...4. In Homer’s Iliad, explain how the concept of shame functions for the characters of the poem. What, generally, is shame, and how and why are people supposed to be affected by it? In your answer, select an example of shaming from the text which has what you would call a standard effect, and also indicate at least two instances where shame does not have the standard effect. In the two exceptional instances, explain why you believe the concept does not function “properly”. THE SHAMELESS OF THE ILIAD The shame concept holds a significant part of life in ancient times. Especially, among the Greeks, shame was widely regarded as a matter of life and death, which can be observed in numerous noticeable works such as the Iliad. In the Iliad, when the characters try to make the one who acts against the society or needs to be motivated, feel ashamed by talking and insulting. This can be observed with dialogues of many characters like between Achilles and Agamemnon or Odysseus, and between Paris and Hector. There are numerous instances; some are acceptable and standard while some are really abnormal and extraordinary, in the Iliad Books 1, 3 and 9. There is an emphasized standard effect of shame In Book 1. Because Agamemnon feels himself superior, he gets Briseis, Achilles’ prize as a symbol of honor. Achilles becomes extremely angry and humiliates Agamemnon. In front of the army, he calls Agamemnon ‘shameless’. Then, Agamemnon shoots back, questions if he is a good warrior and...
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...Journal Essay #3 When the reader first opens Homer's epic poem The Iliad, the author's very first line states the poem's main premise: "Achilles' rage" (1); if that doesn't tell the reader anything, it's also the title of the first book. However, I've noticed that many people still find it difficult to determine who the heroic protagonist is in The Iliad. That's because the audience today doesn't believe that their view, of what constitutes a heroic protagonist, coincides with the typical heroic protagonist of the Ancient Greeks. Yes, contemporary readers will all probably agree that Achilles possesses a couple of the characteristics, that would make him a heroic protagonist (i.e. being extremely brave, ambitious for honor, physically strong, etc...). However, Achilles also possesses some less thought-of characteristics, that might cause contemporary readers to arguably disagree with Achilles being an heroic protagonist. Given all criteria that makes up an epic poem's heroic protagonist, and that The Iliad is considered an epic; I'm going to have to say, that (while others display qualities of heroic protagonists) Achilles is the most heroic protagonist of The Iliad. Some of the more controversial characteristics, that make Achilles the perfect candidate for being the most heroic protagonist include: ambition driven by glory and immortality, he fights something or someone god-like, he has a known companion, he has an outward physical element that's very prominent, he is...
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...1 Jeff Bernard Professor Toscano Honors IT 10/05/07 Achilles: The Tragic Hero The great hero Achilles, in Homer's The Iliad, was known to all Greeks for his strength, courage, and his ability to kill countless Trojans at impeccable speed. Also well known is the “Rage of Achilles,” which caused thousands of Greeks to lose their lives. Some critics have claimed that Achilles fits the Aristotelian model for a tragic hero: a noble character with a fatal flaw that eventually brings his downfall. However, I would argue that Achilles fits his own category for a tragic hero. Unlike the standard tragic hero that the audience sympathizes with, Achilles tends to lose audience support after his continued refusal to swallow his pride and save his dying comrades. Achilles' pride, greed, sense of honor, and hard-hardheadedness, eventually leads to the death of many of his friends, among them Achilles “beloved” Patroclus, as well as numberless other Greeks. Although Achilles never lost his life and the Greeks did not lose the war, it is tragic nevertheless. Achilles has remarkably few traits that would be seen as admirable by people in the world today. Achilles is primarily motivated by greed, thirst for honor, and an outrageous sense of his own self-importance. Initially, Achilles does not seem like he is in the wrong for holding a grudge against Agamemnon. Agamemnon shamed him in front of all the Greeks by publicly ordering Achilles war-prize, Briseis, to be taken for Agamemnon's...
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...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 is, god or human, they are bound...
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...The Essential Role of Goddess in Homer’s The Iliad and The Odyssey Just as women were viewed as inferior to men during Homer’s era, a first glance at Homer’s epics The Iliad and The Odyssey portrays goddesses as inferiors to gods. Despite the era’s bias to men, the goddesses are of equal importance to the plot of his stories as the gods. The goddesses play vital roles as either helpers or nightmares to men by often determining the results of an action. Homer did not establish the goddesses in his epics merely as minor structures to blend in the background. Rather, he established dynamic goddesses who were both powerful and intelligent. In fact, in many ways the goddesses controlled the gods by having an influence in their decisions and actions through manipulation, persuasion and guidance. By influencing the gods, the goddesses also played a large role as shepherds for human fate. The goddess’s constant intervention in the mortals’ lives was driven by favoritism, love or sexual desires, and their pity for the weak. Although the goddesses are often restricted from doing as they wish by the gods, they have proven, in many occasions, to overpower the gods through manipulation. Goddesses were often told what to do by the gods. Tasks such as delivering messages from Zeus were often carried out by Athena. Just as Hector told his wife, “Go home, attend to your own handiwork at loom and spindle, and command the maids to busy themselves, too. As for war, that is for men, all we...
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...Demonstrate your understanding of Iliad books 1, 22 and 24 with specific examples and details by integrating quotes and explanation from each book and “lost stars” in examining beliefs in glory, honor, pride and personal excellence and how they apply to Greek life and your life. Although the heroes, Achilles, Agamemnon and Hector, are proud and have achieved glory, they did not earn it in an honorable way. The way the heroes react or deal with their problems is not exemplary, because they dealt with them in a selfish way. In book 1, 22, and 24 of the Iliad we can all see examples of the hero's actions, seeking glory, thinking they have honor, being full of pride and sometimes achieving personal excellence. Agamemnon doesn’t want to give Chryseis back to Troy because of his greed for a wife that is a trophy. The only way Agamemnon will give her back is if his trophy is replaced, with Briseis instead. Because of his rash, harsh and selfish actions, Achilles runs off and leaves the army and begs, his mother, Thetis for vengeance. Thetis on behalf of Achilles asks Zeus to avenge her son, thus Zeus tells Apollo to cast a plague on the Achaeans. Agamemnon gives in and returns Chryseis and gets Briseis. Achilles is throwing...
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...The story of the Iliad begins towards the end of the Trojan War. Chryses, a Trojan priest, is trying to get his daughter (Chryseis) back from Agamemnon. Chryses prays to Apollo, who sends a plague on Achaeans army. After nine days of plaque, Agamemnon agrees to return Chryseis and take Briseis instead. Achilles becomes angry and he and the Myrmidons would no longer fight with Agamemnon. Achilles also prays to his mother, Thetis, to ask Zeus that the Achaeans be punished. So Zeus sends a dream to Agamemnon telling him to attack Troy. Agamemnon decides to follow his dream and the two armies approach each other. However before they meet, Paris, a Trojan prince, offers to put an end to the war by fighting a duel. Menelaus accepts the challenge but Paris becomes scared because Paris stole Menelaus’s wife. Paris is beaten by Menelaus, but Aphrodite saves him. The God, Hera who wants to see the war continue and the destruction of Troy argues with Zeus who believes Menelaus won and the war should be over but Zeus gives in and sends Athena to have the Pandaros break the truce by wounding Menelaus. During the fierce fighting, Diomedes is wounded by Pandarus and he prays to Athena who gives him extraordinary power. He then kills many Trojans, including Pandarus. He also attacks Aeneas who is Aphrodite’s son. Aphrodite rescues him but Diomedes attacks her and cuts off her wrist. Diomedes goes on to attack Apollo as well. Nestor knows that the Trojans are weakening and urges the Achaeans...
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...action, military leaders, and courage are depicted in such text. The story of the Iliad by Homer describes fifty latter days at the Trojan War. The book is a classical epic poem that vividly describes brass armaments and mortal blows in combat. It also glorifies battle, violence, bloodshed, relates vicissitudes of fortune and the prominence of god intervention in human affairs. The book is a great war book in a sense that the story takes place in a war environment, it has leaders, heroes, who demonstrate courage throughout the book. A-Presence of a war For a Great War text to exist, it must be a war. There was definitely a war in the Iliad by Homer: the Trojan. This War began after the abduction (or elopement) of Queen Helen of Sparta, spouse of King Menelaus, by the Trojan prince Paris. This was an insult to the king. Then all the Achaeans (Greeks) got together to fight the Trojans in order to take Helen back from the Trojans. Everything started because of a selfish act from Paris. Nine years of war, thousands of people dead from both sides, just because one person decides to please himself, regardless of the consequences. War is described in a complex way by Homer. On one hand he is condemning the war by painting a very morbid and perverse image of it. Indeed, Homer starts the Iliad by describing all the pain felt by the Achaeans and the deaths, of thousands of men in the war, as a result of Achilles’ anger who refuses to fight for the Greeks any further because insulted by Agamemnon...
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...Odysseus and Achilles. The definition of an epic hero is very wide and varied. It includes a lot of attributes and criterions, but for a particular hero to reach the epic stature, it isn’t really necessary to fulfill all the demands and to come up to all the standards. In a very conventional sense, an epic hero is supposed to possess these qualities or is supposed to come up to these standards: 1. Is an important figure from history or legend. 2. Is usually favored by Gods or even partially descended from Gods i.e. semi-divine nature. 3. Takes part in a cyclical journey or quest, faces adversaries and returns home with significant transformation. 4. Illustrates traits, performs deeds and exemplifies certain morals that are valued and held dear by the society/ culture from which the hero comes. 5. Usually embodies cultural and religious beliefs of the people. 6. Has no superpowers, but is smart, brave and has fears too; which he must overcome to protect his friends, family and / or nation. 7. Can also be a warrior of some sort who performs extra-ordinary tasks that most find difficult. 8. Is also a polished speaker who can address councils of chieftains or elders with eloquence and confidence. Literature is replete with examples of epic heroes. Classical Greek literature in particular has produced some of the most famous epic heroes. The epic hero in Greek literature is best defined in the contrasting characters of Achilles and Odysseus,...
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...famous of heroes were born. The battle, depicted by Homer in his epic poem the Iliad, gave birth to one of the mightiest of all heroes in history-Achilles. Achilles, renowned for his skills in combat and his blood lust for war, was a hero among the Greeks for his actions. Many considered him a demi-god, for his physique and skills in combat were similar to the of the war god Ares. He was a warlord, an expert in the profession of murder, who’s skills were considered unmatched by any mortal on earth. Achilles himself is the definition of interesting. Although heroes like Hector were mentioned, Homer depicted Achilles as the most ideal hero in the Iliad. Homer puts more emphasis on Achilles than any other character in the text. In fact, it was his name that was mentioned in the very beginning of the text. Homer starts his epic poem with, “Rage: Sing Goddess, Achilles’ rage, Black and murderous, that cost the Greeks incalculable pain, pitched countless souls of heroes into Hades’ dark, and left their bodies to rot as feasts for dogs and birds, as Zeus’ will was done. Begin with the clash between Agamemnon-the Greek warlord-and the godlike Achilles.” (CR, 39) Right away Homer depicted him as a godlike man of war. Also, the text jumps right in to the actions of Achilles, thus centering the text through his actions. In fact, the very first word of the text, rage, is referring to the rage emitted by Achilles. The beginning text doesn’t depict the antagonist, Hector at all. However, that...
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...Hebrew culture Moses, and Achilles in the Ancient Greek culture, displayed good moral character in their respective cultures and is evident through the relationship between God and humans, the standards of honor or heroism, and awareness of death. Throughout the Ancient Greece and the Hebrew culture there are various similarities...
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...Gods Personify Us “We everlasting gods… Ah what chilling blows we suffer-thanks to our own conflicting wills-whenever we show there moral men some kindness’’ It is obvious that the gods and goddesses are very important in traditional Greek Culture. The whole cause of the Trojan War is based around the fact that even gods can feel emotions such as jealousy, anger and vengeance. The gods are used by Homer to add twists on an otherwise standard plot of war. During the epic, there are times when gods and goddesses alike influence the war by infuriating the soldiers in order to have them continue fighting. Other times, some gods or goddesses removed certain characters so as to avoid death. The gods do not maintain order among humans nor among themselves. They are at times completely selfish and the ones who mostly suffer the consequences of their selfish meddling are the mortals. The mortals pray to and make sacrifices to the gods, yet do not fully understand that their lives are in the hands of fate and fate alone. The gods’ actions are never a result of what is just or fair. They are not interested in the good of anyone, but only in their personal interests. In furthering their interests they use whatever mortals serve their purpose. The gods dabble in the life of man and routinely thwart any attempt for him to entirely forge his own future. The mortals in question are necessary only in so far as their use to the gods and when the gods will or desire is achieved; the...
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...Angelica Adams Mrs. McMullen English 200: World Literature November 17, 2007 The Power of Woman Women are often thought of as mild, weak, and gentle creatures; with characteristics like these, how can a woman co-exist in the world of her more brazen counterpart and still be influential? The answer to that question is simple; by using their milder qualities women have been influential in the many bold feats of man. Women have made great impacts throughout history through the use their of intellect, sexuality, and passive demeanor. The women in the following works, “Oedipus the King”, by Sophocles, The Iliad, by Homer, and Confessions, by Augustine, were influential in politics, war, and religion all male dominated. Politics has always been a male dominated arena in which women have recently joined, or has it? While men have been in the forefront of many political accomplishments, it has been many times a woman’s idea that brought home such victories. One example of this is Jocasta. In the story of Oedipus the King, by Sophocles, Jocasta is the wife of the king, Oedipus. She is a very mild-mannered woman and gives no signs of being harsh and brash, yet and still she is the most powerful person in the kingdom. An example of her docility is when Oedipus is threatening to put Creon to death; she saves his life by asking Oedipus to believe him for her and the sake of the people of Thebes by being a voice of reason (635). Her influence is noted in the by a specific...
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...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 to womankind as a whole and to her epitomizing the cycles of life which impacted every day. Thousands of years...
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...White Man’s Burden (Handout) Summary & Annotation: A straightforward analysis of the poem may conclude that Kipling presents a"Euro-centric" view of the world, in which people view society from only a European cultures point of view. This view proposes that white people consequently have an obligation to rule over, and encourage the cultural development of people from other ethnic and cultural backgrounds until they can take their place in the world by fully adopting Western ways. The term "the white man's burden" can be interpreted simply as racist, or taken as a metaphor for a condescending view of non-Western national culture and economic traditions, identified as a sense of European ascendancy which has been called "cultural imperialism". A parallel can also be drawn with the charitable view, common in Kipling's formative years, that the rich have a moral duty and obligation to help the poor "better" themselves whether the poor want the help or not until according to Europeans, "they can take their place in the world socially and economically." The term "white man's burden" is a phrase that became current in the controversy about the United States acquisition of the Philippines after the Spanish-American war of 1898. It was a concept that was the responsibility of white Europeans to bring "proper" European civilization to the nations (mostly brown, black, red or yellow) that did not have it. The underlying thought was that Europeans were correct in their beliefs and...
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