What do we learn of the character of Hector both here and in the rest of the Illiad (Book1-6)

What do we learn of the character of Hector both here and in the rest of the Illiad (Book1-6)

What do we learn of the character of Hector both here and in the rest of the Illiad?

In the Illiad we learn a lot of Hector. In this passage on line 100 it states “so he spoke and Hector did not fail to obey his brother…so strong was their rally.” This conveys that Hector has to be told what to do, although he is a good leader, he often leaves the battlefield emphasizing his domesticity. This does show however the piety he has with the gods and how important his religious duty is to him. Further on in line 103, it says “spurring them to fight and rousing their spirits” showing that he is generally a good leader, and is able to “spur” the men and influence them to fight, showing the men listen to him. He is also shown he is loved and trusted by others in line 237 when Hector arrives back in the city. Not only is he loved by his comrades, but the wives and daughters “came running to surround him” showing that he is important to others that aren’t on the battlefield, like in Book 3 when even Agamemnon, leader of the Greeks said, “Hektor of the glinting helmet is set to speak to us”.

We learn of his status just through the description of his home. It is described to have “polished stones” with “fifty rooms of polished stone, built close by each other…within the courtyard…” This description emphasises him and his wealth, which is contrast with his normal context out on the battlefield. On line 250 his mother speaks to him with kind words “when a man is tired wine is a great restorer of strength, and you have tired yourself in the defence of your kinsmen” her tone is soft and gentle and get the impression she thinks highly of him adding to the respect he already has from the Trojans and their families. In reply to his mother he states that he mustn’t have wine or his courage will escape and he mustn’t make libations while his hands are “all spattered with blood and filth” and this is another example of his piety and emphasizes the importance of religious duty as...

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