Author Title of article Theme(s) Main points / relevant quotes
Professor Richard Homeric Hero Glory - Achilles listens to the ambassadors and responds to it
Jenkyns Heroism - Various views on why people fight. Society’s view is that you must
War fight.
Revenge - High risk, high reward, glory but death
- Collateral damage of war on people fighting and people at home.
- Cycle of revenge. Wanting to kill the person who killed relatives or
their people.
Professor Richard Embassy to Achilles Glory -“moral tragedy pivoting in this book” -Achilles is right, Agamemnon is
Jenkyns Honour wrong and Agamemnon offers recompense however, he refuses
Music leading to death of Patroclus.
- “Achilles playing the lure, singing of the glories of men”- not sulking,
shocked others, he is recompensing over what he is missing from
not fighting.
- “return home for long life with no glory, or stay in Troy and earn
endless glory.”
Professor Barbara The Life of Hector Family Death of Trojan hero means the downfall of the city.
Graziosi Leader He is a religious figure to others as he doesn’t go into the temples to
Idealisation pollute.
Role model to other people. Good leader, religious, great warrior, family
etc.
Family is important. Sacrifice for his family but sacrifice for a Troy.
Fighting for his wife and child
, Author Title of article Theme(s) Main points / relevant quotes
Jasper Griffin Homers Iliad chapter 2 Suffering “Shall hear of terrible events, suffering for both sides and, beneath it
Revenge all, the dark purpose of the divine.- immediately shows he is
Diving Intervention discussing exactly what the Iliad is meant to discuss. Not the glory or
the nobility of the warriors, but the dead remaining unburied and the
darkness of war.
Epithets use, “Agamemnon, lord of me, and godlike Achilles” contrasts
the man who depends on his rank and position with the man who is
marked as exceptional in his nature.
“The theme of heroic anger and withdrawal is combined with that of
revenge for a comrade in a way which is truly tragic.”
Revenge cannot be quenched and insatiable “find in the end that no
revenge can be enough - not Hector’s death, not even the
dishonouring of his corpse.”
Achilles is analysed as depicting “a picture of war which is chosen as
in-heroic;for the Achaeans, too, as he points out, are fighting over a
woman -Helen.”
Lampe Heroism Modern and Ancient 66 Heroism Uses Bufffy the Vampire Slayer as a parallel, saying heroism is
Sacrifice (self) someone who “benefits the world at the expense of her well-being,
even her life.”
“Heroes frequently enjoy the opportunity for punishment, personal
revenge, or simply the release of aggression.” Can be applied to
Achilles
“Use their semi-divine powers for both constructive and destructive
purposes.” -may get revenge or glory, but also killing other humans
and destroying families.
