The word "climax" is defined by the Oxford English Dictionary as:
The culmination, peak, or apex of something; the most important or exciting part of a film, contest, etc., usually happening near the end.
In literature, the climax is the point at which the narrative tension reaches its highest pitch and can no longer be sustained. The tension is often released by some kind of crisis, defined as "a vitally important or decisive stage in the progress of anything; a turning-point," which forces the action to a resolution.
The Iliad begins with "the rage of Peleus' son Achilles," and climaxes when that rage results in the death of Hector, prince of Troy.
The poem starts at the end of a very long war, in which neither side has made any significant progress for some time. All the participants are tired and disaffected. A minor disagreement between Achilles and Agamemnon turns into a major falling-out with huge ramifications, as Achilles, foremost among warriors, withdraws from the battlefield. The...
(The entire section contains 3 answers and 1212 words.)
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