Iliad Questions and Answers
Iliad
Why does a conflict take place between Agamemnon and Achilles in the Iliad?
The conflict between Achilles and Agamemnon over the sex slave Briseis may seem somewhat trivial on the face of it. But to both these men with big egos, this is a matter of honor. As far as...
Iliad
What is the moral message of the Iliad?
The Iliad can be understood on one level as an extended meditation on war. The moral message is that the courage to fight is what gives a man's life worth, but that war itself is a tragic...
Iliad
What epic elements do you find in Homer's Iliad?
The structure and themes of Homer's epic poem the Iliad have become the exemplar for many of the subsequent epic poems in the Western literary canon. For your assignment, consider the following...
Iliad
Enumerate the epic conventions that you can find in books 1 and 2 of the Iliad?
An epic is an exceptionally long poem that depicts a tale of epic proportions—usually about a famous or legendary hero's adventures and journeys. Epic conventions are the characteristics that the...
Iliad
Why Does Achilles Refuse To Fight
Achilles is a Greek hero, and this means he has character flaws. Achilles is enraged when Agamemnon takes Briseis, and this action threatens his pride. Achilles is egotistical and craves glory and...
Iliad
What is the relationship between gods and mortals in Homer's Iliad?
The gods have a complicated but important role in The Iliad. On the one hand, they are far more powerful than human beings and are depicted as having the ability to shape and manipulate human...
Iliad
How do you interpret the involvement of the gods and goddesses in human life in the Iliad? Do you think that they...
In the Iliad, the gods and goddesses play a very important part. In order to answer your question, you might want to explain that this is because the ancient Greek faith believed that the gods were...
Iliad
From the conversation between Hector and Andromache in the Iliad, choose details which show great love between the...
The scene in which Andromache bids farewell to Hector on the eve of battle is one of the most tender in the entire poem. Hector appears in body armor, a long plume emerging from his helmet, to say...
Iliad
How does Homer portray the relationship between gods and humans? What roll do gods play in human life? How does this...
The gods and goddesses portrayed in Homer's Iliad are anthropomorphic, meaning that they take forms like those of human beings. Even though they are immortal and have great powers, the gods have...
Iliad
How does the Iliad represent the society from which the story originates from?
It has been established by scholars that the Iliad contains textual layers that pertain to various epochs beginning from Pre-Mycenaean era and ending at least with the ninth century BCE. Thus,...
Iliad
What is the importance of arete in the Iliad?
Arete is honor and excellence. Males achieved arete in the Ancient Greek world by becoming valiant warriors. War was the chief source of male honor in life and after death, for courageous fighters...
Iliad
Why did Achilles return to battle?
At the beginning of the story, Achilles refuses to participate in the Trojan War because Agamemnon forcibly takes Achilles's slave and concubine Briseis after being forced to release his own slave,...
Iliad
How does Helen feel about Paris in the Iliad?
Although she has a small role in Homer's epic poem The Iliad, Helen has a profound impact on the action of the plot. She is, after all, the primary cause of the Trojan War, during which the poem is...
Iliad
What relevance does the Iliad have in modern times?
First of all, The Iliad is extremely important as a historical document and a lens through which we can examine the ancient past. Through this epic, we can gain insights into the religious life of...
Iliad
What is the climax of the Iliad?
The action of the Iliad leads to the high point, or climax, of the poem in which Achilles kills Hector. This is such a fraught moment because it is a clash between each side's greatest warriors,...
Iliad
Discuss significant epic conventions that are found in the Iliad.
Homer's poem The Iliad is a classic example of an epic poem because it adheres to the traditional epic form in so many ways. For instance, the story takes place over a wide area. Specifically, The...
Iliad
What does the Iliad teach us about war?
In the world of the Iliad, to be a man who lives with honor means to fight in wars. The greatest heroes, such as Achilles and Odysseus, are those who fight bravely and exhibit extraordinary...
Iliad
Critically discuss the significance of the death of Patroclus in Homer's Iliad.
In Homer's Iliad, Patroclus is the best friend of Achilles, who is the mightiest of the Greek warriors at Troy. In Iliad 1, Achilles becomes angry at Agamemnon for taking away his female war prize,...
Iliad
What is the significance of the quarrel in book 1 of Homer's Iliad?
The quarrel between Agamemnon and Achilles is absolutely crucial to the action of book 1 of the Iliad and provides a catalyst for much of the action to follow. Proud Achilles, the finest of the...
Iliad
What are some similarities and differences between King Arthur and Achilles?
This is an interesting question, in that I've not heard it considered before, and, on the surface, the two heroes have little in common. Let's examine if the two legendary characters (for we have...
Iliad
What is 'In medias res'? How it is used in the Homer's Iliad?
As noted by gcarden498, "in medias res" is a Latin phrase meaning "in the middle of things." With respect to Homer's Iliad, because other poems in the Greek epic cycle dealt with the events leading...
Iliad
Why does Apollo send “deadly arrows” against the Achaeans in the Iliad?
After sacking a Trojan-allied town, Agamemnon and Achilles, as is customary, help themselves to the spoils of war. Both men capture beautiful young women as war booty: Achilles takes Briseis, while...
Iliad
How would you describe Hera's positive and negative character traits in Homer's Iliad?
Hera in Homer's Iliad is the Queen of the gods, and the wife of her brother Zeus who is the King of the Gods. She is the goddess of marriage and childbirth, and thus opposes the Trojans because,...
Iliad
In the Iliad, what happens because of Achilles's anger? What are three consequences?
Achilles is the pre-eminent warrior among the Achaeans, and his status as such makes his rage the primary driver of events in the Iliad. Wherever his rage is directed, the action of the poem...
Iliad
What are the two reasons Hector left the battlefield and returned to Troy in the Iliad?
It's not enough for the Trojans to fight bravely on the field of battle. If they're going to prevail against the Achaeans, they're going to need some divine assistance. That's one of the reasons...
Iliad
What is the implication of the statement, "The Trojan women have gone to Athena's temple to make supplications," from...
To offer supplications to a god is to pray to them and ask for favors. The Trojan women are terrified and turning to Athena, the goddess of wisdom, for protection against the invading Greeks. In...
Iliad
Does Homer condemn or praise war in The Iliad? How does Homer view war?
Homer's view of war is suitably ambiguous. He's unstinting in his praise for individual acts of courage and valor on both sides. But at the same time, we are left in no doubt that war is a terrible...
Iliad
What is the message Homer wants to tell us by giving a vivid description of the bloodshed and carnage of the Trojan...
While it is difficult to identify “message” in classic literature, it can be said that the manner in which Homer tells this historical saga demonstrates to some degree his attitude toward the...
Iliad
How many books are in the Iliad?
The Iliad is an Ancient Greek epic poem written by the Ancient Greek poet Homer. The epic tells the story of the so-called Trojan War, which was supposedly fought between the Mycenaean Greeks and...
Iliad
Explain the main differences between the two warriors Hector and Achilles in the Iliad. Consider their patriotism,...
Achilles and Hector are both the greatest warriors of their respective camps, the Greeks and the Trojans. When it comes to their personalities, they could not be more different. Achilles is quick...
Iliad
In the Iliad, what does the Shield of Achilles represent? How does the shield place the events of the Iliad into...
Achilles's shield depicts all the modes of life. Love, death, war, peace, farming and festivals, sieges and battles—everything is represented on the shield, which Achilles both uses to protect...
Iliad
What does the Iliad reveal about the earliest days of Greek culture?
The Iliad reveals much about Greek culture as it existed before the Classical Age. As other contributors have already pointed out, we see within this poem the primacy of warfare in the era....
Iliad
Human feelings are always mixed, and there is no true unconditional love. Explain this statement by analyzing the...
As we see in book 3 of the Iliad, Helen and Paris have mixed feelings for one another. Especially in Helen, lust and an extreme desire for Paris mix with a sense of sorrow and disgust at the...
Iliad
What was Achilles's reaction to Patroclus's death in the Iliad?
Homer's Iliad opens with thematic lines: Anger be now my song, immortal one, Akhileus' anger, doomed and ruinous, That causes the Akhaians loss on bitter loss And crowded brave souls into the...
Iliad
Explain one of the motivations of Achilles in the Iliad as being the greatest of the Achaean warriors.
Achilles is a fascinating character to explore in depth precisely because he has so many characteristics that point towards differing interpretations of his character. On the one hand, he possesses...
Iliad
Why did Achilles cry after killing Hector?
Achilles's particularly egregious treatment of the corpse of his enemy, the Trojan Hector, all stems from the fact that he is desperate to avenge the death of Patroclus, whom he loved so much. In...
Iliad
Is the Iliad an epic?
Homer's The Iliad is one of the most famous examples of Classic Greek poetry. Epic poetry is characterized by lengthy narrative and themes of heroism or a journey. Many other genres have been...
Iliad
How does the Iliad fit the Hero Cycle?
Joseph Campbell was a student of mythology and folklore who condensed his understanding of such stories into a monomyth that he termed "the Hero's Journey." The steps of this journey are summarized...
Iliad
What are the differences between The Iliad and The Mahabharata or Ramayana?
The Mahabharata and the Ramayana are both much longer than the Iliad. The Mahabharata, the longer of the two, is approximately twenty times the length of Homer's epic. Moreover, while it seems...
Iliad
In the Iliad, who is responsible for the death of Achilles and who helps him?
Achilles death is not described in the text of The Iliad. The story of his death is part of later Greek myths. However the death of Achilles is predicted by Hector in Book 22, as he is dying by...
Iliad
What are the flaws in the character of the heroes in the Iliad that allow them to meet the tragic events that they...
The greatest warrior in Homer's The Iliad is Achilles, and he has many character flaws that lead to his tragic death. At birth, Achilles was dipped in the River Styx which should have made him...
Iliad
Why does Achilles refuse to fight for Agamemnon and the Greeks until the death of Patroclus?
In Book 1 of the Iliad, Agamemnon is forced to return the girl Chryseis to her father, a priest of Apollo, in order to end a mysterious plague that has been afflicting the Greek army. Agamemnon is...
Iliad
If you were Paris, whose bribe would you choose? Athena? Aphrodite? Or Hera?
Answers will vary for this opinion-based question. It is important to provide reasons to back up and explain your answer. Zeus is reluctant to bestow the golden apple. He says Paris, a Trojan...
Iliad
How does the Iliad exemplify the ancient definition of tragedy?
One of the most poignant aspects of Homer's Iliad is his development of the ancient definition of tragedy. Homer is able to display characters who are poised between equally desirable, but...
Iliad
Explain in detail justice in Homer's Iliad and Odyssey and Aeschylus's The Oresteia (Libation Bearers). What are the...
Justice in Homer is of a fairly primitive variety, based on customs of retribution and recompense. Response to what is seen as injustice can result in a demand for immediate compensation, as in the...
Iliad
How does Achilles change over the course of the Iliad?
Achilles comes into the Iliad a glorious and prideful hero, demanding due respect and prizes for the acts of glory and talent he displays on the battlefield at Troy. This can be seen in Book One...
Iliad
Justify Achilles's rage, and elaborate on the decision taken by Zeus which positions book 1 in the larger context of...
In certain respects, it can be awkward trying to justify Achilles's behavior, given that, by modern sensibilities, the actions taken by the Greeks would be classified as atrocities. Remember, as...
Iliad
Why are the Greeks and the Trojans fighting?
Like so much of the story of the Iliad, the war between the Greeks and the Trojans has causes on two levels -- that of men and that of the gods. "The Iliad begins with the topic of wrath. Homer...
Iliad
In Homer's Iliad, what is the narrator's point of view?
The narrator of Homer's Illiad speaks from a third-person omniscient point of view. Specifically, the narrator is the poet himself. Homer appears to know the gist of the historical events that he...
Iliad
What prayer does Hector make for his child in the Iliad?
As he heads off out to battle, Hector knows what's at stake. If Troy should fall, then all the men will be wiped out and the women and children sold into slavery. As Hector has a wife and son, he's...
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