The Iliad is an epic poem, which was written by the ancient Greek poet Homer; the story recounts most of the significant events experienced in the final weeks of the Greek and the Trojan War under the military action of the city of Troy. The Iliad tells the story of what occurred during the last year of the Trojan War. The poem was written in the mid-8th Century BCE, and therefore it is considered as the earliest work in the whole Western literary tradition. In this essay, we will review about the story Iliad, we will then discuss the dichotomy that is portrayed in the story after the discussion is well understood we will be in the position of connecting this dichotomy with the current world issues considering the contrast between suffering and understanding as experienced in our contemporary society.
In the story 'The Iliad' it displays the chaos between the city of Troy army, known as the Trojans, and a confederation of Greek cities, which was collectively known as the Achaeans. The course of the war was when Paris, who was the son of Troy's King Priam, seized the most beautiful woman in the world known as Hellen from the Achaean king Menelaus. This did not impress the Achaeans, and therefore they raised a massive army and sailed to Troy, hoping to win the woman back by force. This is where the war started claiming many lives. However, Homer began to write the story after nine years of the conflict between Troy and the Achaeans, During this period the Achaeans had just sacked a nearby city, and took several beautiful women with a lot of treasure. Chryses, Who was a priest from the sacked city, Tried approaching the Achaean camp to ask for there asks for her daughter back from the leader of the Achaeans, but it was all in vain.
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In this story revenge is what everyone thinks can make things better for him. For instance, Chryses prays to Apollos to punish the Achaeans Army, and indeed the army is struck with a plague. Secondly, Achilles, who was the greatest of the Achaean fighters, asks for revenge on Agamemnon from his mother Thetis asking her to beseech Zeus to turn the tide of the war against the Achaeans. Another instance of retaliation is seen when Achilles learns of Path on the death of Patroclus; they, therefore, desiring revenge on Hector and the Trojans, what they deed by slaughtering numerous Trojans. A truce is declared When Priam pleads with Achilles for mercy, by asking the Achilles to remember his ageing father (Peterson &Spike 14). Achilles is moved by his entreaty and agrees to give back Hector’s body. Priam returns to Troy with Hector, and the Trojans grieve for their loss.
Relating the Iliad to the current world, Killers are often described with inhuman similes. Still, in the fury of the rampage, the greatest heroes take on the aspect of 'god-kindled fire' or some similar elements. Iliad is a tale of violent deeds and violent men what is experienced in the current world, Everyone ones to win the war with or without bloodshed,everyone is after revenge without knowing that he is likely to lose even more. Looking at all these instances, we get a better explanation from Peter Leithart in Heroes of the City of Man; he explains that Iliad is valuable because it reveals the longing of the pagans for a true Prince of Peace. We can, therefore, point to key characters like Priam, Helen and Achilles, who mourn the wreckage of their world without seeing beyond it. The story Iliad presents, juxtaposed with the heroic life and a well-developed alternative ( Rose& Peter 188). The Tragic Dichotomy is the juxtaposition of different ways of life, a good life but of different versions. In this case, we can say a life of convenience, life Hector and Achilles could have chosen, a life of peace, order, family, justice, average wealth but relative obscurity, they could choose a life of respect for and fellowship with humanity rather than private and destructive. According to Rose&Peter, in the current world there are different decisions that should be made, to choose what kind of life that we should live considering the sort of life Hector and Achilles chose (163).wars are experienced all-time between different counties where every country needs to get what they want by force, blood is shed and a lot is lost,yes, this could be a solution to heroes but if we choose what we need wisely, if we need peace justice and humanity we can live a better life ( Peterson &Spike 24)
In conclusion, in any case we have had it enough that Homer’s poem Iliad, not by any stretch promotes peace, it is far more than a poem of force. Therefore, this is what we might find in the Tragic Dichotomy and its spatial. Consequently, it is a visual way of linking the poem to a powerful tool for teaching this most pagan of classics. The story, therefore, warns on the effects of using force to demand what you need, be it be justice. It also warns against revenge in some instances. A truce is declared when Priam pleads with Achilles for mercy by asking the Achilles to remember his ageing father, therefore, this shows that being humble and giving dialogue a chance in the current society is the best way to solve disputes between two parties, one of the parties need to humble down and apologize the way Priam did.
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