Character List
Achilles- The Achaean champion, Achilles is the main character of the Iliad because of his pride and anger that fueled this battle in the Trojan War.
Agamemnon- The leader of the Achaeans, Agamemnon is the prideful and arrogant king that can lead his troops toward victory.
Ajax- Known for being a brave fighter, he duels Hector when no one else would.
Apollo- God of music, truth, prophecy, healing, the sun and light, plague, poetry, etc. Apollo rooted for the Trojans.
Athena- Goddess of wisdom and battle strategy, she rooted for the Achaeans.
Diomedes-A brave and strong fighter, his skill on the battlefield captured even the gods attention.
Hector- The Trojans champion, he is considered a hero, but he flees from the battle in fear multiple times. Helen- The beautiful woman that fueled the Trojan war by running off with the Trojan prince, Paris; she was the wife of Menelaus. Hera- The wife of Zeus and queen of the Olympians, Hera roots for the Achaeans. Menelaus-The original husband of Helen, he is a brave fighter. Nestor- Old and wise, he is one of the best public speakers for the Achaeans. Odysseus- He is also one of the Achaeans’ best public speakers. Paris- The attractive Paris, the seducer of Helen. He is Helen’s second husband, and duels Menelaus over her. Patroclus- A friend of Achilles, he dons Achilles’ armor and fights in the battle but is killed by Hector. Priam- The king of the city of Troy, he is Hector’s father Thetis-A sea-nymph, she is the mother of Achilles and the one who pleads for Zeus to take actions against the Achaeans. Zeus- The ruler of the sky, he is the most powerful of the Olympian gods and their leader. Thetis pleads with him to fulfil Achilles’ wish of destruction of the Achaeans. Universal Themes Don’t let anger control you. In the Iliad, Achilles’ resentment towards Agamemnon led to dozens of people losing their lives. If he had just come to terms with his emotions instead of directing them towards other targets, he would have saved so many people. One thing done in a momentary feeling of rage can be remembered for a lifetime, and Achilles probably remembered how Patroclus died for him for the rest of his life. That is one heavy burden to wear. War isn’t a beautiful thing to celebrate. When a character dies in this story, the author gives a little personal information about the person, like how he has a wife waiting back home or how his brother will miss him. This enhances the fact that it’s a person that’s dying, not just some bald guy with a spear. These people lead their own lives and fight other battles an enemy on the field could never understand. Friends and family die in war, and people come back home a completely different person. War is most definitely not something beautiful to …show more content…
Achilles’ divine armor signifies his place with the Olympians. His armor brings terror into the heart of his enemies because when the enemy look at him, it isn’t his face they see, but his armor. His armor is associated with him through battle.
Destiny (Motif) Both the Trojans and the Achaeans believe in destiny. Achilles’ destiny was to go to battle and die young; Hector was meant to be killed by Achilles. The power of destiny lies within the gods, specifically Zeus. Destiny places an important part in this story by how the gods directly influence the characters.
Gods (Motif) The greek gods play a significant role in The Iliad. The Trojans and the Achaeans believe in them and rely on them to protect them and make them strong. The gods are such a strong part in the everyday life for these two armies. The gods make the warriors strong and swift, or tip the balance against them depending on if they favor them. The gods are certainly a force to be reckoned with.
Pride (Motif) Pride is one of the seven deadly sins. This book is a prime example of how it earned its place in that list. One way pride works its way into the book is from Agamemnon and Achilles’ conflict over Briseis.
Key Quotations
Achilles- The Achaean champion, Achilles is the main character of the Iliad because of his pride and anger that fueled this battle in the Trojan War.
Agamemnon- The leader of the Achaeans, Agamemnon is the prideful and arrogant king that can lead his troops toward victory.
Ajax- Known for being a brave fighter, he duels Hector when no one else would.
Apollo- God of music, truth, prophecy, healing, the sun and light, plague, poetry, etc. Apollo rooted for the Trojans.
Athena- Goddess of wisdom and battle strategy, she rooted for the Achaeans.
Diomedes-A brave and strong fighter, his skill on the battlefield captured even the gods attention.
Hector- The Trojans champion, he is considered a hero, but he flees from the battle in fear multiple times. Helen- The beautiful woman that fueled the Trojan war by running off with the Trojan prince, Paris; she was the wife of Menelaus. Hera- The wife of Zeus and queen of the Olympians, Hera roots for the Achaeans. Menelaus-The original husband of Helen, he is a brave fighter. Nestor- Old and wise, he is one of the best public speakers for the Achaeans. Odysseus- He is also one of the Achaeans’ best public speakers. Paris- The attractive Paris, the seducer of Helen. He is Helen’s second husband, and duels Menelaus over her. Patroclus- A friend of Achilles, he dons Achilles’ armor and fights in the battle but is killed by Hector. Priam- The king of the city of Troy, he is Hector’s father Thetis-A sea-nymph, she is the mother of Achilles and the one who pleads for Zeus to take actions against the Achaeans. Zeus- The ruler of the sky, he is the most powerful of the Olympian gods and their leader. Thetis pleads with him to fulfil Achilles’ wish of destruction of the Achaeans. Universal Themes Don’t let anger control you. In the Iliad, Achilles’ resentment towards Agamemnon led to dozens of people losing their lives. If he had just come to terms with his emotions instead of directing them towards other targets, he would have saved so many people. One thing done in a momentary feeling of rage can be remembered for a lifetime, and Achilles probably remembered how Patroclus died for him for the rest of his life. That is one heavy burden to wear. War isn’t a beautiful thing to celebrate. When a character dies in this story, the author gives a little personal information about the person, like how he has a wife waiting back home or how his brother will miss him. This enhances the fact that it’s a person that’s dying, not just some bald guy with a spear. These people lead their own lives and fight other battles an enemy on the field could never understand. Friends and family die in war, and people come back home a completely different person. War is most definitely not something beautiful to …show more content…
Achilles’ divine armor signifies his place with the Olympians. His armor brings terror into the heart of his enemies because when the enemy look at him, it isn’t his face they see, but his armor. His armor is associated with him through battle.
Destiny (Motif) Both the Trojans and the Achaeans believe in destiny. Achilles’ destiny was to go to battle and die young; Hector was meant to be killed by Achilles. The power of destiny lies within the gods, specifically Zeus. Destiny places an important part in this story by how the gods directly influence the characters.
Gods (Motif) The greek gods play a significant role in The Iliad. The Trojans and the Achaeans believe in them and rely on them to protect them and make them strong. The gods are such a strong part in the everyday life for these two armies. The gods make the warriors strong and swift, or tip the balance against them depending on if they favor them. The gods are certainly a force to be reckoned with.
Pride (Motif) Pride is one of the seven deadly sins. This book is a prime example of how it earned its place in that list. One way pride works its way into the book is from Agamemnon and Achilles’ conflict over Briseis.
Key Quotations