Essay on The Authors Purpose in Writing Iliad

The Iliad is a great and epic poem having its basis in the mythology of the people in Greece. It accounts the significant events of the Trojan War, a mythical conflict in the 1100 BC CITATION Lit161 \l 1033 (Litcharts, 2016). The Iliad is the earliest work in the Greek oral and literary tradition to which it refers to the real events. Homer looked to describe his occupation and not the story of the whole war. He probably wanted his audience to realize the basic story of Trojan War considering his first words on Achilles anger and its effects. Through this, he managed to construct a unified and a well-drawn story. Other reasons may be that Homer wanted to make a point as he conveys Hector as a true hero or as a more sympathetic and understanding character than Achilles making it clear that his real sympathies were on the Trojans CITATION Jea122 \l 1033 (Asta, 2012). Homer may have also written the poem to symbolize life as a journey and that in life the journey is more essential than the destination. Thus, Iliad shows a set of historical events and realities from the dark ages and late Bronze Age that are consistent with the archaeological accounts.

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Homer achieved his goal as the Iliad remain the most widely read and celebrated story ever told. Iliad is hailed for its greatest epic of Greece and its influence on some writers and poets. His work has owed a tremendous debt to oral poetry, literary traditions and oral traditions Iliad has therefore remained one of the most loved and known stories of all time.

Themes

Honor and Glory

In Iliad, one of the major themes is an honor, which soldiers earn in war. In ancient Greece, to perform in battle is one of the greatest sources of worth. The glory earned in war allow soldiers to live on as legends who may be remembered for years after the war. The characters in Iliad made reference to their legends like Theseus and Hercules. The poem Iliad focuses on the rage of Achilles and the fulfillment of his glory during the Trojan War. In the battlefield, Achilles proves that he is the best among the Achaeans by killing Hector and giving the best military performance in the battlefield CITATION Hom09 \l 1033 (Homer, 2009). Thus, Achilles in the ancient Greece perspectives is more honorable and heroic because he was the greatest warrior during the Trojan War. Comparing Paris to Achilles, Paris is a good lover and a handsome man, however since he hangs back in the battlefield, he is scorn, and he is seen as a ridiculous character in the poem CITATION Ada141 \l 1033 (Nicolson, 2014).

The Gods

In Iliad, Homer portrays the Gods as having an interest to the mortals. Sometimes, the gods take mens form. For example, when Apollo speaks to Hector, he fills him with strength to enable them to push back the enemies CITATION Jea122 \l 1033 (Asta, 2012). Sometimes, the role of the gods seemed metaphorical, showing some changes in the strength and moods of men. In Iliad, the Agamemnon held the daughter of Apollo captive. Thus, Apollo rains plague on the troops of Archaeon. There are times when the gods perform miraculous actions, for example, when Aeneas is lifted up from the battlefield and hailed on the mountain topCITATION Ada141 \p 76 \l 1033 (Nicolson, 2014, p. 76). The war between Troy and Achaea is a battle between the gods. Poseidon, Athena, and Hera support Achaeans course while Apollo, Ares and Aphrodite assist the Trojans. Zeus is the most powerful god among the gods, and he presides over the conflicts. The conflict between the gods is associated with a myth. Though the gods are passionate on wars fate, they do not feel the agony of mortal men CITATION Hom09 \l 1033 (Homer, 2009). They represent the nature of eternalness and human passions.

Wartime Verses Peacetime

Though Iliad is a tale of war, it has some reflections of peace. One of the important relationships seen between peace and war is seen when god Hephaestus forgets Achilles shield. The shield has a magnificent picture of two cities, one at peace and the other one at war. The killing enemy is a common tradition, and Homer supports this with the images he uses in the poem that describes the battle scenes of Greek rural life.

Mortality

Iliad is regarded as a story of war, and it confronts that all men have to die. The wars in the poem are filled with descriptions deaths of soldiers. Though, death on the battlefield is natural. Glaucous show that As the generations of leaves, the lives of mortal menas one generation comes to life, another dies away CITATION Lit161 \l 1033 (Litcharts, 2016). The immortal gods were only able to endow a man with immortal powers like Hector and Diomedes for a day, however such instances are limited. Thus, even the most invulnerable and strongest heroes Achilles is also destined to die on the battlefield. This is a sign of fragility for every man. The death of Troy and Hector shows the eventual destruction of the city of Try.

Relating the Work with my Life Today

The growing and enduring popularity of the poem Iliad gives a persuasive testimony of my life that reach deeply into my imagination. My social and personal life are organized around an antithetical vision. Based on my underlying life choices there is the consensus of the relationship between God, nature and me. My belief has little room for the conduct of my ancestors, and this is one thing that I have moved beyond. Iliad vision of life radically contradicts my cherished beliefs. Homer vision is unacceptable and incompatible with my belief in divinities uploading the moral standards. Iliad is a tale with no straightforward moral since there is no much nobility in war, which in other terms is impure and barbaric.

I cannot, however, weigh the conflicting demands today and in the past in interpreting ancient texts. The challenges observed in Iliad about our modern sensibilities and feelings about war are evil and should be considered corrigible. Any idea of war as a coherent ritual that makes it bearable should be eliminated and instead repeated attempts of ending such wars should be put in place. I cannot, for instance, acknowledge the presence of Athena in the battle lines, to show that life brings creative, joyous and powerful potentialities in ones spirit. Iliad however, encourages me to see its power, beauty, terror and a vibrant vision of the nature of human beings that may be able to reacquaint me, with the joy of striving to face destiny. Finally, today I do not care as the fate in the poem Iliad is less significant in my life. The poem cannot grab my imagination, but his aspects are adventurers still significant in our civilization.

References

BIBLIOGRAPHY Asta, J. (2012). Quicklet on Homer's The Iliad (CliffNotes-like Summary, Analysis, and Review). San Francisco: Hyperink.

Homer. (2009). The Iliad of Homer. South Carolina: BiblioBazaar.

Litcharts. (2016). The Iliad Summary. Retrieved from http://www.litcharts.com: http://www.litcharts.com/lit/the-iliad/summary

Nicolson, A. (2014). Why Homer Matters. New York City: Henry Holt and Company.