...Week 3 Iliad paper The Iliad’s use of similarities between characters and animals is found throughout the books. My focus will be on book twenty two “The Death of Hector.” No more words-he dashed toward the city, heart racing for some great exploit, rushing on like a champion stallion drawing a chariot full tilt, sweeping across the plain in easy, tearing strides-so Achilles hurtled on, driving legs and knees. (Page 542 line 26) Here we see Achilles on his way to Troy in order to take on his arch nemesis Hector. His strides that he is taking are very similar to the gliding of a thorough bread horse. His power is shown in the way in which he races without tiring. Hector is seen awaiting Achilles with his fate already determined. The next passage from the book in my eyes is a very powerful message in that it positions Achilles and Hector into categories. There are no binding oaths between men and lions-wolves and lambs can enjoy no meeting of the minds. (Page 550 line 309) Here with this statement, Achilles is affirming that Hector is a mere mortal while Achilles should be considered a god because of his abilities. In the same passage he is considering his abilities to that of the wolf and Hector being the prey that is the lamb. He is showing that these two particular species will never co-exist without fighting to the death. And on that resolve he drew the whetted sword that hung at his side, tempered, massive, and gathering all his force he swooped like...
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...glory among the Trojans, strong and brave like me, and rule all Troy in power” (6.562-69) In Book 6 of The Iliad, Homer describes the highly acclaimed Trojan warrior, Hector, returning from the battlefield to the city of Troy, where he meets his wife Andromache, and his infant son Astyanax. The excerpt displayed above describes the meeting of Hector with his family and serves an important purpose in The Iliad because it humanizes and reveals the positive traits of the great warrior; the audience can relate to Hector as he returns from war and suddenly embraces Astyanax upon seeing him. Homer is able to achieve a great level of emotional depth in this excerpt because he employs imagery that vividly conveys Hector’s return to his family. When Hector hastily removes his helmet upon seeing how it frightens Astyanax, Homer writes a series of clauses containing thoughts, feelings, and emotions which make the audience realize that Hector, who previously affirmed his devotion to the war, has a tender and loving side as well. Hector’s sudden display of emotion may seem questionable to the audience at first, because in previous chapters of the epic, he is a rather serious and stern figure who is bound to Troy’s war effort. Reading this excerpt, the audience may question why Hector would momentarily acquiesce to his emotions. An answer to this question may be that Homer wants to express his condemnation of war by juxtaposing Hector’s emotional personality with his serious, militaristic...
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...Ahmed Williams Midterm Daniel Jaeckle 10/13/2011 The question that was posed is what does each author hold as his or her highest value; and, what do I think their values tell us about their culture? The two authors that I am going to write about are homer and Sopocles. These two authors have many differences and similarities; but I think there are three things these author’s hold as there highest value. That is, brains over brawn, maturity over time, and the need to complete a journey. Let’s begin with the idea of brains over brawn. Both of the authors seem to emphasize the intelligence of each main character; and, that intelligence is touted at a higher regard than strength. We see this in Odysseus who repeatedly uses his brain and intellect to outsmart others. Of course, he uses some force, but it is suggested that he was just as much of a warrior with his mind as he was with his sword. We also see this in Oedipus as he used his foresight to become a great leader. However, although Oedipus’s use of his intelligence was touted as noble, the book also uses his is intelligence as a lesson on fate. This leads to my second point which is maturity over time. Both of the main characters in either novel seemed to have gone through change in maturity. We certainly see the maturity level in Oedipus change after he finds out that he has no control over his fate; and even if brains were preferred over brawn, you still must understand your destiny. I use the word...
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...The Role of the Gods in the Iliad In the era of Homer, divine intervention was thought to be typical, and one of his foremost works, The Iliad, reflects this. Nearly all of the Greek gods are involved in the outcome of the Trojan War, which happens to be the background story of this epic poem. The gods are used by Homer to add twists on an otherwise standard plot of war. Evidently, the gods will be a powerful source of divine intervention and their actions certainly have significant outcomes on the Trojan War, and more importantly, the story of The Iliad. Zeus, very untypical of a Greek god in his lack of involvement in the Trojan War for selfish reasons, was portrayed as the father figure, being impartial and fair to both sides of the war. He remains this way to serve as a check for the other god's involvement in the war. Without the presence of fate controlling the inner circle of Olympus, it is likely that the activity of the Trojan War would have become chaotic, possibly even becoming a playground of war for the gods. The power of fate, above all of the other gods combined, is a power that not even divine intervention can prevent. This theme of fate and how it controls the god’s actions is quite befitting to the storyline of The Iliad. The Iliad, in essence, recounts the story of part of the tenth year of the Trojan War. It recounts of the anger of Achilles, the greatest warrior present at Troy, and of the background battle that is ensuing. The reoccurring theme in the Iliad...
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...This is a 3-page paper on the role of Greek and Roman literature and the role it plays in today’s society. THE ROLE OF GREEK AND ROMAN LITERATURE Over the years, literature of ancient Greece and Rome has affected art, religion, philosophy, science and mathematics, medicine, drama, and poetry profoundly. It has served as a basic model for the development of later European literatures and, consequently, the writings of the historians, geographers, philosophers, scientists, and rhetoricians are read today as sources of historical information and enjoyment. Alfred Whitehead, the famous British philosopher-mathematician, once commented that: “[A]ll philosophy is but a footnote to Plato” (Comptons Encyclopedia). A similar point can be made regarding Greek literature as a whole. The Greek world of thought was far ranging and ideas discussed today have been previously debated by ancient writers. In fact, until recently, in Western culture, an acquaintance with classical Latin (as well as Greek) literature was basic to a liberal education. Roman literature such as epic and lyric poetry, rhetoric, history, comic drama and satire (the last genre being the only literary form that the Romans invented) serve as today’s backbone for a basic understanding of expression and artistic creativity, as well as history. Greek comedies such as those of Naevius and Andronicus, as well as historical writings in epic poems (First Punic War), tell the story of Rome and its conquests and served...
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...Joseph Banks Dr. Harl English 201 December 15, 2012 The Ramayana and The Odyssey The Ramayana and The Odyssey have been huge pieces of literature worldwide for many years. The Odyssey and The Ramayana are two different stories that are very similar in ways people may not realize. Odysseus and Rama are both great heroic men that have love for their wives. These heroes had set voyages that had obstacles they had to conquer. The historical contexts of these two tales are similar as well. Both of these stories being so old were started by oral traditions. They were passed on from generation to generation through the oral traditions used back then. Oral traditions used to be the only way that the common people could communicate their stories. Culturally both stories came from the same background to an extent. They each were from places ruled under monarchies where kings ruled over all the people. One difference is that The Ramayana was at a state of peace whereas The Odyssey tells its story when they are not at peace they are at war. Rama is exiled into the Dandaka Forest and Odysseus has been at war and has had trouble getting back for nearly twenty years. Each one is having a hard time getting what they desire and the obstacles along the way do not help. Rama, his wife Sita, and his younger brother Lakshmana are exiled in the forest.” I cannot live without my Sita.”(Ramayana) This is when the ten-headed king of Lanka abducts Sita while Rama is away. Odysseus...
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...character that makes a wrongful decision and at the end pays for it. His choice will cause tragic circumstances. On the other hand, an epic hero is a character that goes through difficulties along his journey, all of which end up making him stronger. Example of a tragic hero is seen in Oedipus de King by Sophocles and an epic hero is seen in the Odyssey by Homer. In the Odyssey, Odysseus is the epic hero who goes through so much in order to return home. It takes him 10 years to finally return home and in his adventure he encounters a nymph named Calypso who kidnaps him in her island and doesn’t let him go until she is ordered to do so by Zeus. He is almost killed by the Cyclops’ Polyphemus, but survives by using his cunningness. The greatest attribute of Odysseus is being smart because that is how he survives all the challenges presented and how he gets home safe while many of his men get killed in the act. “Yea, and if some god shall wreck me in the wine-dark deep, even so I will endure…For already I have suffered full much, and much have I toiled in perils of waves and wars. Let this be added to the tale of those.” (Homer V 18) Epic heroes are differentiated by other kind of heroes because they survive their journey by being smarter, stronger and braver than any other person. Oedipus the King in the other hand is a tragic hero because even when he is smart and strong his story still ends tragically. One of his greatest mistakes that took him to his ruin was his pride and...
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...In the era of Homer, divine intervention was thought to be typical, and one of his foremost works, The Iliad, reflects this. Nearly all of the Greek gods are involved in the outcome of the Trojan War, which happens to be the background story of this epic poem. The gods are used by Homer to add twists on an otherwise standard plot of war. Evidently, the gods will be a powerful source of divine intervention and their actions certainly have significant outcomes on the Trojan War, and more importantly, the story of The Iliad. Zeus, very untypical of a Greek god in his lack of involvement in the Trojan War for selfish reasons, was portrayed as the father figure, being impartial and fair to both sides of the war. He remains this way to serve as a check for the other god's involvement in the war. Without the presence of fate controlling the inner circle of Olympus, it is likely that the activity of the Trojan War would have become chaotic, possibly even becoming a playground of war for the gods. The power of fate, above all of the other gods combined, is a power that not even divine intervention can prevent. This theme of fate and how it controls the god’s actions is quite befitting to the storyline of The Iliad. The Iliad, in essence, recounts the story of part of the tenth year of the Trojan War. It recounts of the anger of Achilles, the greatest warrior present at Troy, and of the background battle that is ensuing. The reoccurring theme in the Iliad is that no matter whom the character...
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...In the book the Iliad I believe the archetypal hero is Achilles i believe he is the hero for three reasons; he has a unusual birth ,his call to adventure, and finial victory. The first reason is because of his unusual birth in the book it does not say a lot about his birth only that his mother,Thesis,was a god and his father, Peleus. The unusual circumstances surrounding his birth are not mentioned a whole lot but what is mentioned is that when he was a child his mother dipped him in the river of styx and held him by his Achilles heel thus it weakness. The second reason is because of his call to adventure. When Achilles was called to fight in the was Agamemnon called upon him to fight, not because he liked Achilles, which he did not, but because he was an amazing fighter. THroughout the Epic Agamemnon is always complaining about Achilles and Achilles is always threatening to kill or hut Agamemnon.Rage is the very first word of the whole poem, setting the theme that will control the actions of the entire poem, the rage of Achilles. We are in the ninth year of the war of the war—another word being fought in Troy, a city in what is now Turkey. Achilles is a young man his enemy commanding general is Agamemnon, but Achilles is the greatest warrior the Greeks have. The third reason is because of the finial victory. In the book in the end. This battle takes place because of the anger inside of Achilles after his cousin is killed. THis anger helps him defeat hector but...
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...The first known writing of Greek mythology was dated back to around the time of the Trojan War. Homer and Hesiod were two of the most well-known writers of Greek mythology and epic poetry. Although a lot of information is debatable about him, Homer was the first known person to write Greek literature. Homer has many claimed birthplaces. Among the most popular are Smyrna and Ionia. His main theme was the Trojan War between the Greek and Trojans. Even though he may have been blind, Homer is considered responsible for two of the most well-known books of Greek myth; Iliad and the Odyssey and Homeric Hymns which were short poems celebrating the various gods. The Iliad is a story of the siege of the city of Troy during the Trojan War. The Odyssey is the story of Odysseus, a warrior, and his ten year journey from Troy to Ithaca after the fall of Troy in the Trojan War (“The Life and Work of Homer”). Hesiod is along the side of Homer when it comes to the creation of the Greek gods. He was said to be born after Homer. He was a shepherd who worked in the mountains of Helicon. He got his inspiration to write epic poetry from an experience he had on the mountain where he met the Muses that appeared before him in a mist after the death of his father. Two of his most famous works were Theogony and Works and Days. Theogony is the story of the creation of the Greek gods and their evolution. His second story, Works and Days, was about the struggle between him and his brother over the property...
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...is the kind of writing that depends on the reader’s reaction to what the writer says. One should remember that the goal of persuasive writing is to make the reader change from his viewpoint to the writer’s viewpoint. Therefore, the writer must present his argument in a way that will not offend his reader. • TOPIC: In the epic poem Iliad, who best fits the traits of the hero? Hector or Achilles? In your essay, persuade your audience that either Achilles or Hector is the better example of the archetypal hero. I. Introduction • Begin your introductory paragraph by discussing the fact that heroes have many characteristics. • List some possible heroic characteristics. • Include the title of the epic and the author (Homer). • State your thesis at the end of the paragraph—Achilles or Hector is the better hero II. Body Paragraphs • Begin each body paragraph with a topic sentence—an example of an archetypal/epic hero trait that the hero possesses • Include specific examples from the Iliad. • End each paragraph with a Clincher/Transition sentence that wraps up this idea and moves us to the next idea. Warning **Pitfalls to avoid in body paragraphs: stereotypes, name-calling, slanting the truth, quoting out of context, and distortions of the oppositions’ views. Remember: Using unfair persuasive techniques to disguise weakness in one’s own position or to discredit the opposition’s views that are worthy of serious attention is propaganda. V. ...
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...Overview of Prehistory and the Ancient World Subtitle: EP’s fast forward background This “mini-lecture” gives you a sense of the main points I would like to make before we study Hellenic and Hellenistic Greece . Our text is lacking some of the literary and philosophical examples I think you need – we are trying to have as “interdisciplinary” a study as possible, so I’m adding background I think is pertinent and is just fun stuff to know! Prehistory: The text discussed the period when man was still nomadic and groups subsisted as hunter/gatherers. There are two art works that are remarkable as “mirrors of mind” of those earliest people. Don’t be confused by the sequence of the illustrations in your book – the very earliest of the artistic works we have is the “Woman [or ‘Venus’] of Willendorf”. Was this a sculpture of a specific woman? Does it show details? Is its nudity indicative of a lusty sexual obsession of the artist? Why would this subject be a priority for early expression? Really ponder these questions independently for a moment before reading on. If early Mankind was aware of anything, it was that life is CYCLICAL. There are cycles of the moon, of rivers flooding, menstrual cycles, childbearing cycles, seasonal cycles, cycles of the day from sunrise to sunset, etc.. Woman is the source of life and the womb and breasts nourish new life. No, this is not a statue of a particular woman – the features are very abstract and generic. The artist pays homage...
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...Father-Son Relationship in The Odyssey The Odyssey introduces the theme of father-son relationships to exemplify how influential fathers were at the time. Fathers act as role models to their sons and can determine their actions even if there is a physical and psychological space and difference between them, like Odysseus and Telemachus. The reader is able to gain greater insight into the nature of ancient Greek society by analysing these father-son relationships for their complexities and circumstances of their familial ties. With each father-son relationship shown, Homer offers a unique perspective about the roles that were available to both father and son. Book 1-4 Throughout the Telemachia, we learn that Telemachus has been forced to grow up without the influence of his father and has been directly affected by Odysseus’ absence. When he confides in Athena under the guise of Mentor, he proclaims that he does not have solid proof that he is in fact Odysseus’s son and doubts that he is still alive. However, the dialogue between both Athena and Telemachus initiates Telemachus’ spiritual development. So, when the pre-economy of Odysseus and Telemachus re-uniting is fulfilled – Telemachus will be in the position to assist his father in killing the suitors and to restore the natural order in the Ithacan society. Telemachus first asserts his male privilege by ordering Penelope from the public rooms of the palace, indicating to the suitors of his intention to assert his claim...
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... In order to fully understand our current environmental worldview, we must look back to the roots of our perspective. Specifically, the influence of ancient Greeks and Romans. Traditionally, the Greeks and Romans regarded the world as a sacred place where the gods of nature, who shared some human qualities, were present. Most Gods were understood and depicted as having specific connections to natural elements. One goddess, Artemis, is now understood as the “goddess of conservation” as she was often blamed for the difficulties that neglectful hunters went through. Due to the strong connection between the environment and the Gods, the Greeks and Romans viewed the natural world as places where humanity could directly feel and experience the power and presence of gods in the real world. This resulted in extreme reverence for the natural world which is reflected in the art, literature, and architecture of the time. Furthermore, over a period of time this early reverence and appreciation for the natural world launched many early philosophers to produce scientific inquiries and theories based on their observations of the natural world around them. This includes discoveries and methods that were the foundation for the development of ecology. While these ancient discoveries, in retrospect, may not have been fully accurate, are still extremely important in understanding how environmental worldviews developed in the way they have. At the beginning of natural philosophy, concepts were heavily...
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...Greek mythology with the possible exception of the Vedic-Hindu religion of India, religion or religion in connection with the mythology of the ancient Greeks produced the most complex and sophisticated in the world. Greek myth usually read as individual stories. Greek mythology has exercised a profound and unparalleled influence upon western culture. Dramatists, artists, and philosophers from Roman times, through the great revival of interest in antiquity the Renaissance, up to the present day have been inspired by the thrilling legacy of ancient Greece. The origins of these myths are impossible to determine and there is no one true version of any myth. Greek mythology is the foundation of allusion and character genesis in literature. The imaginative Greeks created myths to explain just about every element of the human condition. In a book like the Mythical Greek Robert Graves's do we realize that Greek mythology is, in fact, one saga gradually made up of people's imagination and a lot of talented writers, in which the characters and events from the beginning of pregnancy is mutual related in complex web that touches every aspect of human experience imaginable. The creation of the world is explained through two stories where a son usurps the place of his father - Cronus from Uranus and Zeus from Cronus - probably a reference to the eternal struggle between different generations and family members. Main Body In Greek mythology, Poseidon was known as the god of the sea, rivers...
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