Patroclus

In The Iliad written by Homer about Greek myth, Hector is a Trojan prince who keeps his commitment and never afraid of death in the war because he believes fate. He loves his family as much as himself. His wife wants him to stay with family, but nonetheless the reason why he still goes to the war is because he thinks it is ashamed if he does not join the war and hide behind Trojans by fear of death. In John Krakauer’s book Where Men Win Glory, real life famous football player Pat Tillman also…

fate of their world will ultimately trump those wishes. It is evident that even the gods do not control fate, for Zeus, the king of the gods, is found in book 16 saying, “Fate has it that Sarpedon, whom I love more than any man, is to be killed by Patroclus. Shall I take him out of battle where he still lives…?” (Il. 16.471-473). After conversing with his wife Hera, he finally decides that he should not change the course of fate that was already chosen for beloved son, Sarpedon. If Zeus is…

In King Lear, written in 1606, Shakespeare’s stylistic devices convey not only a feeling of bitter despondency and disheartened despair, but also a feeling of desolate hopelessness and tormented delusion to reveal the misery and turmoil that results from betrayal brought on by severed holy chords. The use of diction evokes a feeling of fury as the brutality of the words echo the physical and emotional suffering induced by both literal and metaphorical maelstroms. Provoked by the “contentious…

1. may instigate and further advance the plot as a result of the death of the protagonist’s surrogate as displayed between the case of Achilles and Patroclus. 2. “Characters are not people” but are “products of writers’ imaginations – and reader’s imaginations.” Characters are neither real nor alive. In fact, the only reason characters are present is to further serve a role in fostering the plot line and are not conclusive themselves. 3. The death of the surrogate provides an opportunity to…

Prevalent Indian leader Mahatma Gandhi once said “The weak can never forgive. Forgiveness is the attribute of the strong”. A strong, respected leader must be forgiving. However, advancement in society is founded upon politically motivated decisions. In the Iliad, Homer shows that although hierarchical societies rely on self-interested actions, compassion and forgiveness are essential for respected leadership. The imagery of the wolves symbolizes the hierarchy that is present in the society of…

There have been many philosophers in our world’s history, perhaps the most famous of them would be Aristotle. Aristotle was a Greek philosopher who contributed to many different sciences including, logic, metaphysics, mathematics, biology, and countless others. Although Aristotle is famous now, he wasn’t very famous in his own time. Aristotle’s beliefs contradicted many of the modern beliefs in his time. Ben Waggoner, a professor at the University of California Museum of Paleontology, states,…

help the good that are suffering cope is by simply comforting them as a friend would do. We see this when Achilles, the greatest warrior, is suffering from the loss of his best friend. When Thetis witnesses how Achilles reacts to the death of Patroclus, she takes his hand and says, “My child, leave your friend to lie there dead—we must, though it breaks our hearts…”(Homer, Iliad 19.9-10).…

expectation of protection. In addition, the armor contains a mind of its own and even demonstrates betrayal when necessary. “The rest of his flesh seemed all encased in armor,/ burnished, brazen—Achilles’ armor that Hector stripped/ from strong Patroclus when he killed him—true,” (Homer 22.379-381). Achilles armor allows him to succeed as a warrior regardless of whether he is wearing. Through every battle, Achilles receives no deception from his armor. However, the moment Hector wears it, the…

Hector and Achilles are demonstrations of how destructive war is on a personal level, and neither is an adequate hero of The Iliad. Although both figures have their moments acting as protagonist and antagonist of this epic poem, neither Hector nor Achilles finish their story with a satisfactory conclusion, leaving the audience questioning the legitimacy of their character. From the beginning of The Iliad, Achilles is seen only as a man with a grudge who refuses to help his fellow men, even when…

War is an awesome force for change. It drives history, creates empires, and fells dynasties. War changes the world. However, not only does it induce change on at a macroscopic level, but it also changes the individual lives that get caught up as well. People are revealed as cowards or branded as heroes, but oftentimes these are not who these people are everyday because war changes people, down to their very character and psyche. It is this idea that Homer explores in The Iliad. Throughout the…