Comparisons Between Humans And Animals In Homer's The Iliad

In his book, the Iliad, Homer constantly makes comparisons between the actions of humans and those of animals in order to further visualize the situation to the audience. One such instance appears in the second book as Homer likens the gathered armies to a flock of birds. Homer says “They were like great flocks of geese, or cranes, or swans on the plain about the waters of Cayster, that wing their way hither and thither, glorying in the pride of flight, crying as they settle till the fen is alive with their screaming” (Iliad II.538-542). Through this comparison, Homer does not simply throw in some fancy wording, but draws upon his audience’s previous experiences to communicate the true disorder of the situation. Homer knows that everyone has seen birds fly overhead while screeching in unorganized chaos. As a result, the audience’s perception of the situations changes as they begin to fully understand the disorder of the battle.

Throughout the Iliad, Homer often uses …show more content…
By using this comparison, Homer instantly implies to the reader just how inhuman and predatory the Danaans are as they chase down the Trojans. Homer states that just like wolves chase after their prey, the Danaans are not help back by moral standards, and, because of this they rage against their foes when given the chance. As a result, the Trojans come underneath an instinctual fear of helplessness and end up running before the battle is even fought. Consequently, the audience view of the Trojans begins to change. Instead of viewing the Trojans as simply a nation under siege, the audience now understands that they are victims of the unruliness of the Danaans. Homer specifically used this comparison of wolf and his prey because those listening to the story would have understood chilling nature of predator chasing his