world of the hero
women and war
Allan- Andromache draws attention to how war destroys the lives of women, despite hector knowing this he claims that war is ‘the concern of men’
women and violence
Nicolson- sex and violence is at the heart of the Iliad
female beauty
Allan- the importance of female beauty is embodied in the formulaic language of the poem- epithets
women’s emotions
Farron- women have strong sentiments and emotions about the world around them but are ignored, showing their helplessness and inability to control their lives.
gods and heroes
Edwards- intervention adds glory to the heroes because it shows they are worthy
gods involvement
Griffin- the gods are involved in the battles as much as humans
importance of gods
Silk- they are trivial, they interfere but the heroes still act with free will and their autonomy remains
Achilles and Thetis
Griffin- Achilles having Thetis as a mother means that he mobilises the gods to intervene in his quarrel
Achilles is destructive
Silk- Achilles is an uncomfortable and even destructive presence in the heroic world
Achilles is hyperbolic
Silk- Achilles becomes an extremist in all things
kleos and Achilles
Jones- there is tension between the desire for time and kleos to be gained by winning, and one’s obligations to be cooperative
Achilles is spiritual
Wilson- Achilles demonstrates himself as a spiritual man in a material world
fate as a spiritual device
Edwards- fate is used as literary device
epithets
Jones- epithets remind us of lasting characteristics of the people described
‘warlike Menelaus’ ‘great Hector of the flashing Helmet’
praise and admiration
Clarke- the driving force for soldiers is the need for praise and admiration, that death in war is better than disgrace
war
Allan-Homer presents the complexity of war, describing misery and loss while also celebrating battlefield skill
hector vs achilles
Schein- hector is social and human while Achilles is inhumanely isolated and demonic in his greatness
Agamemnon’s characterisation
Tolbert-Roberts- Agamemnon is neurotic
Andromache and Hector
Schein- Andromache is dearer to Hector than anyone else in the world
the gods
Jones- the gods quarrel as all families do
reconciliation
Silk- on earth no reconciliation is possible until most of the damage has been done
Achilles and Priam
Hodgkinson- Achilles and Priam are divided by war, united through humanity
Hector and glory
Graziosi- Hector wants to win glory for himself and his father
Achilles’ wrath towards Hector
Martin- his wrath is not alleviated but merely redirected towards Hector
Hector and Troy
Taplin- Hector’s fellow citizens depend on him; if he falls, they fall