Characteristics Of A Hero In The Illiad - 979 Words

When people today are asked to think of heroes, they tend to think about Superman, Batman or anything in between. People tend to think about unrealistic heroes who wear crazy outfits and capes and have a different they hide behind, but during the time of the Ancient Greeks, they had slightly different thoughts on heroes. When it comes to The Illiad by Homer, one of the biggest things focused on is the image of the hero. Homer never directly gives the answer to the question â€Å"What makes a good hero?†, but he does write about many heroes, and through the writings it is easy to pick up what qualities make a good hero. It is also made clear what qualities can be the downfall of the hero. So what qualities are seen throughout the book? Positive†¦show more content†¦As Agamemnon and Achilles fight over what should be done, Agamemnon makes the comment that â€Å"it would be a disgrace to be the sole Greek without a prize of honour† (Homer 42; Book 1). Since Agame mnon was awarded Chryseis as a prize for being a good soldier and for being brave it would have been a huge sign of disrespect to Agamemnon to have to give her up . Even the best heroes still have their downfalls. Even the greatest hero will still have a few qualities that he or she does not necessarily want to be seen. A negative quality of a hero that is seen in this book was that they were greedy. In book one, Agamemnon and Achilles were arguing over the return of Chryseis. Achilles believed that Agamemnon should allow Chryseis to be returned to her father, but Agamemnon did not want to give her up because she was his prize. Agamemnon said to Achilles â€Å"So I must surrender Chryseis, and expect no compensation--is that it?† (Homer 42; Book 1). Agamemnon was fine with returning Chryseis to her father, but only if he was given a girl to replace her. He did not agree to it with the motivation of being a good person. He was being greedy, and he did not want to give up the girl. He did not see her as a person really, instead he saw her as an object; his prize. Another quality that can be the undoing of a hero was their rage. Towards the end of book one, Achilles was getting angrier and angrier with Agamemnon. He wasShow MoreRelatedHeroes of the Ages1130 Words   |  5 Pagesthem an epic hero. Not only do humans look for the bravery and good deeds in a hero, but they go deeper than that. They wish to know what lies beneath the skin. Literally, what makes them act the way they do. Psychologically speaking, there is no sure way to tell why each person acts the way they do. However, what people can analyze is the actions within a story. Of the numerous heroes in which one could extrapolate upon, there are a few who are ideal for finding the true characteristics that make aRead MoreThe Heroic Code1182 Words   |  5 Pagesdecisions often affect the lives of others as well. 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