Discussion on Hector's Importance & Achilles' Shield in the Iliad

This assignment delves into two key aspects of Homer's Iliad: the importance of Hector and the significance of Achilles' shield. The student explores Hector's character as a hero, husband, and father, highlighting his role in the Trojan War and his interactions with other characters such as Andromache, Apollo, and Achilles. The analysis covers Hector's death and its impact on the narrative. The second part of the assignment focuses on the Shield of Achilles, examining its creation by Hephaestus, its intricate depictions of various scenes, and its symbolic representation of the Achaean experience and the broader events of the war. The student draws on the provided sources to support their arguments, offering a detailed examination of these central elements within the epic poem.

Ancient Greek and their tales
Student Details
3/30/2020

Iliad based discussion
The importance of Hector in Iliad
Hector, the youngest child of Trojan king Priam as well as his wife Hecuba, through Greek
mythology. He became Andromache's husband, then Trojan army leader soldier. He portrayed in
Homer's Iliad as just an exemplary hero as well as Troy's staple. In the book the lines of Hector
were, “Surely, all these things concern me too, my wife; but greatly I would fread what they
would think, the Trojans and the Trojan women with their trailing robes, if like a coward I
should shirk away from fighting” (Puchner and Akbari 253). In this Hector's role is described as
a great son, a caring husband as well as a loving father and perhaps a trusty comrade in its most
desirable shades. His absences of Andromache throughout the Iliad’s sixth volume, including his
departure over the last time to visit Achilles, were portrayed in a touching way (Puchner and
Akbari 1472).
It is Apollo's unique favorite, which poetry later also identified him as this little son of god.
Hector's main actions during most of the Trojan Battle were the rescue of the injured Sarpedon,
the battle against Ajax, son of Telamon (his specific adversary), as well as the burning down of
the Greek battlements. Hector loved his son a lot which can be seen from the phrase that “Zeus,
and you other Gods, grant now that this child too, my son, will become, even as I am,
conspicuous among Trojans, likewise skilled in courage, and rule lion in strength” (Puchner and
Akbari 254). Hector’s death came after a series of scandals involving Patroclus as well as
Achilles. Achilles leaves those Greeks since quarreling against Agamemnon, however Hector
attempts to pull them back to the boats which they nearly persists in dissipating. He even
destroys Patroclus with the assistance from Apollo, whom came masked as Achilles and supports
the Greeks.
Achilles depressed as well as get ready to exact revenge his comrade Patroclus 'murder, goes to
battle as well as kills Hector. He carries the corpse of Hector to that of the settlement behind his
carriage, as well as then on to Patroclus's grave. Nevertheless, Aphrodite as well as Apollo
protects the flesh from abuse and circumcision. Later, Priam, supported by Hercules, went to The
Iliad concludes with the death of Hector, and after that his corpse is buried with plenty of honor.
Afterwards Hector became worshipped throughout the Troad as well as in Tanagra, southeast of
Thebes.

Shield of Achilles based discussion
The specialty of shield
Achilles 'shield serves a significant function within the Iliad. This presents the tale of the
Achaeans as a mirror image of the broader event, including their war towards the Trojans.
Crafted by the creator, Hephaestus, who had been a lame smith, it shows the two settlements and
the events inside, and also the kingly estate of Agamemnon. In order to obtain insight onto the
shield's features and complexities, one will look at both the shield themselves, the cities
portrayed inside the shield, and indeed the King's estate as well as other scenarios often depicted.
Such objects should provide a reasonable understanding of the value of Achilles 'shield as well
as the Iliad, also to an inexperienced student. As it was shown in the phrase of Thetis that “Yes,
all these things, my child, you have not spoken truly; nor is it shameful to ward off sheer
destruction from your afflicted comrades” (Puchner and Akbari 285).
That god of stone, Hephaestus, was the smith which created Achilles 'shield. He begins copper,
nickel, gold, including silver in the kiln and twenty heated horn and flames. He instead begins to
pound the metals onto his anvil to build for Achilles to wear a huge shield. The protection itself
comprises of five metal pieces, with a dual play protection band edging around the bottom.
Scenes depicting the heavens including earth and shore, two glorious villages, a king's farm,
fallow lands, a flourishing vineyard, a flock of longhorn cattle as well as a spinning circle are on
the shields (Puchner and Akbari 294).
The two towns displayed on the shield reflect a city in Greece as well as Troy. The shield also
displays a flourishing vineyard in which the pickers ride on a twisting footpath. The specifics
within the towns themselves and is within the properties of the King were confirmation of this.
The warriors of shield in contact with crook-legged god got answers like “Have courage; do not
let these matters be a care to your hear” (Puchner and Akbari 292). It helps to inform the reader
of what occurred, as seen in the scenes of the fight, thus setting the stage for what is to come. It
serves as a break for the reader to stand back and digest the significance of the previous
incidents, and prefigures Troy's collapse (Puchner and Akbari 284).

Bibliography
Puchner, Martin and Suzanne Conklin Akbari. "Homer." The Norton Anthology of World
Literature. 4th. W. W. Norton & Company, 2018c. 284.
Puchner, Martin and Suzanne Conklin Akbari. "Homer." The Norton Anthology of World
Literature. 4th. W. W. Norton & Company, 2018d. 292.
Puchner, Martin and Suzanne Conklin Akbari. "Homer." The Norton Anthology of World
Literature. 4th. W. W. Norton & Company, 2018b. 254.
Puchner, Martin and Suzanne Conklin Akbari. "The Iliad." The Norton Anthology of World
Literature (Vol A). 4th. W. W. Norton & Company, 2018a. 253.
Puchner, Martin and Suzanne Conklin Akbari. "The Iliad." The Norton Anthology of World
Literature. 4th. W. W. Norton & Company, 2018e. 285.
—. The Norton Anthology Of World Literature (Volume A). 4th. Vol. A. W. W. Norton &
Company, 2018.