Achilles Battles With Hector example essay topic

Human nature is quite unpredictable and ever changing. As a result it leads to much destruction and creativity throughout life. Homer's epic poem The Iliad implies that the destructive aspect out ways the creative aspect just as it does in daily events. The destructiveness in this poem is emphasized through greed, the intertwining of mortals and immortals, and the actual accounts of battle.

Greed is an underlying cause of the destructiveness in this poem. In book Agamemnon displays his greed first as he is offered a shining ransom from Chryseis forthe return of Chryseis, his daughter. Agamemnon proudly denies with his head held high which causes Apollo to send a plague on the Achaean army. Though his own people are dying in the masses, he refuses to give up Chryseis. After Agamemnon finally realizes he must give up Chryseis his second display of greed is unleashed. Agamemnon gives up Chryseis but his greedy nature forces him to request the hand of Achilles prize, Bris eis.

Achilles is fiercely outraged at the embarrassment he encounters and refuses to fight for Agamemnon. Agamemnon has again caused destruction to his defense by chasing his strongest leader away. On the other hand none of these events would have unfolded if Hera, Aphrodite, and Athena had not been greedy over being the fairest of all goddesses. Aphrodite is chosen the fairest which causes Hera and Athena to hold a destructive grudge towards all Trojans which leads to Troy's downfall. As the poem unwinds the intermingling of mortals and immortals adds to the destructive nature. Achilles is the very child of Thetis, an immortal goddess.

Thus Achilles has strong ties with all immortals. After Achilles armor is taken by the Trojans, Thetis request from Hephaestus a grand set of armor be made for Achilles. Though this shield is not any regular shield for it had been hand-crafted by a god. When Hector throws his spear it hits Achilles great shield with no sign that the spear had ever been thrown. When Zeus sends Aphrodite, Hera, and Athena to a Trojan named Paris to decide who is the fairest of all goddesses, Paris chooses Aphrodite.

After Hera and Athena encounter the decision of the mortal Paris, their influences go to the Greek cause. These two goddesses vow that when everything is said and done, the Trojans will pay for the choice Paris has made. Now with his mothers help and the vengeance in Hera and Athena, Achilles has an overpowering edge as he enters battle. Athena instills within Achilles nectar and sweet ambrosia to ward off his hunger while he endures battle. During immediate battle, Athena also returns a thrown spear to Achilles and lastly turns a fatal trick on Hector fooling him into death at the hand of Achilles. Finally, the actual accounts of battle are a result of man's destructive nature in this poem.

The actual battle lasts years which means the two cities are in constant destruction for quite some time. Hector when speaking to Polydamas in book XV, claims how Troy used to be a beautiful place all rich in its gold and bronze, but he now talks of how the city has fallen apart without the support of the army at war. Hector finds it depressing to return to his own city. In book IX Odysseus comes to Achilles begging for his return to the war. In his efforts he describes Hector praying for dawn to come so he can unleash his forces upon the Achaeans again... he ll rout and kill in blood! (131-line 294) is spoken by Odysseus which explains the horrendous nature of Hectors violence.

As book IX ends Patroclus falls to Hector in battle. Patroclus is stripped naked and mauled to bits as they war over his remaining corpse. Lastly, Achilles battles with Hector until one of them dies. Hector is the one chosen to die and the account was quite destructive. Achilles takes his spear to Hector's open throat, slashing his neck yet failing to sever the windpipe. After he dies every Ache an army member comes forward to see his body and each and every one stabs Hector before leaving.

The final destructive event occurs as Achilles drags Hector's mangled corpse around and around the grave of Patroclus. Ultimately destruction in this poem is seen through greed, the interference of gods and goddesses with humans, and the descriptions of actual battle.