The Shield of Achilles
The shield of Achillles plays a major part in the Illiad. It portrays the story of the Achaeans and their fight against the Trojans in a microcosm of the larger story. Forged by the god Hephaestus, who was a crippled smith, it depicts the two cities and the happenings within , as well as Agamemnon's kingly estate. To gain insight into the happenings within the shield, and the King's Estate and other scenes which are a fair understanding of the importance of Achilles' shield and the Iliad. Hephaestus, the god of fire, is the smith whom forged Achilles' shield. He begins with twenty hot bellows and fires bronze, tin, gold, and silver in his skin. He then proceeds to hammer the metals upon his anvil to create a massive shield for Achilles to wield. The shield itself is made of five layers of metal with a triple ply shield strap edging on the rim. On the shield are scenes showing the heavens and earth and sea, two noble cities, a kings estate, fallow fields, a thriving vineyard, a herd of longhorn cattle, and a dancing circle. Once Hephaestus completes the shield, he makes a breastplate and helmet for Achilles. The ar
The two cities depicted on the shield represent a city in Greece and Troy. One of the cities is filled with men dancing and singing and brides marching through the streets, while the other is circled by an army. This army has two plans which split their ranks: to share the riches which they have captured or plunder the city and capture more. Turmoil surrounds each city. In one a quarrel and is brought to judgment. Surrounding the other, two armies fight along the riverbanks killing men and dragging off the dead. Both cities are tainted with death, and both house love. In the former two men quarrel over the blood price for a murdered kinsman and take their cases to a judge to decide the outcome. In the latter, children and housewives stand guard as the men march out to war. This scene is analogous to the Trojans leaving to fight the Acheans between their shores and the city. As seen in line 625, "...now hauling a deadman through the slaughter by the heels...", Homer foreshadows Achilles victory over Hector and how Achilles humiliates him. As you can see, the shield of Achilles is a finely detailed and intricate piece of craftsmanship suita
Some common words found in the essay are:
Hector Achilles, Iliad Hephaestus, Greece Troy, Shield Achillles, Aceans Trojans, King's Estate, king's estate, shield achillles, herd longhorn cattle, dancing circle, herd longhorn, shield achilles, achilles' shield, longhorn cattle, larger story, thriving vineyard,
Approximate Word count = 780
Approximate Pages = 3 (250 words per page double spaced)
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