There are so many characters in this book that to list them all would take up twenty pages so the following is a compilation of the most important and influential characters in the book.

It is difficult to pick a definite protagonist in the Iliad, but I would have to say it would be Achilles. He is

The Iliad constantly shows what the cost of war is, and how gruesome it can be. Homer shows us this by painting a vivid picture in of thousands of men being killed day after day year after year. We can look back a specific quote from the book said by one of the slaves that witnessed the battle by the river. He said " The River was full of so many bodies that the water was stained as red as a cup of wine." No for this to be true thousands of men must have lost their lives. This is one of many examples used in the book to show us how costly war can be. Homer talks about war and the costs of it over and over again since the main plot of the book is war. It showed me that war isn't to cool, as T.V and video games bring it across as. It is gruesome, painful, and not a fun thing to be involved in. The author was just as jolted by the ending and course of the book, as any other reader would have been. The character that was probably changed the most would be Odysseus. I would have to say him because he comes from a little island, and has not seen war. After the Trojan War he is changed, and is desensitized to the rigors of battle. If you read the Odyssey you will see this as more relevant. I believe the author of this story was just trying to bring across the fact that war is a grisly and frightening event that shouldn't be taken lightly.

Odysseus, king of Ithica, is most likely the smartest of the Greek leaders. He and Diomedes develop the plan of the wooden horse, and with this destroy Troy. Homer's other epic The Odyssey is about this same man and his long returning home from Troy.

This was an excellent book, and for being written 3000 years ago it is amazing that it could be so great of a story. Homer did an excellent job of showing what war was like during this time period. I couldn't believe some of the things one human did to another in this story. Like when the river ran red with blood, and was filled with the bodies of fallen soldiers I could not even imagine how there could be that much blood shed. From reading this story I have developed a new perspective on war. It's not just a game or a show it really happens, and people do get killed. Never have I read a book more jolting than this one. I thought this book was great, and it's not another one of those lame ratings you give a book to appease a teacher. No this book was really an excellent story with a great plot, non-stop action, and an excellent ending. From front to back this was an all around good book, which I would gladly have read on my own. My hat goes off to Homer for putting this dow

Some common words found in the essay are:
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Approximate Word count = 1761
Approximate Pages = 7 (250 words per page double spaced)