Essays on Iliad

Controversy infects our world like germs. It can be contained and controlled for a time but it will never truly be gone. In order to regulate the issues, they must first be addressed. However, when this occurs, more problems surface in its stead. A major...

Considering divinity, destiny, and the existence of free will is not a concept that is exclusive to Greek Literature; in fact, whenever there are predetermined, all-powerful entities that guide the actions of lesser beings, it is quite natural to question the agency of those being...

Destiny has been a constant theme for authors, poets, dramatists and playwrights since time immemorial. The idea of destiny has been incorporated in many novels and plays. Human beings have always been intrigued by the power of moira and its ability to dominate the course...

The Iliad is an epic poem that glorifies the heroic ideals that war imposes on its men. War itself has a strange, deadly fascination for those who are involved. Although war is characterized as being dreadful and grim, it is also characterized as the way...

The Iliad by the Greek poet Homer is a patriarchal epic led by fearless men with a supporting cast of female characters. In Greek society, women are either a man’s prized possession or a man’s impediment and are the symbol of masculine pride. In the...

The Greek mythology is filled with stories about people who are considered great heroes due to their extraordinary qualities. Although Greek heroes fight bravely to obtain honor and glory, their flaws can harm them or their loved ones. While in Homer’s The Iliad, Achilles is...

Achilles, the swift, godlike warrior of Greek lore, is among the most complex of Homer’s epic characters. Achilles and his ill-fated tendon figure prominently in the Western archetypal notion of a tragic hero; however, the application of the term “hero” to the Achaean fighter is...

Throughout human history, people have been infatuated with the role of the “hero”. The concept that someone would be willing to risk life and limb for someone else never ceases to amaze. Just take a trip to Washington, D.C. The monuments and memorials to Lincoln,...

Andromache, one of the few female characters in the Iliad, is part of perhaps one of the tenderest sections of Iliad. Along with Helen, she is the only other mortal woman to have any substantial speaking lines in the entire epic. Unlike women in general...

Achilleus’ defilement of the body of Hektor is a grotesque and elaborate moment in the story of the Iliad, while all of the other bodies killed in the epic are either carried back by their comrades or left to the vultures. His treatment of the...

Hiketeia is a ritual supplication in which an individual embraces the knees of another in solicitation of a favor or errand. The use of hiketeia in The Iliad establishes a nature of authority in characters of power, including Zeus and Achilles, by demonstrating and creating...

Homer’s epic poem “The Iliad” has many different types of characters and theme. It focuses on two main characters, who are Achilles and Hector. These two characters have completely different personalities and little to no similarities other than them being great warriors. In this epic...

The epic of The Iliad primarily focuses on the glory-seeking heroes within the Trojan and Akkhaian ranks, describing their varied attempts to immortalize themselves through gaining honor. Interestingly, while the heroes all possess this same aspiration for glory, there are quite obvious differences in the...

The Iliad is one of the most powerful poems written by Homer (Grecian author) having an epic impression. This poem has reached many people over the decades, leaving a strong impact on them. It is my claim that Homer is obsessed with body parts in...

In Homer’s The Iliad, there are many victims of war such as Sarpedon, Patroclus, and Hector, all of whom die. There is, however, another lesser discussed victim of this war, Andromache. Andromache, the wife of hector, showcases the effect of war on those left at...

Courage, intelligence, and physical strength are all excellent qualities found in humans, and they are valued above all else to the ancient Greeks in The Iliad of Homer. These qualities can be seen in many of the characters in this epic poem, and the people...

The Iliad, by Homer, primarily revolves around the male characters in the epic poem, but the few women in the story play a salient role. The women are seen as nothing but trophies for the dauntless works of men, but the roles that they depict...

“If it is true that brilliant Achilles is risen beside their ships, then the worse for him if he tries it, since I for my part will not run from him out of the sorrowful battle, but rather stand fast, to see if he wins...

The Iliad is an epic poem, which was written by the ancient Greek poet Homer; the story recounts most of the significant events experienced in the final weeks of the Greek and the Trojan War under the military action of the city of Troy. The...

In today’s society, movies in all genres thrive on romantic plots and subplots. Many decisions made are all centered around securing a love interest. Although Homer wrote The Iliad hundreds of years ago, his story is no exception to this ageless idea that love is...

When does fate and when does choice play a role our lives, or in this world? That question may always be asked but in Homer’s epic poem, The Iliad fate and choice happen often. Throughout The Iliad Homer creates numerous conflicts between not only the...

The warriors of Homer’s Iliad strive to ascertain posthumous glory, yet the majority of individuals involved in the main conflict seemingly lack personal sentience as they remain anonymous and unconscious to the power of those who exhibit individuality – those who actively rise from the...

Homer’s The Iliad is an epic poem that talks of the Trojan War. Many similarities in behaviour between the gods and people are described in this epic. In Book 14 of The Iliad, “Hera Outflanks Zeus”, the book incorporates the disparity between the gods. At...

It is commonly known that the Ancient Grecians and Romans relied on the supernatural for many things; in fact, it was really just a way of life for them. They went to Oracles to hear their futures, performed certain rituals for luck or otherwise, and...

Hospitality shows the reception and entertainment of guest, visitors, or strangers through unselfishness and goodwill. In the Greek culture hospitality is shown as a great level of respect with a massive feast and days of celebration. The Greek started using hospitality as a sign of...

The Iliad, Gilgamesh, and The Art of War are set in different time periods. The Art of War posits that good leadership is a matter of life and death, a road to either safety or ruin. Master Sun Tzu does everything he can including extreme...

Revenge, justice, and destiny are three major themes intertwined in the Iliad. The book opens with the rage of Achilles in response to his dishonor, then immediately switches to an incident that occurred previously where a priest of the son of Zeus (Apollo) suffered a...

Courage and justice have been two highly discussed values throughout the semester, and in this essay I will seek to connect the two together as well as relating the ideas in accordance with Aristotle’s Nicomachean Ethics, The Illiad, and The Epic of Gilgamesh. According to...

The Iliad: Book and Film Comparison The Iliad became adapted into a film during 2004 called Troy, in which the story was both dramatically and subtly changed in its adaptation. A major difference in the film was that there were no intervening or actions of...

The Characteristics of Morality Plays as made Discernable in the Iliad In the Iliad, Homer highlights how it is human nature for individuals to be susceptible to malicious intentions no matter how deep seated one’s moral compass is, thus allowing the Iliad to be considered...