the iliad themes Flashcards
How do the characters emerge as worthy/despicable in the epic?
Based on their degree of competence + bravery in battle
What does Paris get for not fighting?
He receives the scorn of his family + Helen
What does Achilles get for fighting?
He wins eternal glory by rejecting the option of a long, comfortable life at home
Give 2 examples of warlike deities
- Athena
- Ares
- Apollo
Which gods are used as comedic relief + why?
- Aphrodite
- Artemis
Because they run from aggression
What does fighting prove?
Ones honour + integrity
What does avoiding fighting prove?
Demonstrates laziness, ignoble fear + misaligned priorities
What else does the Iliad show people about war?
Men die gruesome deaths, women become slaves, a plague breaks of in the Achaean camp
What do both armies regret?
The fact that the war even began
What does Achilles point out?
All men, brave or cowardly, meet the same death in the end
What does Homer never imply?
That the fight is a waste of time or human life
What does Homer portray about both sides of war?
Each side as having a justifiable reason to fight + depicts warfare as respectable + glorious
What may the epic respect more than family bonds?
The pursuit of kleos (glory) that one wins by performing great deeds
What does Homer constantly force his characters to choose between?
Their loved wants and kleos
What do the most heroic characters choose?
Kleos
