is the iliad worth reading

Plus, he has a goddess on his side. So, I will discuss what we know of Homer (which technically is also pretty much nothing). Achilles wins his point, but at a terrible price. The Iliad itself is already at least 2670 years old, but it accounts for events that pre-date it by a further 600-700 years. April 16, 2018. Not only is it old, but its style and culture are so far removed from ours that it truly must be read with a different purpose and mindset. That is why for someone not as passionate about literature I would probably suggest just using a secondary source. On my first reading of The Iliad or the Poem of Force, I had been working on a paper. This is great stuff for an 11-year-old. By Garry Wills. Show More. Also, the cataloging of deaths, generals, and ships do greatly bog down the pacing and enjoyment factor. In this section, we consider definitions of the term “epic,” the Iliad … More than anyone else among the Greeks, Odysseus is a family man. Detailed explanations, analysis, and citation info for every important quote on LitCharts. John Breeden, my good friend and partner at the Tech Writers Bureau, is a literate guy who definitely appreciates fantasy and adventure. Sometimes gory. The Iliad was not written down by him, but composed as an orally performed epic poem, similar to a song or chant. He also is happily married. Will this apply to various situations, or is it only useful as a narrow concept? Definitely worth reading this piece of classic literature! See other book reviews or what I plan to read next here: Book Reviews. It was embarrassing how she could say in hundreds of characters what I needed hundreds of words to make clear. The names of every ship and general are checked off, and the battle scenes themselves can feel over-long and list-like. The poem has already established the characters of Agamemnon, proud and headstrong, and Achilles, mighty but temperamental, whose quarrel dominates the … Others have praised its quality, so I will just add that it is a surprisingly dramatic and action-packed story - I can see the Hollywood blockbuster in my head when I read it. Perhaps anything worth doing is difficult. I remember that on my first reading of Homer, I sometimes felt like I was wandering in deep fog. (Most of them cannot be answered from the story-line summary provided in part 2.) I first encountered Odysseus in the fifth grade and was immediately hooked. We have never truly known if he was a real person. Of course, The Iliad is fairly difficult to read. In The Godfather (SPOILER warning for the first film) Sonny’s death mimics Patroclus’ death and the events that follow even mimic Achilles’ rise from complacency to that of revenge. Menelaus and Paris, Achilles and Agamemnon, or Andromache and Hector) using these sources will give enough basis for where authors received influence. John Breeden, my good friend and partner at the Tech Writers Bureau, is a literate guy who definitely appreciates fantasy and adventure. Jaynes idea accounts for the intervention of the gods as a way in which these early men accounted for the voices they heard within their own brains. avg. It depends: A Case for Using a Secondary Source Achilles is the main character, and his inaction, or withdrawal from the fighting, is crucial to the plot. When discussing history, I want to give some background on the time of the writing and the time it took place. Nine years after the start of the Trojan War, the Greek (“Achaean”) army sacks Chryse, a town allied with Troy. The events themselves are not unique to us now that they’ve been used so often, and the characters are pre-Shakespeare and thus don’t nearly have the same profound psychology or humanistic traits. At 10.261 … When it comes to plot and character, its influence begins in drama. Despite the focus on Achilles, the closest thing to a hero in The Iliad is Hector, son of the Trojan king and brother of Paris, the jerk who started the war. How many have you read? flag. The Iliad is about the Trojan War, but it is primarily about the war as it is affected by Achilles' wrath, or anger. And the great revenge scene where Odysseus reveals himself to his wife’s suitors and proceeds to kill everyone in the room. You will also be able to better pick up on the symbolism and character development within these works as well. score: 26 of 100 (26%) required scores: 1, 12, 19, 27, 37 list stats leaders vote Vote print comments. He is a cunning tactician, but he is not the greatest warrior, nor the wisest counselor, nor the most powerful leader. There is an unseen influence as well. It’s possible that he was a woman or a group of people or that the word Homer is just in reference to the oral tradition of the time. By: William Jackson. The Iliad … Odysseus exemplifies the Greek virtues of excellence and moderation. Odysseus prefers his home, however, and the gods finally send him. Many generations before you lacked the myriad advantages at your disposal, and it didn't stop them from understanding … So Agamemnon’s disrespect is a more-than-mortal insult. The Greek concept of the afterlife is pretty grim and the only consolation is to be remembered well after death. The title, The Iliad, is likely a word your students haven’t heard before. The suffix “ad” means “associated with,” hence the Iliad is a story associated with Troy. These internal explanations are, of course, lost in translation: reading the Iliad in the original Greek gives a much better sense of the historic depth and richness of its language. Place and people names and some cultural references were changed based on different tellings from the initial creation until it was written. Course Rating: Review by Anonymous / (Posted on 13/04/2019) The course is very dynamic and lively, the tutor incredibly well-informed, and the Iliad is simply … Reading her essay made me throw my paper out and start anew. For the discussion of its worth to read, I plan to give reasons for reading it in full vs reading and studying secondary works. But Achilles is a champion in a warrior society where honor is everything. It’s a shame to turn kids away from something so exciting. 782 Words 4 Pages. View on timesmachine. Knowing the military and societal structure of other Bronze Age cities, there is almost no possibility that the siege of Troy lasted 10 years or that the army consisted of the numbers presented in the text. Homer’s body count exceeds that of Shakespeare and Quentin Tarantino combined. More than wealth or life itself. With that, I will be giving The Iliad a 3.75/5.00. I was surprised by how much I enjoyed reading The Iliad. The Iliad by Homer, translated by Robert Fagles, Penguin Classics, ... such aids are no substitute to doing the actual reading. There he must confront the scores of suitors who are plaguing his wife. Homer recounts battles and deaths in unsparing detail and with graphic descriptions. Alexander Pope. Performance 5 out of 5 stars. Tech Writers Bureau © ALL RIGHTS RESERVED, Captcha Technology Evolving to Combat Test-Aware AI, Supreme Court sidesteps decision on Microsoft’s Irish email servers. Agamemnon and his brother Menelaus (whose wife, Helen, is who they are fighting over), Odysseus, the two Ajax, and a score of other warriors, are all well-defined characters who demonstrate their strengths and weaknesses in counsel and battle. But as an adult it is shocking. probably familiar with battles that have taken place in the past century As a student, when I am looking as to whether something is valuable or worth my time, I look at its usability. It is useful to have some sense of the order of events in the Greek world. It invites us to consider whether we want our standard of heroism to be that of Hector, Achilles, Odysseus, Patroclus, etc. That being said, the work is heavily influential and is easily one of the top five most important works of all time. I am not sure. I had trouble following who was who, and which god was on which side, and I just didn’t care. It comes from the Greek word for Troy -- Ilios or Ilion.       If I return, I quit immortal praise It’s worth the read for sure. Answer. There are different layers of the city of Troy that have been uncovered suggesting not just the general rebuilding and tearing down of the city, but destruction likely only to have been caused by conflict. So reading him can be somewhat rough going without a well-annotated edition. The first of these discusses why the Homeric epics are still worth reading, nearly 3,000 years after their creation. Page 1 of 3 1 2 3. type to search. Here, if I stay, before the Trojan town, Yes, that’s probably controversially low, but I am taking into account how much I really enjoyed it along with how important and influential it is. It’s been debated whether The Trojan War ever truly occurred. Many readers think of "The Iliad" as a daunting text. Close Reading In The Iliad; Close Reading In The Iliad. It is thought to have been formed sometime between 750 BC and 650 BC (see edit below for correction), however it was likely only performed via a flexible oral “song” during this time. He has lost his fleet and all of his men to battles, monsters and divine anger, and Poseidon has vowed to keep him from returning to Ithaca where his wife, Penelope, and son, Telemachus, are waiting for him. The Iliad is thought to be created around as early as 1200 BC and the time period of 750-650 BC is when it was first written down. Don't worry about not "getting" everything; every story worth reading is worth rereading. Its story was pervasive and lived among them. Required fields are marked *. The use of patronyms is common for all other characters, but Odysseus is the only Greek who is identified through his son, being sometimes called the father of Telemachus. Of course, to preserve the flavor ot the originals and give the reader a sense of Homer, the … Barry Strauss’s book that I mentioned above is a good choice, as it not only provides actual history/archaeology but summarizes the important events of The Iliad. Starting with a general influence, we can see a few hundred years after it was composed that it had already been written down, memorized by school children, and was being performed throughout Greek society. LitCharts Teacher Editions. Worth Reading: The Iliad and The Odyssey by Homer. Some are in prose, which some readers find easier to read than verse. The Odyssey story follows the Iliad story a bit like a sequel, BUT the Iliad covers only a few days of the Trojan war; most of the well known episodes of the war (including the wooden horse and the conquest) are _not_ contained in it. By the end of Book 2, Homer has introduced all of The Iliad’s major characters on the Greek side—his catalog of the Trojan troops at the end of Book 2 leads naturally into an introduction of the Trojan leadership in Book 3. The Iliad is most definitely entertaining at times, but from a modern view so far removed from that time period, it has to be read from an entirely different perspective and purpose. Given that it set the basis of Western literature (along with the other works I mentioned) even if its influence is not blatantly apparent, it still helped form the minds of almost every writer after it. But I am sure that reading The Iliad is worthwhile and that once a person starts to read it, it becomes progressively easier. Suggestions for Further Reading; Writing Help. And Penelope is faithful to him, fending off scores of suitors during his long absence. The Iliad is one of the earliest surviving works of Western literature; its influence is only rivaled by that of The Epic of Gilgamesh, The Bible, and The Odyssey. Finally, the influence is even seen in film. Instant downloads of all 1408 LitChart PDFs (including The Iliad). When Agamemnon insults Achilles the warrior decides to sit out the battles. Some retain the archaic tags and repeated phrases that are artifacts of the original oral composition, which I happen to enjoy. The Iliad is meant to be read (or heard), not summarized. Many parts of it are bizarre and horrifying to the modern reader, but it can certainly be enjoyed within its context. But he said that Homer’s stories had been made so boring at school that he hasn’t read them. I had trouble following who was who, and which god was on which side, and I just didn’t care. People knew this 3,000 years ago and we’re still fighting? Therefore, when Athena tells Achilles not to draw his sword to kill Agamemnon, the speaker is actually one side of Achilles' brain. In discussing influence, I want to show how The Iliad influenced various writers, plots, characters, and forms of storytelling. What makes a good leader? The Iliad is not hard to understand, and it’s not all too long, but it is highly dense and repetitive to the point that even a literature Ph.D.’s eyes would gloss over at times. How much control do we have over our destinies? Edit: Thank you to Llyngeir on Reddit for the correction. There are also various plays that show the events after the Greeks left Troy, but I’ll save that for when I read The Odyssey. 36,733 views made by Joshua Converse. Iphigenia in Aulis shows what happened just before the Greeks’ departure for Troy. Instead, I will attempt to discuss its history, its influence in the literary tradition, decide whether it is worth reading in full, and finally, giving a brief rating at the end.       For years on years, and long-extended days. They are merely a broad stroke of the brush to what this piece of art actually conveys. He is stranded with a beautiful goddess, Calypso, who loves him and wants to make him immortal. Course Dates: 04/03/21 - 01/04/21 Time ... Be ready to do voluntary work between as the course is not quite long enough - but worth every moment you give it. Finally, for the rating, I am going to consider its importance and depth, but also my enjoyment of it. On Reading Pope's Homer. Your email address will not be published. The story covered by “The Iliad” begins nearly ten years into the seige of Troy by the Greek forces, led by Agamemnon, King of Mycenae.The Greeks are quarrelling about whether or not to return Chryseis, a Trojan captive of King Agamemnon, to her father, Chryses, a priest of Apollo.When Agamemnon refuses and threatens to ransom the girl to her father, the offended Apollo … Chronology. Also, suits of armor, spearheads, and arrows heads have also been found near Troy and dated to that time. The Odyssey opens ten years later with Odysseus (or Ulysses, depending on the translation) stranded on his journey home from the war. The Iliad tells of a quarrel between Achilles, the Greek champion, and Agamemnon, commander of the Greek army, in the tenth year of the Trojan War. Many of the Greeks and Trojans are helped by gods or goddesses; but this is usually a matter of some self-interest on the gods’ part. Readers looking neither for sublime language nor complex theories but for wisdom have long known that that Seneca, Marcus Aurelius, and Epictetus are worth reading. Is The Iliad worth reading? From a more modern standpoint, we have a book like Thomas Hardy’s Far from the Madding Crowd which has a character named Troy, whose character arc was that he began a “war” with other men by stealing one of their women. Lastly, the heroes of the text most certainly did not exist, but it is likely they were based on archetypes of real people. I also want to give a feel for how truly old this work is. References to material objects, in the poem, off er a good analogy for the eff ect of Homeric words: many artefacts fi t a late eighth-or early seventh-century context, but some are much older. Much is missed with those who only read summaries. But he said that Homer’s stories had been made so boring at school that he hasn’t read them. A relatively simple one is … The Iliad shows us “heroes” in many different molds, with their strengths and their flaws. It poses the question of what it actually means to be a hero, what is worth dying for, and how to reconcile with someone we see as an enemy. I haven’t even started on the good stuff. The Iliad is really an ensemble piece without a single main character. If you are not reading the Iliad, but are using these notes only for the background information and the synopsis, you will probably not be able to make much use of Part 6. Ajax and Philoctetes show what happened to some of the Greek soldiers. There are scores of translations of Homer, in verse and prose. Flag. It was known then as a masterpiece and influenced many artists, poets, dramatists, and politicians. Based on archaeological findings, it is generally concluded that it did. On the other hand, there are many English translations of the Iliad and the Odyssey, some of them only a few decades old. He is a complex warrior who sometimes ignores the cultural norms of his society because he sees through some of its fallacies — in particular, he sees many of the … I just finished reading The Song Of Achillies and absolutely loved the story. Yes, definitely. Look around your local library or bookstore. Centuries later it would have been written down by Ancient Greeks, memorized from the text, and recited as it once had been. But the human characters, especially Hector and Patroclus, I really loved. But he is a little too cool and cautious, a little too reliant on the gods’ will to be the hero. Others use more modern language. It is seldom that I encounter such a powerhouse. Zeus, who—along with the rest of the gods—takes a personal interest in the war, assists the Trojans to teach Agamemnon a lesson. Athena, on the other hand, seems to genuinely like Odysseus and sticks by him. Every death (and there are hundreds) is cataloged by using the name of the soldier one after the other, 95%+ of whom we have never heard of. The Iliad is still worth reading though, even without that background knowledge, since so many of our cultural references are still based on the Homeric tales. What are the responsibilities of living in community? Homer contrasts Penelope with Helen, who ran off with Paris, and Agamemnon’s wife, Clytemnestra, who murdered him when he came home. Load 5 more questions. He is the best all-around man, the man everyone wants at his side when the chips are down. Whatever your preference there is something to suit you if you want to discover what you missed in school. I do recommend reading it if you have a deep interest in Greek myth and storytelling or you are heavily passionate about literature. But Caroline Alexander, whose new translation of the classic work by Homer comes out Nov. 24, said she wants to … You do yourself a great disservice if you neglect these famed authors of classical literature for watered … If anyone has read both is it worth it to read The Iliad after or is it more or less the same as The Song Of Achilles? Classically, he was believed to be a blind bard. Homer was composing The Iliad sometime during this century. During the battle, the Achaeans capture a pair of beautiful maidens, … You already know the basic stories. A study guide that offers historical, cultural, and literary context to the ancient epic can significantly enhance the reading experience. Still, it could be worse. So how old is that? Achilles has made an explicit choice for honor over a long life: Besides the compelling human characters, gods play a part in The Iliad, and the gods just didn’t interest me at all. June 1, 1997; See the article in its original context from June 1, 1997, Section 7, Page 22 Buy Reprints. For example, while Helen’s capture may not have been the cause of the Trojan War, it probably represents that this was a common occurrence during the time which may have caused conflict between cities.

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