Is Malala A Hero In The Iliad

Joseph Campbell, a famous writer, famously once said “A hero is someone who has given his or her life to something bigger than oneself ”. Campbell’s quote perfectly describes the ideal hero through their bravery and sacrifice. In The Iliad, an Epic by Homer, it describes an ancient Greek war between the Achaean army and the Trojan army ten years before the fall of Troy. A brave Trojan commander, Hector, is known for being a well-respected among his men and feared by his enemies. He leads his men into action with much ferocity and bravery. Outside of literature, Malala Yousafzai, a young Pakistani, received the Nobel Peace Prize for her efforts on promoting education for women in the Middle East. She became a target by the Taliban because she …show more content…
Despite the constant fate of death, Hector and Malala stay brave and refuse to flee. The Taliban, unhappy that Malala influenced people to pursue an education, made constant threats against her. However, Malala continued to argue for education despite when “the Taliban shot [her] on the left side of [her] forehead” (Malala). Despite almost dying, Malala resumed her activities because she believed that education was more powerful than the Taliban. She remained brave against her enemies and used her words to educate others in an attempt to bring down the Taliban. In The Iliad, Hector is shown running away from Achilles during a fight. However Hector was only running from him because “the Trojans… fled like deer.../ resting by its sturdy walls” (22.1-2). Hector hoped that if he could get Achilles close to the wall then his men could attack him. In the end, Hector sadly decided that he could no longer run and that he must face Achilles once and for all. Even when he knew his fate, Hector decided to ultimately fight and die for Troy. No matter their situation, Hector and Malala remained brave and unwavering towards their