Interpretive Paper 1 “Thou shall not kill” is a fundamental belief in today’s society, yet during times of war, breaking this commandment is not considered a sin. Instead it is a necessary action to properly serve and protect the country. However, when modern-day soldiers return from battle they generally do not discuss the details of the war to the public. Conversely, in the Iliad, as more people know about a hero’s war story, the more glory he attains. The Iliad’s depiction of war is complex. Homer does not simply focus on only the positive or negative effects of war; he intentionally talks about both in order to portray that war is complicated. In the Iliad, war was a means of achieving fame and glory and it was a form of entertainment
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Homer stresses the horrors of war when he includes anecdotes about minor characters and then almost immediately kills them off. This appeals to the audience’s pathos by reminding the reader that these characters are more than just soldiers and that the war has ended their lives. This style of describing battles invokes pity for the characters and shows the reader the negative aspects of war. In addition to the short anecdotes, other events in the Iliad also appeal to the audience’s pathos. For example, in Book 1 Homer describes the Plague as an arrow that “…struck them. The corpse fires burned everywhere and did not stop burning” (Homer 1.51). This description of the Plague emphasizes the amount of devastation it caused. Enough that it spread like wildfire and was endless. Additionally, Homer is very descriptive of some deaths, causing the audience to feel more pity. Hektor’s death in particular is described in great detail and as a result the audience feels a great deal of sorrow. The audience’s sadness is nevertheless only a fraction of the distress that Hektor’s family feels. “…and now his mother tore out her hair, and threw the shining veil far from her and raised a great wail as she looked upon her son; and his father beloved groaned pitifully, and all his people about him were taken with wailing and lamentation all through the city” (Homer 22.405). By mustering a fraction of Hektor’s family’s pain in the audience, Homer accentuates how horrible war can be and how both sides suffer
Homer stresses the horrors of war when he includes anecdotes about minor characters and then almost immediately kills them off. This appeals to the audience’s pathos by reminding the reader that these characters are more than just soldiers and that the war has ended their lives. This style of describing battles invokes pity for the characters and shows the reader the negative aspects of war. In addition to the short anecdotes, other events in the Iliad also appeal to the audience’s pathos. For example, in Book 1 Homer describes the Plague as an arrow that “…struck them. The corpse fires burned everywhere and did not stop burning” (Homer 1.51). This description of the Plague emphasizes the amount of devastation it caused. Enough that it spread like wildfire and was endless. Additionally, Homer is very descriptive of some deaths, causing the audience to feel more pity. Hektor’s death in particular is described in great detail and as a result the audience feels a great deal of sorrow. The audience’s sadness is nevertheless only a fraction of the distress that Hektor’s family feels. “…and now his mother tore out her hair, and threw the shining veil far from her and raised a great wail as she looked upon her son; and his father beloved groaned pitifully, and all his people about him were taken with wailing and lamentation all through the city” (Homer 22.405). By mustering a fraction of Hektor’s family’s pain in the audience, Homer accentuates how horrible war can be and how both sides suffer