The Iliad: Book 3 Flashcards
World of the Hero (MSD)
Plot Summary
A Duel and a Trojan View of the Greeks, presents a pivotal moment in The Iliad, where the possibility of resolving the Trojan War through single combat emerges. It also shifts perspective, offering insight into the Trojans’ views of the Greek forces.
Paris challenges the Greeks
The Trojan and Greek armies prepare for battle. Paris, the Trojan prince whose actions sparked the war, steps forward and boldly challenges any Greek warrior to fight him in single combat. Menelaus, Helen’s husband, eagerly accepts, seeing a chance to take revenge and resolve the conflict.
Hector rebukes Paris
Paris, intimidated by Menelaus, retreats. Hector, Paris’ older brother and a symbol of Trojan honor, scorns him for his cowardice and urges him to fight. Shamed, Paris agrees to face Menelaus, and both sides agree that the duel will determine Helen’s fate and end the war.
Helen observes from the walls
From the walls of Troy, Priam and Helen watch the Greek army. Priam kindly reassures Helen, blaming the gods rather than her for the war. Helen identifies Greek leaders, including Agamemnon, Odysseus, and Ajax, showcasing her deep knowledge of the Greek side and creating a moment of poignant reflection.
The duel between Paris and Menelaus
The duel begins with both warriors hurling spears and engaging in close combat. Menelaus quickly gains the upper hand, dragging Paris by his helmet strap and nearly killing him. However, Aphrodite intervenes, breaking the strap and transporting Paris to safety in Troy.
Helen and Paris’ encounter
Aphrodite compels Helen to go to Paris’ chambers. Although Helen is disgusted by Paris’ cowardice and berates him, Aphrodite’s influence ensures that she stays with him. Paris downplays the duel, claiming Menelaus was helped by the gods.
No outcome
The duel ends without resolution. The gods’ intervention prevents Menelaus from avenging his honor, and the war continues, highlighting the futility of human attempts to control the conflict.
Paris
Trojan prince who stole Helen. Known for his good looks (‘your lovely locks and pretty face’) and dressed to the nines in fancy armour. The catalyst for the war, portrayed as vain and cowardly, relying on divine intervention for survival.
Menelaus
Helen’s husband (before she was whisked away by Paris); Agamemnon’s brother; ‘warlike’. eager to reclaim his wife and restore his honour.
Hector
Trojan leader and brother of Paris, embodying Trojan honour and courage, contrasting sharply with Paris’ weaknesses. Dutiful and a strong leader; embarrassed by Paris’s cowardice.
Helen
Menelaus’ wife, stolen by Paris. Known for being beautiful. She is a sympathetic character – blamed by
many for the war, yet evidently having no say or control. She is a complex figure, torn between guilt and resentment, whose perspective offers insight into both sides of the war.
Priam
The wise and compassionate king of Troy, who treats Helen with kindness and fairness despite her role in the war. He is a loving father as he can’t bear to watch Paris fight.
Aphrodite
Goddess of love and pro-Trojan. Rescues Paris from the battle, her intervention demonstrates the gods’ manipulation of human events.
Iris
Messenger goddess
Theme 1 - Heroism
The contrast between Hector’s valor and Paris’ cowardice highlights different aspects of the heroic code.
Theme 2 - War
Trojans advance “with shrieks and cries like cranes”. Depictions of Paris and Menelaus arming themselves
Consequences of war – Priam has to leave as he “cannot bear” to watch Paris fight Menelaus.
Theme 3 - Role of Women
Helen’s inner conflict and lack of agency underscore the limited roles available to women in the heroic age.
Weaving when Iris finds her – typical female activity.
“Sweet longing for her former husband”
“soft tears running down her cheeks”
Trojan elders describe her as “fearfully like the immortal goddess”, but also a “scourge”.
“deserting my bridal bed, my relatives, my darling daughter…I spend my life in tears”.
Self-hatred – “slut that I am”; “loathsome wife”.
Strong-willed – “no, go and sit with him yourself…I refuse to go and share that man’s bed again” – but eventually backs down – “Helen was terrified”.
Anger towards Paris – “refused to look her husband in the face”; “I was hoping you had fallen there” (at the
battlefield).
Lack of agency – referred to as “the woman” or “his” (Paris’s) wife’, and goes to Paris’ bed under duress.
Theme 4 - Divine Intervention
Controlling human affairs - ‘Zeus…did not yet grant their wishes’.
Involving themselves and having favourites - Aphrodite ‘broke the strap’ and ‘whisked him away’.
Terrifying and powerful – ‘don’t get on the wrong side of me’; threatens to turn the Greeks and Trojans against her – ‘you would come to a dreadful end’.
Manipulative – Aphrodite conceals her identity at first.
Contrast
Paris’ cowardice is contrasted with Hector’s courage, and Priam’s kindness is juxtaposed with the violence of war.
Imagery
Vivid descriptions of the duel and Helen’s view from the walls enhance the drama and emotional resonance.
Foreshadowing
The gods’ intervention hints at their ongoing role in extending the war, underscoring the inevitability of Troy’s fall.
Symbolism
The duel represents the hope for a decisive resolution, which is undermined by divine interference.
Irony
Paris begins by boldly challenging the Greeks but ends the duel humiliated and dependent on Aphrodite’s rescue.
Dialogue and Perspective
Helen’s exchanges with Priam and her internal reflections offer a Trojan perspective, deepening the narrative’s complexity.
Similes
Menelaus likened to a ‘lion’
Paris like a man who recoils from a snake
List three other literary devices
Descriptive Language
Direct Speech
Dramatic irony
“Look at him! Handsome, woman-mad Paris…” (Hector to Paris)
Hector’s rebuke captures Paris’ superficiality and lack of martial spirit, emphasising the tension between appearance and substance.
“You are not to blame, my dear child; it is the gods who are to blame.” (Priam to Helen)
This statement reflects Priam’s wisdom and compassion, while reinforcing the theme of divine culpability for human suffering.
“I wish I had died before following your son.” (Helen to Priam)
Helen’s lament reveals her guilt and self-loathing, highlighting her complex role as both victim and instigator.
“Menelaus had Paris by the helmet and was dragging him toward the Greek lines.”
This moment symbolises Menelaus’ moral and physical superiority, thwarted by divine interference.
“Aphrodite whisked Paris away and laid him down in his own room.”
The gods’ intervention underscores their dominance over mortal affairs and their ability to undermine justice and human effort.
“You coward! You should never have been born!” (Helen to Paris)
Helen’s scorn reflects her disillusionment with Paris, adding to his humiliation and exposing the fragility of their relationship.
List quotes about heroism
‘Warlike Menelaus…was as delighted as a lion that comes across a great carcass…he is starving and greedily devours it’.
Kleos – ‘Hector would have hauled him (Paris) off and won unutterable glory’.
Hector’s heart is ‘tireless’.
Agamemnon is ‘a good ruler and a mighty spearman’.
Odysseus is ‘quick-thinking’ and when he ‘poured out words like the snows of winter, there was no man alive who could compete with him’.
‘Awe-inspiring Ajax, a tower of strength’.
Paris attracts aidos, shame, through his cowardice:
‘His heart failed him completely’
‘Like a man who catches sight of a snake…and sharply recoils, knees trembling and retreats, pale-faced’
Hector calls him a ‘disgrace’
The Trojans are furious with him too – ‘they loathed him like black death’
Summarisation
A Duel and a Trojan View of the Greeks provides critical insight into both the Greek and Trojan perspectives, while advancing the epic’s themes of honour, divine manipulation, and the futility of war. Through vivid imagery, dramatic contrasts, and reflective dialogue, this book explores the human cost of the conflict and the broader forces that perpetuate it. The inconclusive duel exemplifies the inability of individual actions to resolve larger, fated struggles, setting the stage for the epic’s continued exploration of war and heroism.
