Critical Analysis Of The Iliad - 1714 Words

Homer’s Iliad is an epic tale that spans centuries. The story covers intense battles in which the Greeks take on the Trojans. Homer does a fantastic job of bringing the poem to life and uses the gods to show the scale of the tale. While the poem is well written and grabs the reader’s attention, upon further analysis one can conclude that there is a serious problem concerning the tension between personal desire and rational ethical thinking. Throughout the book this conflict appears time and time again and puts to question exactly how the Greeks viewed ethical behavior. In the Iliad, Homer demonstrates that it is both the mortals and gods that struggle to find balance between the two. This issue goes so far as to be the underlying reason†¦show more content†¦Despite seeing the plague with both of their own eyes they choose chaos over civilization. Agamemnon does this in the text â€Å"Achilles, valiant though you be, you shall not thus outwit me. You shall not overreach and you shall not persuade me. Are you to keep your own prize, while I sit tamely under my loss and give up the girl at your bidding? Let the Achaeans find me a prize in fair exchange to my liking, or I will come and take your own† (Bk. 1 pg. 6) The result ends with Achilles, Agamemnon’s best warrior withdrawing from the war with the Trojans ultimately leading to the death of thousands of more soldiers. Even with the death of fellow soldiers arguments and disagreements like these continue to happen over the course of the poem. Homer does a great job of bringing the poem to the epic scale. He does this with the use of the Gods. However the Gods are not perfect beings and it shows in the tale. Despite being immortal and all powerful the gods suffered the same tension between personal desire and rational ethical action. To the gods the quarrel between the Archaean army and the Trojans army was nothing more than a game to pass the time. Some gods including Zeus, Athena, and Apollo had massive impacts on the outcomes and tragedies of the war. The most significant occurrence of this tension occurs in the third and fourth books. The Iliad begins after nine years of theShow MoreRelatedSimilarities between Oral and Literary Traditions663 Words   |  3 Pagesdifferent from the original tale because they forgot what they remembered. Oral tradition leads to lots of confusion when it comes to stories that are being told. Given what is said, the story of Iliad was important because it starts out as an oral tradition when Schliemann was told this by his father. Later the Iliad would speak the truth about Homer’s work. Schliemann’s the archaeologist who found the city of Troy made it possible for people to trace back their lineage to the Trojans. By the eight centuryRead MoreThe Analysis of Canonical Literature 1134 Words   |  5 Pageslegacy, the reader gains a history lesson in theology, traditions, and even in dress and day-to-day life. Literature can explain how the past has affected the present and how the choices made this very moment can affect another generation. In the Iliad, the reader learns of rituals and sacrifices to the ancient gods, as well as the interplay between mortals and immortals. The history of the Battle of Troy and the war that ensued also shows the actions and traditions of the time. Through one-on-oneRead Morecritical appreciation1066 Words   |  5 Pagesï » ¿Critical appreciation of a poem is defined as the critical reading of a poem. 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