Hector And Achilles : The Values Of Achilles And Hector

In the modern world, people, as a society, have always given themselves a goal or goals that they would like to attain at some point during their lifetime. Many people seek to attain riches, love, happiness or high stature within society. When we people set that goal, we tend to mold our lifestyles around it. As people work throughout their lives to achieve this ultimate goal, it becomes apparent to others what it is we are working so hard for. Just as this pattern is evident in modern society, it can also be seen in the times of Homer, particularly in the great Greek epic, the Iliad. This distinct pattern can be seen in Achilles, one of the most vital characters in the story. Achilles, being the ultimate most powerful warrior of all

Achilles and Hector are similar in a few ways but are different in many more. Both men are renowned warriors and some of the best fighters for their sides. And unfortunately, both men are fated to die. Both men are human, although only barely in Achilles’s case, who can only be wounded if hit in a small spot on his heel. But despite these few similarities, Achilles and Hector are more different than they are alike. Achilles let’s himself be ruled by his emotions while Hector has a more steady and calm temperament. Hector has a wife and a son and is capable of showing love towards others, Achilles on the other hand only speaks to his mother when he needs something: revenge, or armor.

In my understanding this symbolizes a significant turning point in Achilles point of view when it comes to honor, status, power and glory and puts him on a path toward a downward spiral, which ultimately leads him to doubt and question his personal beliefs on power, glory, status and honor. "Faith is the same for the man who holds back, the same if he fights hard we are all held in a single honor the brave with the weaklings. A man dies still if he has done nothing, as one who has done much. Nothing is won for me now that my heart has gone through his afflictions in forever setting my life on the hazard of battle?(Homer 9.318.206).

In the Iliad Homer depicts Hector as the hero. Hector is courageous for fighting even though Apollo abandoned him. Hector knew he would be in a big disadvantage in terms of strength and ability if he fought Achilles, but he had the courage to stand up to him. Hector was willing to fight Achilles for his people and his city, he knew in order for Troy to win the war, he had to defeat Achilles even if it will cost him his life. Achilles is portrayed as the villain or snake with deadly poisons. Hector follows an honor code for burial arrangements while Achilles was not willing to do the same and in the end desecrate his body. Achilles drags Hectors corpse behind his chariot around the city, trying to mock him. It shows how disgraceful Achilles and just makes Hector seem like more of a hero. When Hector died, the people of Troy cried out for Hector. Hector fought for his family and his people, while Achilles fought for glory and personal honor. Heroes are people who are willing to sacrifice themselves.

Earlier, when Agamemnon and Achilles are arguing, the reader learns that Achilles has won a prize, or woman, for his success in a battle. Agamemnon is jealous and wants Achilles’ prize. He is willing to do anything for it. Achilles on the other hand refuses to fight him because it isn’t honorable or courageous to fight a man who has never had to do anything for himself. Even though Achilles is angry at Agamemnon for taking his prize he knows if waits to strike, people will look up to him because of his self-control.

While reading The Iliad, the righteousness "courage" is a continuous theme, which appeared throughout this epic. In the course of the Trojan War, heroism seemed highly valued than life alone, therefore a man’s bravery was viewed as more prominent verses whether or not he was truthful or devoted to his significant other. Instead of primarily focusing on the concern of courageousness, more specifically I wanted to thoroughly examine two very different characters to see how they contrast one another. Both Achilles, King of Myrmidons, and Hector, Prince of Troy, struck me as the most strongly divergent characters. Arguably, I perceived Hector as more daring than Achilles, not only am I arguing that Hector showed more heroism but overall he is a

Achilles, on the other hand, can almost be fully comprehended from his initial disagreement with Agamemnon. Agamemnon's unreasonable actions seem to justify Achilles' refusal to engage his men in battle, primarily, because his pride will not allow him to act. Achilles believes himself to be the most important man in the army and the injury cannot be forgiven. Even when a diplomatic escape is contrived by Agamemnon, Achilles sees his position as unchanged-doubtlessly, Odysseus would have relented but Achilles is unable to forget past grievances.

When one thinks of a hero they may think of superman or batman, but I think of Achilles. The Iliad, written by Homer is one of the best examples of Achilles’ heroism in Greek mythology. According to the greeks, a hero needed to meet certain qualifications. They believed the heroic ideal consisted of the qualities of a warrior: physical prowess, courage, intelligence, self-control, endurance, and honor (Wilhelm, 193). Therefore, I will examine both the heroic and non-heroic actions of both Achilles and Hector of Troy to determine which character emerged as the greatest hero according to this ideal. Ultimately, it will be obvious to you that Achilles is greater of a hero than Hector of Troy.

In Homer’s epic, the Iliad, the legendary, has no two characters that are so similar yet so different as Greek warrior, Achilles, and the Prince of Troy, Hector. Achilles is the strongest fighter in the Greek side, and Hector is the strongest Trojan. They are both put into the mold of a hero that their respective societies have put them into; however; it is evident that they are both extremely complex characters with different roles within their society and with their families, and with the gods.

In Homer’s The Iliad, Hector and Achilles are both amazing heroes who receive a great amount of respect from their people. Achilles is in charge of the Greek army, while Hector leads the Trojan army. Both are strong and fearless soldiers who are almost god-like, but with plenty of human flaws. They both have failures that eventually lead to tragedy. Moreover, both are ruled by fate through the mercy of the gods (Book 22; 331). These two great warriors share many outstanding differences that ultimately shape my opinion on each character, such as their view on the importance of family and the amount of honor they each obtain.

"This revealed to me that Agamemnon feels that his power is being threatened by Achilles, and that he needs to fight Achilles to maintain his position."

In the battle between Hector and Achilles, there was more on the line than winning the war. Until the end of the poem, it can be argued that both Achilles and Hector fit the role of an epic hero, but there can only be one. The battle represented who would ultimately be determined the epic hero. In Homer’s epic poem, The Iliad, Achilles is crafted into an epic hero throughout the poem by the illustration of the qualities of an epic hero: a great warrior, help from the supernatural, an epic flaw, and an epic journey.

Although Achilles and Hector are both leaders of men, Hector leads with a mature sense that gives his men reason to respect him. In turn, Hector respects his men which gives fulfillment to both parties. Hector is not a man to sit around and mull over strategies and ideas - Hector is a man of action.

Warfare is, and always has been, the most appalling and yet most integral part of all human life. This is a truth that is displayed most ingeniously in Homer’s epic poem, The Iliad. In this epic, both mortals and gods alike are engulfed with the desire to best their enemy, even though pride and rage are what cloud their vision and fuel their actions. These seemingly harmless flaws carry great weight and prove to be irremediable vices. Achilles and Agamemnon, two of the central characters in the Iliad, exhibit these flaws most dramatically as they take part in the gruesome and savage close of the Trojan War. Here, pride and anger are portrayed as prevailing forces, as when they lead to the conflict between Achilles and Agamemnon and later, the ruin of the Achaean army. Achilles, the greatest of all Achaean warriors, fails to respond with honor or nobility when his pride is injured. Instead, he surges up with great rage and ultimately causes the death many of his fellow comrades. Similarly, Agamemnon, the commander in chief of the Achaean army, has a hot temper and a prideful streak. His childish and insulting demands are what initially triggers the infamous rage of Achilles. In both cases, arrogance and fury are what drive these characters to carry out actions that have catastrophic consequences.

In the Iliad Book 1 there isn’t much information about Hector and how he interacts with Achilles, but it begins in book 22 and 24. Book 22 is about how Achilles returns from chasing Apollo and Hector is there to confront him. Hector realizes his mistake and he that he should have listened to his family and went back inside the walls. Achilles chases Hector around the city three times. They begin to fight and Achilles throws a spear right in Hectors throat. Hector tries to make a deal with Achilles to give his body back to his family because he was going to die. Achilles didn’t listen and he let his soldiers stab him and beat his body. He ties his body to the back of his chariot with his head down and drags it threw the dirt around the city as his wife, mom, and dad watch and weep from the city. In book 24 Apollo tells Zeus its time for Achilles to give Hectors body back. Zeus sends Priam and Hermes to get the body back from Achilles. Priam persuades Achilles to give the body back. During the night they take the body and flee back to the city. All the people of the city weep when they see Hectors body. In the book Hector is a loving person who tries to protect his family, but he also was overly prideful which cost his life when he wouldn’t listen to his family to come back in the walls. Achilles is a ruthless, merciless man who doesn’t care who he kills. Hector and Achilles are similar because they both show love in the book. There love was just shown in different ways