Free College Essays - The Obligations of Hector in Homer’s Iliad

The Obligations of Hector in Homer’s Iliad

In Homer’s Iliad, an extremely courageous and noble character is Hector, Prince of Troy. Hector does not want war, so his decision to lead the assault on the Achaean forces may seem strange. However, if there were a noble way out of the war, Hector might have taken it. “Without a noble escape, Hector is forced to fight”(Willcock 62).

It does not seem to be rooted in his own belief that his brother Paris' actions are worthy of defense, or that Helen is a prize absolutely worth fighting for. In fact, although he feels fraternal affection for his brother, he reviles Paris several times for his selfishness and womanizing that has brought such grief to Troy. To Hecuba, he says "A great curse Olympian Zeus let live and grow in him [Paris], for Troy and high-hearted Priam and all his sons." (VI.334-5) He is angry at Paris, not only for the taking of Helen, but for his hiding from battle, allowing the other men of Troy to die for the trophy that Paris keeps in his bed. "You'd be the first to lash out at another -- anywhere -- you saw hanging back from this, this hateful war. Up with you -- before all Troy is torched to a cinder here and now!" he berates Paris (VI.389-90). And later, in the heat of battle, he cries again: "Paris, appalling Paris! Our prince of beauty -- mad for women, you lure them all to ruin!" (XIII.888-9)

He is not fighting, then, out of respect for his brother's right to Helen. It is not that Hector believes that he is doing the right thing according to his own perception of the situation, only the honorable one, out of duty to country. Hector also has a personal stake in the battle -- he sees fighting his hardest as the only possible means of saving his beloved wife and child. He says to Andromache: "I would die of shame to face the men of Troy . . .if I would shrink from battle now, a coward." (VI.523-5) He goes on to evoke images of a widowed and enslaved Andromache, living far from home. However, it appears that his concern here is not entirely for her pain, but for the fact that people will speak of her as the woman whose husband, although brave, was not strong enough to fight off her day of slavery.