gate to face Achilles one last time knowing that he must either kill the man to save his people or else be killed himself in the attempt. Even when he realizes that he may die, he still fights Achilles. Hector fought for what he loved and to protect the people who he held closest to his heart. Even though knowing that he was just an ordinary human and Achilles was not, Hector still fought to defend
For example, Hector does not like to fight in battle, the only reason why he fights is because he is the only way Troy could ever win the war. However, Achilles loves the war. He even chose being a warrior over having a long life, something that Hector probably would not do. Achilles is drawn to war because of his anger. As I have previously stated, Hector is only fighting in the war because he has to fight for the city of Troy. Achilles on the other hand, does not have to fight for his city. This is because the Greeks are not being attacked. Also, Hector is human. Although his father is a wealthy king, he does not have any god- like powers. Achilles however, is a demi-god he is an exceptional warrior and great runner because of this. Also, because he is a demi-god he is only venerable in his heel. While Hector, being a human, is venerable everywhere. Lastly, Hector is not dictated by rage like Achilles. Even before their battle Hector showed respect towards Achilles. Hector did so by saying “With all the gods as witnesses, I swear: if Zeus gives me the victory over you, I will not dishonor your corps, only strip the armor and give the body back to the Greeks. Promise you’ll do the same.” (22. 281-285). Hector is the perfect foil for Achilles, everything Hector stands for and everything he is, is the polar opposite of
...aving his wife and child, he’s forced to stand firm and lead his men into glory. We fantasize about being born into privilege and rarely think about the implication of that status. Hector is charged with uniting forces, communicating battle plans, rallying the forces during crucial moments of battle and self-sacrifice before dishonor. In a culture full of strife were the warriors is held with esteem and everyone else aspires to be remembered, Hector held strong. In this day and age we still have a semblance of that culture thriving through sports and military operations. But can we compare ourselves to a culture that lives in constant strife for notoriety? The answer to this in my opinion is no.
Hector’s speech in Homer’s The Iliad (book 6) briefly talks about why he joined the Trojans. He is lamenting to his wife, Andromachê, about his ultimate sacrifice in joining the Trojan army. His motivation for fighting in the war is best described as an overwhelming sense of fate. Hector, in his dramatic dialogue, declares that he, like any other man, cannot “escape his fate”, and that “war is for men, for all men.”
"The Iliad is a poem that celebrates the heroic values war imposes on its votaries (27)." Homer himself describes war as "bringing glory to man." War is a huge part of both the Achaeans and the Trojans' lives. Characters gain glory through their performances and bravery in battle. Furthermore, Homer persuades the reader that war is the glorious way to settle a dispute. For example, Hector and other Trojans scorn Paris for backing down from Menelaus. On the other hand, Achilles acquires glory by deferring the option of a long, peaceful life in order to fight and become an epic hero. The characters in The Iliad value honor and glory to such a degree that they are willing to give up life itself in order to possess it.
First off Achilles is very loyal to his country even though he disagrees with Agamemnon often. Achilles always looks out for the greater good of Greece. Achilles fights for Greece not Agamemnon and he does not think that Agamemnon is the greatest king. Hector does the same as the king of Greece, and worries more about how he is going to look.
On the other hand, Hector is an ordinary man. Achilles is sort of portrayed as less mannered and very selfish. He only seems to only be caring about his own pride and selfish purposes. Achilles is very impulsive. He chose to grouch and grumble when, his wife Brisies gets taken away from him by Agamemnon. Therefore, because of this Achilles withdraws from the war. He wished that his people would suffer during the war without his help. On the contrary side Hector is seems more composed and quiet and the love he has for his people and family. Achilles was raised to be a great warrior. Achilles fought for death while Hector fought for peace. Achilles fought for Greece to own Troy and add it to the Greek
“ My Hector. It is for him I have come to the Greek ships, to get him back from you. I’ve brought a fortune in ransom. Respect the gods, Achilles. Think of your own father, and pity me. I am more pitiable. I have born what no man who has walked this earth has ever yet borne. I have kissed the hand of the man who killed my son” ( Book 2...
We can see by his ways that he was different that Hector nevertheless he was still a very good warrior. He was known as “The Swift Runner”. Hector was mentioned as the “Long Defense of Troy”, this was very fitting for him because he was someone people looked up too. Having a wife and seeming to be more mature than Achilles, Hector was looked up too by more people and respected because he also respected other. Achilles was full of Arrogance and pride. He would become jealous of his comrades when they would receive better prizes for battles won, Achilles complains “I never get a prize equal to yours when the army captures one of the Trojans strong holds. No, I do all the dirty work with my own hands, and when the battle’s are over and we divide the lot you get the lion’s share and I go back to the ships with some pitiful little things, so worn out from fighting I don’t even have the strength to complain”
Throughout the text, major characters seem to be at constant battle with their different emotions. This inner conflict is mirrored by the everyday conflicts between the gods. Just as Zeus and Hera are constantly at odds with one another, so are the different sides of Achilles: his cultural responsibility, pride, honor, and revenge. No one is completely at peace with his or her conflicting emotions in The Iliad – and therefore, neither are the gods, who represent these emotions. Hector is a prime example of a human who finds himself torn between two forces: his love for his growing family, and his duty as a prince of Troy. He admits to Andromache that he worries about his own mortality, but emphasizes that “I would die of shame to face the men of Troy…if I would shrink from battle now, a coward.” (Homer 6: 523, 525). Hector’s deeply ingrained sense of honor and loyalty to home is clearly established in the beginning of the text. Therefore, when Zeus later grants Hector “power to kill and kill till you cut your way to the benched ships” (Homer 11: 241-242), it is not too much of a stretch to attribute Hector’s dodged perseverance to his upbringing and rigid sense of duty, rather than to the
In Homer’s The Iliad he tells of the battles and events during the time of a quarrel between King Agamemnon and the warrior Achilles. This was just a small portion of the Trojan War that had lasted ten years. The Iliad shares the ideas of the glory of war, military values over family life, and the impermanence of human life and its creation. One thing that Homer does is characterize the two different warriors Achilles and Hector. These two great warriors both show different kinds of traits that shape the character they become throughout the The Iliad. Achilles is the main hero in The Iliad, but Homer subliminally tries to persuade the reader that Hector is the true hero in this story.
In the poem, Iliad, Achilles and Hector both show relative heroism in their own different ways. Achilles may have been the more popular hero, but Hector had great heroism as well. Each of these characters possess their own different strengths and weaknesses. These two characters both have pride as being one of their main weaknesses. Hector seems as if he would suit best in the modern world, but there are a few different reasons as to why the ancients may have chose Achilles. Hector and Achilles both lost a lot by letting their pride get in the way of their heroism. Both of these characters were their country’s best warrior. Achilles and Hector have very different personalities, and very different ways of approaching situations.
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.
"Achilles had a dear friend named Patroclus who wasn't involved in the dispute, but saw how the Greek side was suffering. He knew that if the Greek forces were supplemented with the troops Achilles had led, the Greeks would have a fighting chance, so he begged Achilles to let him take the Myrmidons (the name of Achilles' men). Achilles agreed and gave him his own armor to add authority. Dressed as Achilles, Patroclus attracted the notice of the greatest Trojan hero and brother of Paris, Hector" (classics.allinfoabout.com/articles/homer.htm)."When Hector stays outside the walls of Troy to fight Achilles, it is not because that is what he believes is right, or because such is his duty; there is no way of even expressing that in ancient Greek. He stays outside out of a sense of shame"(gradesaver.com/ClassicNotes/Titles/iliad/summ1.htm). "The shame of losing and running away is especially powerful. Shame was the only way to understand such a moral check on behavior; Hector's acute sense of shame is thus, contrary to Aristotle, the mark of a noble character. Achilles might have been a fair match for Hector, but Patroclus wasn't. Hector killed him. This drove Achilles over the edge and he entered the battle to kill Patroclus' killer -- which he did. Achilles continues to mutilate the corpse of Hector, while the gods continue to preserve it" (Approaches of Teaching Homer's Iliad).