Human Realities
Throughout history, war has taken on many forms: war for independence, war within a nation, racial war, and war for the sake of a woman. The Trojan War was fought for the return of Helen to her homeland. This is the setting for the Homer's epic, the Illiad. An epic poem is a long, theatrical tale of a tragic hero and his larger-than-life adventures and life lessons. This particular tale is one of war, love, death, and realization. It contains within it certain human realities about feelings of war and the final effect it has on a nation, and humans. Homer uses the Trojan War as the backdrop for his literary masterpiece as a true example to help us understand his view on war. The human realities of war and its effects are shown through the opposition between Hector and Achilles, whose views of war differ greatly in respect to its glory and its costs. The main character of the story is named Achilles. He is the bravest of the Achaean chieftains. His job is to recover Helen, the wife of fellow Achaean chieftain Menelaus. Achilles' most noticeable human quality is his unending thirst for war and the glory and pride that comes with victory. The text states, "Achilles is a man who lives by and for violence, who is cre
Homer is setting up, in this story, the battle between two opposing perspectives of war, pro and con. But the ironic thing is that the pro-war force soon realizes the nothingness war leaves behind and how it can cause misery, grief, and pain. Homer's tale is a tale of the horrors of war and the final effects that it causes. By using a battle such as the one at Troy, Homer is able to give significance and certain historical setting to his tale to make his message hit home a little more. He gives the audience a more realistic situation to look at. In this way, the reader can see, more vivid, the horrors and the nothingness war leaves behind. Homer gives these two opposites very human qualities that conflict in a very real way. They end up confronting each other in the end, with the victor having an epiphany. The fact that Achilles finally comes to terms with the negative effects of war and the effect it has on others reveals the message behind the tale, war is horrible and accomplishes nothing but loss. Homer's usage of human realities in his characters helps to establish Homer's message and to make the reader or audience think about the message. The human realities of war and its effects are shown through the opposition between Hector and Achilles, whose views of war differ greatly in respect to its glory and its costs. ative
Some common words found in the essay are:
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Approximate Word count = 907
Approximate Pages = 4 (250 words per page double spaced)
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