Similarities Between Hector And Achilles

495 Words1 Page

Question: Who is more heroic, Hector or Achilles? Answer: Throughout the Iliad, Achilles and Hector were two of the main characters. Both Achilles and Hector defended their countries greatly. Achilles defending his country Greece and Hector defending Troy. Both were great warriors and were equal in power, but in the end Achilles would be considered the more heroic warrior. Achilles was more heroic than Hector because he was raised to be a warrior, while Hector was raised to be a king. Being brought up in different circumstances the way both men were had an impact on the way they fought. Even though Hector was indeed a great fighter he was no match to Achilles. It is said that Achilles was the greatest warrior of the Trojan War. As stated in class, the heroic code meant that honor is more important than life itself. Achilles stood by that meaning. Achilles wanted to die knowing that his name would be remembered by all. Other characteristics of why Achilles was a better warrior was that Achilles had superhuman strength, swift feet, and was skilled in swordplay. Hector compared to Achilles was often referred to as being a …show more content…

Achilles is more independent because he does not have a family and a wife, nor a city to protect the way that Hector does. Because Hector has a family he does not want to fight all the time the way that Achilles does. Though Hector gets all the love and respect from everyone else and Achilles is greatly hated, in the end Achilles survives the longest and survival means success and death means failure. Both Hector and Achilles were great warriors and showed their characteristics in different ways. Achilles was considered the more aggressive fighter while Hector was more of the peacemaker. Both warriors were highly favored for the achievements made in their countries and were equal matches when it came to

Show More
Related

  • Foils: Achilles Vs. Hector

    530 Words  | 2 Pages

    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

    Read More

  • Hector And Achilles: Challenges In The Iliad

    717 Words  | 2 Pages

    In the Iliad, both Hector and Achilles show heroic stature. Achilles was exalted in Greece because of his furious fight skills and was assisted by Athena with killing Hector. Hector was the Trojans best fighter and lacked the strength that Achilles had. Gods played a key role in the deciding factor between the Trojans and the Greeks. Achilles mother Thetis talked to Zeus to persuade him to allow the Trojans to have the upper hand in the war during the suffering Achilles faced due to losing his war prize since to Agamemnon had to sacrifice his war prize back to Chryses (one of the many revered priest of Apollo). Athena managed to convince Hector to battle Achilles by Athena impersonating as Hector’s brother, which ended with Hector being

    Read More

  • Hector In The Iliad

    917 Words  | 2 Pages

    As Hector saw the anger that burned within Achilles as he walked towards him, “Hector began to shake in fear. His courage gone, he could no longer stand there. terrified, he started running” (Homer 22.140). Hector should be this great hero who will fight to the death in order to protect his country, but some may see his fear as a weakness that makes him unqualified to be called a hero. However, Hector reflected his bravery because to choose to confront Achilles, but he also realizes when fighting will end in his demise. Hector is not a god, he is not immortal, he is human and he does not want to go into a fight where he knows he will die because he cannot protect his country if he is dead. Previously in the war, Hector broke through the mighty Greeks defenses he “jumped inside the gates, no moving out to stop him could hold him back, expect the gods. From his eyes fire blazed” (Homer 12.109). Hectors bravery helped him push through the Greeks defenses even though there were hordes of bloodthirsty Greek soldiers all around him waiting for an opportunity to kill him. After this Hector acts as a model for the rest of the Trojan soldiers, inspiring them to push forward with Hector. After making the decision to join the Marines Tillman was “not sure where this new direction will take [his] life though [he is] positive it will include its share of

    Read More

  • Achilles Vs Hector Research Paper

    293 Words  | 1 Pages

    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.

    Read More

  • Achilles Epic Hero

    471 Words  | 1 Pages

    Achilles donned his Olympian armor and accepted his nemesis’ challenge to single combat in order to reclaim the honor that was taken from Patrokols. In front of the walls of Troy, Achilles chased and fought the noble Hector, even dismissing help from his allies in a bout of chivalry (22.205). With the assistance of Athena, he is able to catch Hector before finishing him off with a final thrust of his mighty spear (22.325). Achilles does not resort to trickery or plots, but committed his great deeds with hard work and his skill in battle. He commanded such respect from his men that they obeyed him even when the enemy leader was with in their reaches and the war could be ended were it not for Achilles order to not harm Priam or attack Troy for eleven days (24.659). Lessor men would not have been able to singly control such a large group of war hunger men and Priam would certainly have been murdered despite being commanded to stay their

    Read More

  • True Heroes in Literature

    1336 Words  | 3 Pages

    First off, Achilles has a few heroic characteristics. I don’t want to compare him to any other heroes I’ve studied because I don’t like him, but I’d say Odysseus, because they fought for the same goal in the Trojan War. But personally, I think he is a sissy for not fighting throughout the entire Trojan War until things got personal because Hector killed his friend. But hey, killing Hector in his blind rage helped the cause, and thusly his people. So he isn’t all that bad. Then, as N.S. Gill will write, Achilles does this. “An enraged Achilles kills Hector and then dishonors the body by dragging it around tied to the back of a chariot for 9 days.” So, yeah, Achilles is kind of a prick. But then again, Achilles reflects the moral codes of the culture that bore him, so in a strange way, he is the embodiment of a hero. To them at least. To me, he seems to have good ...

    Read More

  • Achilles in Homer's 'Iliad' vs Achilles in Ovid's 'Metamorphoses'

    1129 Words  | 3 Pages

    In general, the battle of Achilles with Hector and Cycnus had some similarities and differences. Both of the Trojan heroes are loyal to their country and both are Troy greatest warriors. Other than that, both versions of Achilles poses the arrogant and beast characteristic. However, the characters and attitudes of Hector and Cycnus in the battle with Achilles are completely different, where Hector fears and hesitate to battle with Achilles while Cycnus confidently faces the battle with Achilles. In addition, the main reason of battles is different which lead to different treatment of Achilles to their corpse, where Hector corpse was badly treated by Achilles rage for the revenge of Patroclus death. Last but not least, the setting of both battles Trojan heroes is completely different, even-thought they were fighting with the same enemy, Achilles.

    Read More

  • Achilles: A Classical Hero

    1088 Words  | 3 Pages

    The Greeks also had their share of icons and heroes. They admired Jason and his quest for the golden fleece, and Perseus, the killer of Medusa, but their finest heroes come from Homer’s Iliad: Hector and Achilles. Hector was the best warrior in Troy and the son of Priam, the king of Troy. Achilles was the great warrior of the Greek army and killed Hector. The Greek citizens, siding with their own nationality, declared the Greek warrior Achilles the hero of the Trojan War, but since ancient Greece no longer exists an unbiased view of the Ilia...

    Read More

  • Tragic Hero In The Iliad, Beowulf, And Hamlet

    1595 Words  | 4 Pages

    Achilles, being the best warrior that the Greeks had on their side, ended up being difficult to defeat. Achilles went to battle knowing he would die in it because his death had been prophesied if he took part in battle. Although Achilles pouted and stayed at the ships almost the entire last year of the battle, when he finally came to battle, he became the fiercest warrior on the battlefield. The reason Achilles finally came to battle had been to avenge the death of his beloved Patroclus by killing Hector. Achilles killed every Trojan to appear in his way and put the majority of their bodies in the river Xanthus. This action infuriated the mighty river, causing him to go after Achilles. Achilles then escaped the wrath of Xanthus, with the help of Poseidon, Athena, and Hephaestus. Achilles finally did kill Hector then dragged him around tied to the back of Achilles’ chariot. Hector, had been just as brave as Achille and the both shared two huge things: this had not been their fight and neither one had been in charge of their own destinies. Hector, being the Trojan’s finest warrior, had also been a difficult warrior to defeat. Hector stepped up to clean Paris’s mess up when Paris refused to go into battle, when Hector did not have to. In the end, Achilles killed Hector and he died a hero’s death. Beowulf fought many monsters from many lands, all having the ability to kill him.

    Read More

  • Achilles Definition Of A Hero

    1914 Words  | 4 Pages

    He shows this through his dedication to his friend Patroclus. “Achilles with wild fury in his heart/ pulled in upon his chest his beautiful shield” (Homer 149-150). Achilles shows courage when he tries to avenge his friend’s death by going after Hector. The love he felt for Patroclus gave him the courage to get justice. Achilles also showed courage when going to kill Hector. “‘You’ll be/ swift to meet your end, child, as you say:/ your dome comes close on the heels of Hector’s own.’/ ...Achilles… said:/ ‘May it come quickly.’” (Homer 32-36). The prophecy states Achilles will die shortly after Hector, however, he still goes after him, using his courage in order to face him. Even with this knowledge, Achilles faces his death so that Hector can be

    Read More

  • The True Nature Of Man And Gods In Homer's The Iliad

    1083 Words  | 3 Pages

    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

    Read More

  • Achilles: a Tragic Hero

    1170 Words  | 3 Pages

    The first requirement of Aristotle's tragic hero is that they are more admirable than the average character. Achilles meets this requirement because of his ability on the battlefield. In The Iliad, the background to the story is the war between the Greeks and the Trojans. This background is not only the basis for the story overall, but is also the basis for Achilles' own story. This begins when Achilles refuses to join the battle because he is insulted by Agamemnon. This decision results in the action that drives the remainder of the story. Later in the story when Achilles becomes angered and goes to the other extreme, launching into battle and killing ferociously. The significance of this is that it places battle as central to both Achilles' story and to what is important in the setting of the story. Importantly, the aspect that makes Achilles greater than most is his ability o...

    Read More

  • The Comparison of two Ancient Greek Warriors, Achilles and Hector

    819 Words  | 2 Pages

    However, Achilles is very much an independent character and a selfish person. While Hector is a soldier, an unselfish person, and a loving family man; he cares not for just his own glory but the glory of Troy. Furthermore, the reasons behind Achilles and Hector fighting reflect their personalities: Achilles is selfish so he fights for himself, but Hector is more of a caring character and therefore he fights for Troy and his family. However, overall Achilles is the superior warrior because he slays Hector in just a few moves, and his achievements are exceptional compared to Hector’s.

    Read More

  • A Comparison of Achilles and Hector

    865 Words  | 2 Pages

    Every war has its own hero who saves the community from the destruction. It is the same case for the Trojans and the Greeks. They have their warriors who with the support of their Gods lead the troops in the fight against each other. The warriors are never short of flaws as indicated in the Iliad. They suffer from anger, thirst for glory among other issues. Hector is depicted as weak after failing to return to the city for the fear of what his people might say of him. Similarly, Achilles is obsessed with his fame and glory.

    Read More

  • Compare And Contrast Achilles And Hector

    1159 Words  | 3 Pages

    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.

    Read More

More about Similarities Between Hector And Achilles

Open Document