Honor in the Iliad and Antigone Essay - 1007 Words

The notion of honor is prevalent throughout the Iliad and Antigone. Both texts demonstrate that honor is essential to Greek heroes because honor is the foundation of the society and family. Homer and Sophocles clearly show that honor guides people’s actions and responses and decides the fate of themselves and others. Both authors also place emphasis on the importance of proper burial because it is a strong indication of honor to the deceased and the deceased’s family. As can be seen in the Iliad and Antigone, the aim of every Greek hero is to gain everlasting honor because it ensures his place in the social memory of his society resounding even after death. Throughout the Iliad, Homer portraits the extent to which honor plays a role in†¦show more content†¦His cowardly act will definitely tarnish his name and left humiliation to his offspring and to the next generation of Greeks. Thus, honor would not allow him and his allies to take a step back and peacefully solve the conflicts because the highest honor can only be gained through heroism in battles. For Greeks, gaining honor while alive that is important, but holding of a proper burial after death is also considered essential to them and their beloveds. In the Iliad, Homer places the emphasis on the retrieval of the body and the burial for both Patroclus and Hector, demonstrating the Greek perception that respect and fame continue after death, and therefore certify the struggle in life to achieve honor. Patroclus is like a brother to Achilles as they grow up together. While Patroclus is alive, he respects Achilles’ decision to remain out of the battle. After he dies, Achilles lays down his individual pride, which has insulted by Agamemnon earlier and returns back to the battle. Achilles successfully kills Hector and exacts his revenge by mutilating the body. Patroclus’ honor is shown in his elaborate ceremonies that Achilles holds for his passing and extends to the mournin g shown. (Homer, Iliad 19.325-360, 23.245-280) On the other side, Priam has gone through many difficulties to have his son’s corpse back from Achilles. Hector’s honor also can be seemed from the paramount funeral and theShow MoreRelatedGreek Mythologies: Gods and Mortals in Greek Literature1714 Words   |  7 Pagesis particularly accentuated in most, if not all, Greek mythologies. Nevertheless, each author displays the role of divinities and supernatural differently, as Homer in The Odyssey and The Iliad displays direct interaction between the supernatural divinities and the mortals. On the other hand, Sophocles’ Antigone lessens such interactions and emphasizes the human role, while Thucydides’ History of the Peloponnesian War completely ignores the notion of divine power, but focuses impartially on the actionsRead MoreCreon And Antigone Character Analysis1538 Words   |  7 PagesThe characters Creon and Antigone, from Sophocles’ Antigone, ac t as cautionary figures for the audience as they warn against the intense belief in and dedication to a single perspective, as doing so leads to a certain lack of malleability that is detrimental to maintaining a fully functioning society. The onlookers of this play, the Athenian people, come to naturally notice the benefits of remaining within the middle ground between beliefs such as those that Creon and Antigone stood for. The unfortunateRead MoreThe Heroes Of The Epic Of Gilgamesh1215 Words   |  5 Pagesprideful and selfish in his conquests. Achilles in The Iliad drug his enemy’s body around his friend’s funeral pyre for days on end. Heroines in ancient literature are closest to what is considered a hero today, even if their methods are unconventional. Lysistrata in Lysistrata leads a sex strike in order to end a war, and Antigone in Antigone nobley buries her brother despite it being unlawful. Feminine heroism, as seen in Lysistrata and Antigone, has a more str aightforward plan to reach the goal ofRead More Creon And Achilles Essays1515 Words   |  7 Pages Both Creon of Sophocles’ Antigone and Achilles of Homer’s The Iliad end up allowing the body of their enemy a proper burial. During the time following the death of Hector, Achilles is in a position very similar to that which Creon deals with in Antigone. Both men show similar flaws, and face similar struggles. The difference between the two men is only subtly discernible until the telling moment when each man is faced with pressure to change his stance on the fate of the fallen warrior. Each man’sRead MoreAnalysis Of Homer s The Iliad And Sophocles Antigone Essay2322 Words   |  10 PagesHomer’s The Iliad and Sophocles’ Antigone paint a mural for what Greek society and people were like during their time; a mural that has survived through the ages, and ultimately allows us to see into their way of life. Both stories revolve around two main characters, Achilles and Antigone, respectively, who face a dilemma in a society where the monarch’s r ule is absolute. Achilles, the greatest warrior of the Achaean army, constantly faces the oppressive rule of Agamemnon, with the understandingRead MoreThe Epic Of Heroism, By Dante Alighieri And Antigone By Sophocles1238 Words   |  5 Pagesthey each possess different traits and attributes that truly form the quality of their character and heroic image: The Iliad by Homer focuses on the physical aspects of heroism, whereas The Inferno by Dante Alighieri and Antigone by Sophocles are merely based on the true depths of heroism. He is bold, he is brave†¦yet he is ferocious. He is the classic epic hero, Achilles, of The Iliad. Achilles exemplifies many great characteristics as the ideal hero, however, he certainly has deep character flaws whichRead MoreExamining Family Relationships in Literature: Examining Antigone, The Odyssey, and The Iliad880 Words   |  4 Pagesthe comparison of siblings, and the rebellion of a son. Within the play Antigone, we see a relationship that tests the strength of ones personal convictions. We quickly learn that the dominant figure is a catalyst to her flawed characteristics. During this time, the cultural bias insinuated that women were the weaker sex and they were immediately given the title of inferior within any relationship. Even though Antigone herself is viewed as the inferior partner in the relationship, she demonstratesRead MoreHeoes of the Iliad and the Odyssey1610 Words   |  7 Pages ― Sophocles, Antigone Honor is a major component of ancient Greek culture, which weaves its way through out the great epics of the time. It is perhaps the single most important entity to some of the most renowned heroes. However, the desire for honor seems to have the power to lead such famous men into the clutches of â€Å"excessive pride†, or hubris (Oxford Dictionaries.com). As a result, choices tend motivated by the idea of increasing not only their honor, but soothing their insultedRead MoreAntigone By Sophocles Antigone1525 Words   |  7 Pagesnothing that the gods demand† (1349-1350). Sophocles’ Antigone takes place in a trying time for the city of Thebes, when Oedipus, their king, and most of the royal family have died, and Creon has just been appointed the new king. Throughout the play, Creon tries on his power as the new ruler, and seems to believe that the gods will not be angry with some of his choices as king, even though they directly violate the divine law. However, in Antigone, when there is a conflict between the divine law andRead MoreRejecting Gender Roles In Sophocless Antigone1262 Words   |  6 PagesRejecting Gender Roles in Antigone Human nature dictates that conformity is a safer choice than expressing individuality. When placed in a situation where one must either remain silent or speak their mind and face severe consequences, there is much less risk in taking the first option. Sophocles, an Athenian tragedian from the fifth century BC, confronted this theme throughout one of his most popular works: Antigone. In the play, the title character must decide if she should honor her brother and die,