Analysis Of Homer s The Iliad Essay - 1231 Words

Homer’s the Iliad is a tale of war and aggression (Puchner 183). Written in the 8th century, it remains relevant to society today. The basis of the Iliad, warfare, brings with it portrayals of death, grief, and the real problem with humankind: we are not peaceful beings. In a war-ridden world, these topics remain pertinent to society. These terrors of war showcased in the Iliad generate an anti-war message. With this said, Homer creates a timeless lesson against war with his work. While the Iliad has been around for centuries, humankind has yet to learn from Homer’s anti-war message. War has been an unfortunate part of humans’ history from the beginning, and it remains to be a problem today, and with war comes death. In the Iliad, â€Å"death resonates with images occurring throughout the poem† (Neal 22). Homer’s graphic depictions of death are to show the results of war. The killing of Sarpedon is just one example of this brutality; â€Å"Patrocl us came back, leaning into his throw, and the bronze point caught Sarpedon just below the rib cage where it protects the heart† (Homer 16.513-15). Another example is the killing of Patroclus, â€Å"He muscled his way through him and rammed his spearhead into the pit of his belly and all the way through† (Homer 16.859-861). Finally, the killing of Hector is the most horrific example of brutality; â€Å"The heavy bronze apex pierced the soft neck but did not slit the windpipe, so that Hector could speak still† (Hector 22.359-361). Hector’s death isShow MoreRelatedAnalysis Of Homer s The Iliad997 Words   |  4 Pagesare set up in a way such that the audience must believe at least one party loves another. How they act on behalf of this love is perhaps a testimony to the strength of their love and heroic status. Taking this structure at face value, in Homer’s The Iliad, Hector shows the most modern form of heroism in Book Six. He chooses to fight rathe r than see his loved wife fall to the Achaeans, while others throughout the story view their women as prizes and choose to fight- or not- based on very different values;Read MoreAnalysis Of The Homer s The Iliad Essay1010 Words   |  5 PagesPoor leadership is devastating in The Iliad.. Homer recognizes this, making a particular effort to demonstrate what traits constitute effective leadership. It is crucial, therefore, to determine exactly how Homer presents this idea in order to gain a coherent understanding of his beliefs. With Homer’s convictions in mind, the individual gifts of these war leaders shine rather brightly. One can then begin to analyze them, deciding for oneself who fits Homer’s ideas the best. Assuredly, each of theRead MoreAnalysis Of Homer s The Iliad 1310 Words   |  6 Pagesunity in his tale. Homer was a writer who performed this feat throughout the entirety of the Iliad and showed his unique ability to weave a tale full of similes that bo th enhanced and unified his story. Although Homer used a variety of subjects in his similes, and many of them had a common thread. Homer’s unique ability was to create a tale so descriptive that the listener was able to fully immerse him or herself into the story. His usage of similes magnified this ability. Homer focused on the commonRead MoreAnalysis Of Homer s The Iliad887 Words   |  4 PagesIn Homer’s the Iliad there are two types of culture which are shame and honor. The Greeks rank great significance on personal honor. Why is that? The reason being is that to them honor means the ability to fight and be triumphant on the battle field. There are many ways honor is obtained to the Greeks, another way to prove your honor is to reveal athletic abilities. Meanwhile, the shame culture has a different concept to the Greeks. Shame meant to have good morals towards others and it is a moreRead MoreAnalysis Of Homer s The Iliad866 Words   |  4 PagesIn Homerâ€⠄¢s The Iliad, women can often be overshadowed by the strong male warriors that dominate the epic poem. However, many women in The Iliad are central to the plot; without these women the poem would have a drastically different story. The influence of women in The Iliad varies from woman to woman, usually having some effect on the plot, but the extent of their involvement is typically dependent on their status in society. However, even when a woman is in a position of great power, she is stillRead MoreAnalysis Of Homer s Iliad 1382 Words   |  6 PagesRyan Doerhoff History of Greece Dr. Kirkland September 5, 2014 Document Analysis The primary documents that will be focused on in this analysis come from Homer’s Iliad. Homer is venerated today as the greatest of Greek epic poets, as his works had a colossal impact on the history of literature. Through his epics, Homer brings us first hand into the culture of the Greek world in the eighth century B.C. It is important to note that at this time very few had the privilege of an education, and lackedRead MoreAnalysis Of Homer s The Iliad 1177 Words   |  5 Pagesto the powerful, hardheaded fighters that generally appear in The Iliad. His purpose in The Iliad is to demonstrate, through tact and strategic ability, that strength and brawn isn’t all that compose a hero. Odysseus, the great tactician, isn’t known as the brawn, but the brain of the Achaian army. When compared with Menelaos, â€Å"Menelaos was bigger by his broad shoulders, but Odysseus was the more lordly† (III, 210). Here, Homer is intentionally lessening Odysseus’ physical prowess to uphold hisRead MoreAnalysis Of Homer s The Iliad Essay1692 Words   |  7 PagesA major theme seen in Homer’s The Iliad is one of war and the politics that play a role in it. A key part of politics is the interactions that take place between people when determining policies and courses of action. The focus of this paper will be on the interactions between the Greek leaders and the army in the opening of book 2. There will be a section where I will analyze these interactions and provide evidence showing what degree I believe the Greek leaders care about their army. The way thatRead MoreAnalysis Of Homer s The Iliad993 Words   |  4 Pages In Homer’s The Iliad, we learn that the mother and father relationships within the family is very important, but we don’t want to overlook the brothers. For instance, in the Greek and Trojan families, it was one way to bring everyone together. The brotherhood of Agamemnon and Menelaus, and Hector and Paris illustrates their devotion. Book Six of The Iliad comprehends several illustrations of how honor strengthens the bond between both brother’s Agamemnon and Menelaus and Hector and Paris. GloryRead MoreAnalysis Of Homer s The Iliad1040 Words   |  5 Pagesthe generation of leaves, so is that of humanity. The wind scatters the leaves on the ground, but the live timber burgeons with leaves again in the season of spring returning. So one generation of men will grow while another dies† (6.146-50) Homer in the Iliad tells of generation after generation fighting to bring glory and honor to not only themselves, but their families. Generations are connected by men who have fought before and men who have yet to fight. Diomedes, after being asked of his lineage