Heroism and Power in Homers The Illiad

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Table of Contents

Rage of Gods Enslaves People: Relationships between Apollo and Agamemnon
Why Is It so Difficult to Be a Hero?
Works Cited

Rage of Gods Enslaves People: Relationships between Apollo and Agamemnon

The Iliad is one of the most famous and educative epic poems created in the world of literature. Among a variety of themes disclosed in the poem, it is hard to define the one that deserves attention the most. Each theme and each message of the author is a unique possibility for the reader to learn the traditions which came from the past and the emotions which made different people act to change the world.

Each character in The Iliad performs a separate function and defines the development of the events in its way. In this paper, the conflict between the principle god of prophecy, Apollo, and the king of Mycenae, Agamemnon, will be discussed to evaluate how human actions and decisions may influence the lives of many people at the same time.

In The Iliad, the relations between two characters, Agamemnon and Apollo, as well as their motivation and passion help to underscore the theme of power and rage; the conflict between the characters is based on revenge, and both heroes prove that their activities and their ideas have powerful grounds to be recognized and respected; unfortunately, it is not always possible to control the conflicts which are developed between people, and if the relations between gods and humans are spoiled by conflict, it remains to be hard to control the whole life with its positive and negative aspects.

The conflict between Agamemnon and Apollo is based on rage, and this rage is different: on the one hand, it is Apollo, the god, who demonstrates his rage due to inabilities to control people and his desire to revenge to educate people and explain them their actual place; on the other hand, it is Agamemnon, the king, who cannot accept the idea that someone could resist his power and his greatness as soon as he wants it.

These two characters are the representatives of different worlds: Agamemnon, son of Atreus, that king of men and Apollo, son of Zeus and Leto (Homer, Johnson, and Johnson, p. 7); however, both of them have enough power to take control over the events, and both of them are ready to fight to prove their rights. The first book is devoted to the conflict that became the beginning of the end of the whole nations existence. The relations of the god and the kind are at the deadlock. These characters are motivated with a desire to gain power and recognition, still, people cant choose at once whose power is more important, this is why it is not a surprise to observe the king and the god conflicting with each other.

The impossibility to create appropriate relations, they promote rage as the only way out that results in conflict with many death and misunderstandings. This is why in the first book, the relations between Apollo and Agamemnon as well as their motivation to use power against each other described clearly the idea of rage, its variety, and its impact on human lives which may be involved in the conflict.

The continuation of the conflict is observed during the whole poem, still, the climax of the conflict is properly defined in the 16^th book of The Iliad, where Apollo is described as the defender of Trojans, the far-worker, loves his Trojans (Homer, Johnson, and Johnson, p.343) and helps Hector to kill Patroclus. Gods rage is a significant issue in the poem. It explains how weak and uncertain people can be in case they do not contain the necessary power.

The chosen relations and the conflict between the god and the kind prove that humans as well as gods rage may be of different forms. There is no pity in Apollos mind who rained death down upon the troops for about nine days (Homer, Johnson, and Johnson, p. 9). The relations between these two characters turn out to be a good example of how human emotions and feelings are weak regarding the power of gods.

There is only one way to stop human suffering, still, Agamemnon is not ready to take a step and admit his mistake. And Apollo, in his turn, does not fault us [Danaans] for prayers or offerings& the archer god has brought disaster, and will bring still more (Homer, Johnson, and Johnson, p. 10). The relations between gods and people are not equal, and even having a chance to change something, people cannot neglect their self-esteem.

The relationship between Agamemnon and Apollo turns out to be an educative issue in the book. It touches upon the theme of human and gods rage that involves the whole nation into the conflict based on human inability to find alternatives. And the conflict between Agamemnon and Apollo as well as the motivation of the characters helps to disclose one of the main themes of the poem and prove that rage and power are the two things which can influence human lives, relations, and destinies in the most unpredictable ways.

Why Is It so Difficult to Be a Hero?

There are several doubts and discussions around the question concerning heroism and the main traits of true heroes. It is interesting to know why some people are still defined as true heroes and some people cannot even realize the essence of heroism. The Iliad by Homer is a story about true heroes, worthwhile acts, and ideas that have been supported during a long period. Talking about the heroes in The Iliad, the character of Achilles has to be mentioned at first.

His actions, position, and motivation serve as the best evidence of why such a character may become a hero. And talking about the heroes in modern life, it is not always possible to define the main characteristics of heroism. To become a hero means to become an example for other people who observes the actions and try to follow the offered ideas; though Achilles may become a perfect example of a hero from the past, his image is not enough to define what can make a true hero in 2011, this is why, it is necessary to define his main traits and values to realize that even nowadays, there are the people whose actions worth recognition as the heroic ones.

The Heroic Code is a collection of principles under which people follow their own beliefs and demonstrate their courageous and deeds to meet a noble purpose. Achilles is introduced at the very beginning of the book as Sing, Goddess, sing of the rage of Achilles, son of Peleus (Homer, Johnson, and Johnson, p. 7). From the very first lines, it is clear that the role of this character is considered to be important in the poem.

It is not enough to introduce a hero, it is necessary to choose the most confident and powerful attributes for him like noble, swift-footed, and godlike. Each his phrase and thought has a meaning in the poem; his courageous deeds and unbelievable transformation to meet the needs of society prove that he can be a hero whole life experience will become educative for further generations.

One of the memorable quotes said by Achilles is the Book One is about the necessity to prove personal rights and demonstrate unbelievable courage to the enemy: I fear were being beaten back, forced home,/ if we arent all going to be destroyed right here,/ with war and plague killing off Achaeans (Homer, Johnson, and Johnson, p. 9). He is ready to fight against his fears; he is strong enough to explain that he may be defeated, still, he may encourage several people and help them to prove their dignity and their rights.

Is it possible to find heroes like Achilles in the modern world? Hardly! First, the conditions under which people have to live today have nothing in common with those under which Achilles lived. Even his courage cannot be taken as a standard under which a true hero may be defined. Nowadays, it is necessary to understand that heroism should not be confused with strength and success& the hero must touch peoples emotions (Essay: On the Difficulty of Being a Contemporary Hero, p.2).

Still, the components of the Heroic Code like courage, brave deeds, and peculiar transformations should never be neglected by modern heroes. Of course, there are different forms of such components which should be adopted by a new reality of 2011. Courage should be enough to take a step and understand that some transformations are needed; brave deeds should be used to prove that new ideas and heroic activities are obligatory in society; and finally, making some changes and improvements is the goal number one for all heroes in 2011.

Each person has his/her understanding of heroism and creates personal heroes regarding their interests and demands. It is a well-known fact that heroes are different from those of any other society (Essay: On the Difficulty of Being a Contemporary Hero, p. 2), this is why each nation and even each ethnical group should introduce its ideas of true heroes. It is obligatory to be a hero inside and be a worthwhile part of society so that people around could accept the offered image as the best example in their lives. And these examples, in their turn, become the required guides with the help of which life can be better and human satisfaction could be of high level.

Works Cited

Essay: On the Difficulty of Being a Contemporary Hero. Time U.S. 1966. Web.

Homer, Johnson, Ian, and Johnson, Ian, C. The Iliad. Arlington: RicherResourcesPublications, 2006.

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Heroism and Power in Homers The Illiad

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