LITERARY ANALYSIS

Team:
1-2

Chapters:

Name: Angelica Cabrera

6

Class No:
10-St.

Frances
RUBRIC
Format (5)

Score:
-

Conventions (15) Analysis (15)

Love is one of the oldest form of emotions. It transcends impossible barriers and is universal
regardless of culture, language, race or time. The Iliad was no exception to this fact as well. Before
opening the book, I could already sense that this was an age old tale of an impossibly strong and noble
war hero saving a beautiful damsel in distress. Throughout my life Ive read probably close to a
hundred books. Ranging from classics to the recently trending. And before reading the Iliad I was proud
to say Id read it all. Never was I prepared to be proven wrong.
The translators use of language was typical of any Greek drama that has been dubbed as a timeless
classic. Not the sort of syntax someone from our age would use, but it does help give the whole tale a
very elegant and timely feel. The passionate use of words during emotional moments is balanced out
by the quick pacing during some of the intense moments.
One character that stood out for me the most in the Iliad was the main protagonist Achilles. Most
heroic archetypes in classic tales portray a strong and fearless hero who is always willing to save the
town, kill the beast and get the princess with no avail. And yet I found no trace of such a person like
that ever existing after reading the first book. Achilles was portrayed as a completely mortal human
being. He felt the joy of victory and the salty tears of failure. And just like everyone else, He felt the
ever present feeling of fear as things never go his way. Another strong character I also found
interesting was Agamemnon. Just like Achilles, Agamemnon was aware that he was human as well and
that he was no match for the power of gods. But instead of succumbing to this weakness, he decided
to turn this power against them and used one of their own. Namely Zeus, King of the Gods.

Symbolism plays a very crucial role throughout the story. One example of this is how Apollo sends
down arrows of plague to the Achaeans. This hints how the gods would interact with mortal affairs by
giving signs while not making their intentions known. Another one is the scene where Achilles weeps
thus invoking his mother, Thetis. Here is where his destiny begins. She knows that by helping Achilles
will lead to living a shorter life, but a life filled with glory is worth anything to a mother who loves her
son.
Books 1 & 2 mainly focus on the ideas of valor in battle and honoring ones promises. The story
starts out as a very morbid tale about dividing one shares on the spoils of war. Things then soon get
out of hand as rage and jealousy spiral into unintended conflicts and ultimately, betrayal. The writer
not only manages to capture the struggle of outer conflicts between men, but also conflicts between
heart and mind.

LITERARY ANALYSIS
Team:
23-24

Chapters:

Name: Angelica Cabrera

6

Class No:
10-St.

Frances
RUBRIC
Format (5)

Score:
-

Conventions (15) Analysis (15)

All things will finally come to an end and everything has gone full circle. Patroclus has been buried,
Achilles is consumed by Patroclus death. Achilles knows that his time short, and that Patroclus death
is one of the last meaningful events in his life. The last books are not the tales of warfare nor that of
sweet pleasures, but they are that of mourning. Even if the grieving was momentarily stalled by
friendly competitions between comrades, grief still consumed Achilles to the core.
In a sense, I believe that Hector was a different type of hero apart from Achilles. While his body was
desecrated by Achilles, The gods showed the same mercy and respect that was given to them by him
in return. This shows that he still had earned some form of glory in battle. Although Achilles was our
godlike main character, Hector was connected to his people and was loved by many.
Patroclus death and Achilles awareness of his own faith shows this books heavy ties on death and
morality. No matter what we are or what we seem, we all die in the end. Another thing to remember is
that in the world of the Iliad, Hate is portrayed as a very powerful force that becomes a central drive
for most of the characters actions. And yet, as the poem's closing scenes show, hate is not
unstoppable.
The author of the Iliad has done a seamless job in showing that human emotions are ethereal and
never changing despite the stretch and folds of time. Despite the centuries old gap, the Iliad manages

to become relevant to this day and has proven itself yet again to be a truly literary classic for many
ages to come.