Men fighting at war are a common depiction of how battles are fought in most cultures. As with Homer’s The Iliad, the mortal and semi-mortal men are combat rated based on their personification of masculinity. Homer sets this up through various literary tropes which range from the characterization of heroes or major figures in the poem, rousing speeches, and analogies. All of these tropes function using masculinity as a way to determine who fights best or at all in some cases. Homer’s gendered narrative aids in the development of masculinity being the deciphering tool which designates shame and glory in the midst of warfare. Masculinity aids in contextualizing the character’s actions as seen through the Greeks perspective as his writing are …show more content…
Achilleus is described as strong, masculine, and an excellent hunter using Homer’s analogy of the hawk chasing the doe. However, Hektor is seen as terrified which is later noted by his fleeing the fight, but also described as a “doe” and “her” in Homer’s analogy. This passage functions as antitheses in order to show the duality of the strong Hektor now being reduced to prey by Achilleus, but also it contextualizes Homer’s ideas of warfare into gender. Because Hektor is attempting to flee his fight, he is emasculated in the text which translates into the Greek’s idealization of war and how it is to be conducted. Achilleus retains his masculinity within the fight by Hektor’s retreat rather than praising his efforts in combat. This means that the Greeks expect soldiers to participate in warfare, and when a solider or even a hero does not participate, they are feminized which is ultimately a reduction in stature. Another instant where Homer characterizes a hero through masculinity happens between Hektor and Paris before the Menelaos fight. Although Homer does not evoke an inherently gendered analogy, he uses Hektor to criticize his brother on his lack of fighting ability in relation to his “beauty” and his interest in women over war. Hektor’s speech provides the Trojans collective view of Paris when he …show more content…
His armor is also seen as an extension of his masculinity as he expressed as “as if I were a woman” once he offers it to Achilleus in exchange for his life. Hektor effectively wants to offer Achilleus his manhood and sees the whole transaction as if they would both be flirting with each other. In the Homeric analogy of “young man and a young girl”, Hektor admits to being the girl in this paradigm which suggests that he sees a peaceful resolution to the upcoming fight as embracing femininity. His resolution to fight Achilleus is met with the winner being gloried through combat ultimately by gods to their fellow soldiers and is seen as his only real option. Homer’s ideals are explicitly stated in this monologue as someone who does not fight when prompted is not seen as a man. Not only this, but in order for one to gain glory, the solider must fight and win, or else he is not subjected to the glory that warfare brings. Because Homer marries these two ideas through Hektor’s monologue which are that a masculine man is one who fights and glorification of warfare comes through victory are solidified throughout the
It is important to note that the Iliad is originally a poem told by many bards and storytellers; by using similes, Homer compliments the spoken word of the Iliad with a visual component. In certain scenes, Homer utilizes similes in the Greeks’ favor, elevating their battle prowess in comparison to the Trojans. Presented to a primarily Greek audience, Homer’s particularity in bolstering the Greek army plays to the bias of the audience––augmenting the atmosphere of the crowd. The implementation of similes throughout the epic is vital to the poem as it provides the Greek audience with a brief respite from the practically nonstop gore of
Clashing swords, miraculous survivals, pain of loss, and heroic sacrifice are all terrifying yet thrilling moments in a battle. The strong possibility of death and the frailty of human life add into the suspense of battle. Yet the reasons behind the wars, death, and suspense can be overlooked. The stories behind the warriors who have died will not be told again, but the stories of warriors still alive are what give the men strength to continue fighting against impossible odds. Ultimately, the reason of why a man would risk his life in battle is for someone, or something, he loves. Like in Gilgamesh and the Iliad, women help encourage and influence the protagonists to be the heroes and protectors they are meant to be.
In The Name of The Wind by Patrick Rothfuss, the author states: “The day we fret about the future is the day we leave our childhood behind.” Patrick Rothfuss instates the position that when one experiences change, they can not expect it to be easy. An individual relies on their ability to overcome and accept change before it begins to take advantage of them. Similarly, in Books 1-4 of Homer’s epic, The Odyssey, Telemachus shifts from boyhood to manhood while searching for his father. Thus, through characterization, Homer develops the theme that life is filled with obstacles, hardships, and responsibilities, but an individual must have strength to work through it.
Schein, Seth L. The Mortal Hero: An Introduction to Homer's Iliad. Berkeley: University of California Press, 1984.
In the Iliad we saw women as items of exchange and as markers of status for the men who possessed them (Chryseis and
Homer’s moral exemplars in the heroic tragedy, The Iliad, can be analyzed to further understand warrior ethics. Agamemnon, a powerful warrior king, was proud and arrogant. These qualities made him an excellent warrior and the Greeks respected him. However, Agamemnon demonstrated excess pride and arrogance, as well as stubbornness. The Greeks believed that people must face their destiny with pride and nobility.
than the times of today. Back then, the most important aspect of life for a
Simone Weil argues that the way Homer presents war and the use of force in the Iliad, in all of its brutality, violence, and bitterness bathes the work in the light of love and justice (pg 25). The point Weil is making is that by depicting the suffering of all of these men regardless of their side, or strength Homer equalizes them in a “condition common to all men”(pg 25). Because Homer equalizes them the reader can feel empathy, or at least compassion for all of the men. However while Weil is correct about how Homer’s descriptions of war and force reveal justice and love, she is wrong in thinking that justice and love are mere “accents” to the Iliad, and progress through the story “without ever becoming noticeable”(pg 25). Homer not only reveals this underlying idea to the reader through his tone and even handedness, but also through Achilles’ journey. By the end of the Iliad Achilles understands justice and love in much the same way that the reader does.
A Homeric warrior would be greatly shamed if he were to turn his back on a
Throughout Homer’s epic poem, The Iliad, gods are presented as remarkably human in almost every way. While it is assumed that gods are divine entities incapable of human transgression, they are portrayed with all the flaws of mortals in The Iliad. The gods are a manifestation of human emotions consequently helping to explain the behavior of the humans in The Iliad. The actions of the heroes are what determine their fate, not divine intervention. Ultimately, the humans in The Iliad have inherent characteristics that provide the driving force behind their actions: the gods simply act in concert with them, allowing the human beings to exercise free will of
Homer progressively subjects his characters to a choice between loved ones, and war quest with heroic personalities is invariably choosing the latter. The gravity of decisions made in the text emphasizes more on knowing about fate ahead of time. Characters prize ancient Greek martial values such as honor, nobility, bravery, and glory with the will to sacrifice chances of long life for the loved ones. In portraying an ideal epic world, the text recognizes about the creation of mortals and the glory of man that does not live in constructions.
Homer, Iliad is the narration of the Trojan war. The Trojan war was one of the most important and significant wars of Greek mythology, Homer described how the war was triggered by the abduction of the most beautiful women known as Helen. This paper will argue how the traditional view of this poem is accurate because it indeed was Helens beauty and her selfishness that sparked the Trojan war. Although Helen was not happy about the outcomes of her mistakes. This paper will present how Helen faced many forms of self judgment, how she created many relationships with significant characters, such as Paris, Priam and Aphrodite. Homers portrayal of this significant women was remarkable as we were able to feel her pain and anguish, the readers were
Homer's two central heroes, Odysseus and Achilles, are in many ways differing manifestations of the same themes. While Achilles' character is almost utterly consistent in his rage, pride, and near divinity, Odysseus' character is difficult to pin down to a single moral; though perhaps more human than Achilles, he remains more difficult to understand. Nevertheless, both heroes are defined not by their appearances, nor by the impressions they leave upon the minds of those around them, nor even so much by the words they speak, but almost entirely by their actions. Action is what drives the plot of both the Iliad and the Odyssey, and action is what holds the characters together. In this respect, the theme of humanity is revealed in both Odysseus and Achilles: man is a combination of his will, his actions, and his relationship to the divine. This blend allows Homer to divulge all that is human in his characters, and all that is a vehicle for the idyllic aspects of ancient Greek society. Accordingly, the apparent inconsistencies in the characterization of Odysseus can be accounted for by his spiritual distance from the god-like Achilles; Achilles is more coherent because he is the son of a god. This is not to say that Achilles is not at times petty or unimaginative, but that his standards of action are merely more continuous through time. Nevertheless, both of Homer's heroes embody important and admirable facets of ancient Greek culture, though they fracture in the ways they are represented.
"So please go home and tend to your own tasks, / the distaff and the loom, and keep the women / working hard as well" (6.585-587). From this we see Hector's view of women, which is a theme that is echoed throughout the rest of the Iliad. Women are mentioned relatively few times in the Iliad in comparison with the books devoted solely to the men. Nevertheless, there is clear evidence that the role of women in this society was that of a servile follower.
The poem “Iliad,” by Homer, is known for its violence between men during a war, but under that violence, is the different type of women who play a significant role in the poem (Homer 189). This poem’s narrative seems to show a male dominated world between the Greek commanders. This male dominated world cannot happen on its own, thus the different background roles of women are needed in order to make sense of all this rage. As the University of Michigan article How Do Women Make Their Way Into This Cycle states, “They are seen as the objects of both lust and domesticity, yet they are also used to excuse war, cause conflict, and display the power of men” (www.umich.edu). The focus in this poem steers towards the rage between the men, but this rage most of the time is inspired and initiated by a woman. The women of Iliad play a significant role in the poem such as war prizes, male hero partners, and women gods.