A hero refers to characters who, in the face of danger and adversity, display courage and the will for self-sacrifice that is, heroism for some greater good of all humanity. In the epic ‘Iliad’ Achilles, King of the Myrmidons, and Hector, prince of Troy, struck me as the most sharply contrasted characters. I found that Hector had more bravery than Achilles. Hector displayed more courage and he was the better man all around. In my opinion, Hector is the real hero of the epic.
While Achilles and Hector are both leaders of their people, Hector seems to lead with more maturity. His men respect him because he, in turn, is respectful of them. Hector is a man of action, he leads by doing. His men are inspired to fight because they see their captain doing the same. Hector has more self control, while at times Achilles behaves like a two year old who flies into a rage at the drop of a hat. Achilles appears respected and revered only through the fear that he instils. People are terrified of his incredible tantrums and therefore allow him to do as he pleases.
Killing seems associated with being similar to a god. Hector is referred to as "godlike" only when he is triumphing over the corpse of a fallen Greek soldier. I found it interesting that the gods assist both Achilles and Hector in their respective battles. I would think that the gods would help Hector more, because he was a just man, but Hector is handed victory by Zeus only for a short time, while Achilles always appears to have divine intervention. This seems unfair, as Hector is the more "god fearing" of the two. Achilles seems to appeal to the gods only when he needs something.
As leaders of their armies, Achilles and Hector have huge responsibilities. Achilles is the deciding factor in the war. Hector is "the lone defense of Troy" and he has every Trojan depending on him. How both men handle their responsibilities reveals a lot about their moral character and maturity level. Achilles' refusal to join the battle until the very end is due mainly to his squabble with Agamemnon. An underlying reason may be the fact that he knows he will die. Hector, too, knows that his death is a possibility, yet his loyalty and sense of duty will not allow him to stay home. An indicator of Hector's selflessness is that he is fighting for his brother in a war that his brother began!
One of the most powerful moments in the book is when Hector returns home to see his family. In the midst of all the carnage, we see another side to the brave Trojan warrior. He smiles and laughs, he speaks lovingly to his wife and admires his infant son. Homer may have revealed this "softer" side of Hector as a way of making Achilles more appealing to his Greek audience. After all, a "real man" or "real hero" would never leave the battlefield just to see his family! However, when reading the book in modern times, Hector comes across as the more valiant, well-rounded and noble of the two men.
Hector's courage is even more admirable when one considers the culture from which he came. Troy was a peaceful civilization and the people were not war-faring by nature. Hector remains steadfast in his beliefs and decisions, never wavering. Achilles, coming from a more violent culture, does not possess the "people skills" or rationality of Hector. He acts on impulse, violence is his native element. He is inconsistent and contradicts himself.
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