Hector's Dilemma Of Achilles In The Iliad

Hector’s Dilemma Hector seems to be the true protagonist in The Iliad, for he is portrayed as a level-headed ruler with a strong love for his family. When Hector’s brother, Paris, started the Trojan War by abducting Helen, Hector was kind to him. A forgiving man, Hector was also a competent leader, and the extensive military strides made by the Trojans early in the poem prove this fact. However, for all his exemplary qualities, Hector possessed an errant streak of pride. His pridefulness bubbled to the surface when he was faced with a dilemma regarding the defense of Troy. After the death of Patroclus, Achilles rejoined the war, so the Greek army was much stronger than it had been in recent battles. Polydamas, a prophet and Hector’s friend, advised Hector to fight Achilles from the safety of the walls, instead of fighting on the plain. Hector had two options: to defend the city from a sensible vantage point, or to attack the Greek army in a head-on assault, and he chose the latter in a display of unrestrained pridefulness. Hector’s reckless choice to storm the Greek position near the Greek ships ultimately led to his death. At dawn, the Trojan Army attacked the Greeks, but the might of Achilles proved to be unsurpassable. Achilles “. . . [turned] the battle into a rout in which [he killed] every Trojan that [crossed]

Hector’s wife, Andromache, relied on Hector to be a loving husband and father. Andromache seemed to place her very identity in Hector’s continued existence, for when he died, “there [was] nothing left [for her], no one to turn to” (Iliad, Book VI: 434). Hector was the only family Andromache had left, and Hector’s death had a profound impact on Andromache. Hector was also the city’s greatest military leader. Without Hector, the Army of Troy was still a fearsome force, but it was Hector’s leadership that brought Troy’s Army to its full