The Characteristic of Hector and Achilles
Essay by nikky • July 4, 2012 • Essay • 1,332 Words (6 Pages) • 5,240 Views
I choose to compare and contrast the characters of Hector and Achilles because I am interested in their story. I think there are many theme in this story, but the central theme is the fate of men; if it is fixed or changed by the will of men. I feel interesting that the gods decides the fate of people. And I choose this option because I feel that I can understand what the author wants to express to the readers by comparing Hector and Achilles. Therefore, I will compare the strengths and the weakness of both heroes.
First of all, I will write about Hector. He was a Trojan prince and the greatest fighter for Troy in the Trojan War. He was born as a son of King Priam and Queen Hecuba. His father was the king of Troy. He had a wife called Andromache and the son, Astyanax. In the European Middle Ages, Hector was one of the Nine Worthies. And he was a good son, husband and father. Most of all, he loved the peace.
He loved his country, his people, his family and wanted to die with honor. When he realized that Jove and his son Apollo are not with him for the protection anymore against Achilles, he says to himself " My doom has come upon me; let me not them die ingloriously and without a struggle, but let me first do some great thing that shall be told among men hereafter.". The gods decided not to protect him. That was the reason why Hector lost, but he wanted to fight against the strong Achilles. Therefore, I think Hector was the true soldier.
I want to write about Achilles now. He was a hero and greatest warrior for Greek in the Trojan War. He was the son of the goddess Thetis and Peleus, the king of the Myrmidons. Achilles was a mortal person even though he was the son of a goddess. And he had the great pride that he was the strongest soldier, and he did not want to be under anybody. When the Agamemnon dishonored him, Achilles asked his goddess mother to go to Jove, then to ask Jove to help Troy, so that Agamemnon would be in trouble. Therefore, Achilles did not think about his country and his people. He only think about himself. So I think Achilles is not the person to be the king.
Now I want to compare and contrast their strength and the weakness. First, I want to write about Hector's strength. He was brave and courageous. He was the man who thought about his family, loved his family and thought his country and people. He wanted to die with honor.
He went to Paris because he did not stand to hear bad things about Paris and said, "you fight bravely, and no man with any justice can make light of your doings in battle. But you are careless and willfully remiss. It grieves me to the heart to hear the ill that the Trojans speak about you, for they have suffered much on your account. Let us be going, and we will make things right hereafter, should Jove vouchsafe us to set the cup of our deliverance before ever-living gods of heaven in our own homes, when we have chased the Achaeans from Troy." From this conversation, you can see that Hector thinks about his brother, thinks about the people of Troy, and is willing to push his brother to fight with honor.
When he fought with Achilles, Hector escaped to fight him first because he was afraid of Achilles. However, when he realized that the gods were not with him to fight Achilles, he decided to fight with honor until he died. Therefore, I think one of his strength is his brave heart. But Paris did not have the brave heart.
Next, I want to write about Achilles's strength. I think Achilles did not have many strength. I think the physical power from his goddess
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