Lit102-A

November 27, 2014

Reflection Paper for Troy
Greek Mythology and the stories that come with it are indeed a reflection of
the culture of the Greeks at that time. It shows portrays the politics, warfare, beliefs,
traditions and the everyday life that surround the Greeks during their time. It shows
the grandeur and the richness of their culture and technology which became the
basis of what we know as the European or Western culture.
As I watched the movie Troy which is based on the Epic of Iliad, I saw
certain practices that are very admirable to the Greeks. Warfare was a common
sight during their time but their respect towards each other as warriors is very
admirable. This was evident when Hector and Achilles had their duel and the loser
would have a proper burial as a sign of respect (although Achilles refused to give
the proper burial at first but later changed his mind due to the Plea of the Trojan
King). They also value honor in battle and uphold service towards ones country.
The warriors from both sides fight for the cause of their country and their bravery in
battle means honor to them. I can really relate to this part of the movie because I
have plans of becoming a soldier someday.
In my own opinion, the war is to be blamed to King Agamemnon and his
quest for supremacy. There are three reasons to actually blame him for the power.
First, His conquest for the entirety of Greece pushed him to find an opportunity to
attack Troy; he wanted to find a cause that would legitimize his quest for Troy.
When Hellen escaped from Sparta with Paris, King Agamemnon used the
opportunity to get King Melleus support for the conquest of Troy. Second, he is a
ruthless and a selfish King that only thinks his soldiers as pawns and wants all of the
glory of war for himself. This was evident in his statement towards Achilles that
Kings are the ones that are remembered and not the soldiers who fought for them.
Third, his greed for power showed that he will do terrible things because of power
and prestige. King Agamemnon was an example of how greed can swallow up the
minds of the people and actually push them to do horrible things just to satisfy their
greed for power. Greed can also push a person to even use trickery and lies just to
get ahead over an enemy; this was portrayed when the Greeks used a wooden
horse to trick the Trojans into peace and enter the Trojan walls.
All of these themes showed in the movie Troy made me realize that
many of the traits of the Greeks are still very evident in our modern society. Honor
and its opposite Greed are still seen today simply because it is all part of being
human. Even today, there are those who want to get ahead of others because they
want more of what they deserve. There is an Agamenon hidden in all of us and the

desire to get ahead of others in some instances in our lives. We must try to get rid
of it because greed destroys not just others but ourselves as well.