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EPIC HEROISM; THE ILIAD
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A hero or an epi hero is the main harater in a poem reate! "# the poet an! $hose
%e&en!ar# an! heroi ations are entra% to his u%ture' rae an! nation( Most%# the epi hero'
is the main prota&onist in the poem in the settin&s o) %itera# $or*( These haraters are
!e+e%ope! "# the $riter as heroes throu&h uni,ue $ritin& st#%e om"inin& use o) tone'
!ition' !etai% an! other tehni,ues use! )or $ritin& narrati+es to "ui%! the persona%it# o) the
hero(
Homer in -The I%ia!.' !e+e%ops t$o %assia% heroes( At )irst &%ane' the t$o heroes are
!istint%# !i))erent "ut on %oser %oo* the# are simi%ar in )eatures( The t$o haraters are
Hetor an! Ahi%%es( These t$o epi heroes are oura&eous so%!iers' respete! in the
ommunit#' an! honoura"%e men( A%thou&h the# ha+e a%% these &oo! harateristis' the# "oth
ha+e human )ai%in&s that e+entua%%# %e! to tra&e!#( Homer portra#s the human )%a$s o) the
t$o heroes; Hetor an! Ahi%%es that "rin&s !o$n the po$er)u% Hetor )rom the to$er o)
)ame an! am"ition to the "ase o) humi%iation(
These t$o heroes ha+e !istint harateristis that i!enti)# them )rom the rest o) the
ommunit#( /oth are stron& an! "ra+e( The $riter e+en paints them as ma# e+en ha+e a &o!
%i*e ,ua%ities( Homer puts an emphasis on this "# !e%i"erate%# an! repetiti+e%# usin&
a!0eti+es "e)ore their names to praise them( Thou&h "oth portra# simi%ar traits' there arises
sma%% !i))erenes in their $a# o) !oin& thin&s( 1hi%e Ahi%%es is !epite! as &o!%i*e an!
s$i)t' Hetor is portra#e! as !a22%in&' !i&ni)ie! an! "ri&ht( Homer uses phrases %i*e -33
no"%e "ri&ht4he%mete! Hetor3. 5Homer' p6789(
The t$o heroes are &enera%%# respete! an! honoura"%e men "# the peop%e surroun!in& them(
Ahi%%es an! Hetor are "oth stron& an! )ear%ess so%!iers( These harateristis ma*e them "e
hi&h%# %oo*e! upon an! !epen!e! on "# the peop%e o) Tro0an an! the Ahaeans( Peop%e pa# a
%ot o) attention $hen either o) them spea*s( In their speeh' Homer' sets o)) the )o%%o$in&
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$or!s -He spo*e3. 5Homer' p1:79( This has "een use! to !epit a sense o) po$er an!
authorit# the t$o heroes e;ert $hen the# spea*(
Hetor is a%so muh respete! $ithin the soiet#' Tro0ans an! as $e%% as in <ree*( 1hen the
t$o armies are in on)%it an! are rea!# to )i&ht a&ainst one another' Hetor "ra+e%# steps out
an! ho%!s the Tro0an %ine( No sooner ha! the Ahaeans atta*e! him $ith stones an! arro$s
than A&amemnon shoute!' -No more shootin& #ou men o) Ahaea= >or it seems the "ri&ht4
he%mete! Hetor has somethin& to sa#. 5Hetor p884879( /eause o) his speeh' the t$o
ri+a%%in& armies sit ,uiet%# in the )ie%!(
Epi heroes as !isp%a#e! in this Homer?s masterpiee' an "e &o! %i*e' "ut the# are a%so )u%%
o) human )%a$s sine the# are human( 1hi%e Ahi%%es is po$er)u%' respete! an! "ra+e' he is
a%so +en&e)u%' meri%ess an! !isrespet)u% to Hetor?s orpse( On the other han!' Hetor'
thou&h stron& an! no"%e' he an at times "e o# an! !isastrous%# prou!( Hetor?s set"a*s an!
pri!e %ea! to his !emise( 1hen he omes to the rea%i2ation o) his mista*es' he is too prou! to
)ae them an! !e%i"erate%# !ei!es to sta# outsi!e the it# to )ae Ahi%%es(
Homer &i+e his haraters rea% %i)e e;periene( A%thou&h the# possess some supernatura%
po$er' the# are human%# suh that the# ma*e )%a$s %i*e other human "ein&s !o o)ten( As
muh as the# are "ra+e' oura&eous an! &o!%i*e' the# )ae their o$n )%a$s that a))et their
heroism %i+es(
1or* ite!:
Homer( 518@@9( The First Book of the Iliad of Home. Ne$#or*: Hathar! an! Compan#(