LITERATURE, CULTURE, AND THE HUMANITIES
GROSSE POINTE NORTH HIGH SCHOOL
HOMER'S THE ILIAD
DROUIN
A STUDY GUIDE AND REVIEW QUESTIONS
FOR BOOK 1: "THE RAGE OF ACHILLES"
BY
THE TIME YOU COMPLETE YOUR READING AND YOUR DISCUSSIONS OF BOOK 1 OF THE ILIAD, YOU
SHOULD BE ABLE TO ADDRESS EACH OF THE BELOW POINTS. AN EDUCATED HUMANITIES STUDENT SHOULD
BE ABLE TO HANDLE ALL OF THE BELOW FROM MEMORY AND WOULD ONLY NEED TO LOOK AT BOOK 1 FOR
QUOTED SUPPORT.
1.
IDENTIFY
2.
TELL
3.
AS
THE THEME OF THE EPIC
WHERE THE THEME IS ANNOUNCED IN THE EPIC
YOU KNOW, AN EPIC IS A LONG, NARRATIVE POEM IN WHICH CHARACTERS OF HIGH BIRTH OR
NATIONAL STATUS ARE ENGAGED IN A QUEST, A SERIES OF ADVENTURES IMPORTANT TO THE HISTORY
OF A NATION OR A RACE OF PEOPLE. THE HERO IS A CENTRAL, IMPOSING FIGURE OF NATIONAL OR
INTERNATIONAL IMPORTANCE AND OF GREAT HISTORICAL OR LEGENDARY SIGNIFICANCE. USUALLY, THE
EPIC HAS A VAST SETTING COVERING EXPANSIVE TERRITORIES OF MANY GREAT NATIONS. THE ACTION
CONSISTS OF VALOROUS DEEDS REQUIRING SUPERHUMAN COURAGE WHICH INVOLVE THE INTERVENTION
OF SUPERNATURAL FORCES.
CONVENTIONS
EMPLOYED BY MOST EPIC POETS INCLUDE:
BEGINNING IN MEDIAS RES
STATING THE THEME
INVOKING THE MUSE
PRESENTING CATALOGS OF WARRIORS, SHIPS, AND ARMIES
HAVING THE MAIN CHARACTERS DELIVER LONG, FORMAL SPEECHES
ALLOWING SUPERNATURAL FORCES TO INTERVENE IN THE ACTION
USING EPIC SIMILES
EMPLOYING STOCK EPITHETS
DEFINE
AND FIND EXAMPLES OF EACH OF THE ABOVE EPIC CONVENTIONS.
4.
EXPLAIN
5.
IDENTIFY CHRYSES
WHO THE
ACHAEANS
6. IDENTIFY CHRYSEIS
ARE AND WHO THE
ARE.
AND EXPLAIN HIS SIGNIFICANCE TO THE PLOT
AND EXPLAIN HER SIGNIFICANCE TO THE PLOT.
7.
EXPLAIN
THE REACTION THE RANKS OF
8.
EXPLAIN
WHY SO MANY MEN ARE DYING.
9.
CHARACTERIZE ACHILLES
ACHAEANS
HAD TO THE RANSOM.
AND SUPPORT YOUR CHARACTERIZATION WITH QUOTED EVIDENCE.
10. CHARACTERIZE AGAMEMNON
11.
DANAANS
AND SUPPORT YOUR CHARACTERIZATION WITH QUOTED EVIDENCE.
AGAMEMNON
IS THE LEADER OF ALL OF THE GREEK EXPEDITIONARY FORCES. IS AGAMEMNON A
SINCERE LEADER . . . DOES HE, IN FACT, ALWAYS HAVE THE BEST INTERESTS OF HIS PEOPLE AT
HEART?
12. IDENTIFY CALCHAS
13. TRACE
THE ACCUSATIONS
14. EXPLAIN
15. OFFER
AND HIS ROLE IN THE CONFLICT.
AGAMEMNON
THE METAPHOR OF
ACHILLES'
AND
ACHILLES
MAKE AGAINST EACH OTHER.
OATH AND THE SCEPTER.
YOUR OPINION (WITH TEXT SUPPORT) AS TO WHAT TYPE OF RULER
AGAMEMNON
IS.
16. THOUGH
TEMPTED, ACHILLES DECIDES NOT TO STRIKE AGAMEMNON. GIVE BOTH AN OBVIOUS REASON
BEHIND HIS DECISION AS WELL AS SOME THINKING THAT IS NOT SO OBVIOUS.
17. SHOW
HOW, IN SOME RESPECTS, ACHILLES, AS THE HERO OF THE EPIC, IS AN OUTCAST FROM THE
TROOPS BEFORE HE EVEN LEAVES THE FIGHTING.
18. VERIFY THE DEEP
AGAMEMNON.
19. WHY
IS
ACHILLES
ANIMOSITY THAT HAS EVIDENTLY BEEN BUILDING ON
DISHONORED WHEN
AGAMEMNON
TAKES
20. PRESENT ACHILLES’
THREAT
21. WHY
DOES
PREDICT THAT THE
22. WHY
DOES HE WANT HIS OWN COUNTRYMEN TO FAIL?
ACHILLES
23. CAREFULLY
24. WHY
HAS
25. DISCUSS
ACHAEANS
EXPLAIN WHY HONOR IS SO CRITICAL TO
ACHILLES'
WHAT
PART TOWARD
BRISEIS?
WILL DROP AND DIE AT
HECTOR’S
HANDS?
ACHILLES?
HAS MADE A BAD JUDGMENT CALL RETREATING FROM THE FIGHTING?
AGAMEMNON'S
TAKING AWAY
26. IDENTIFY NESTOR AND HIS ROLE
ACHILLES AND TO AGAMEMNON.
27. EXPLAIN
WHAT YOU LEARN OF
28. EXPLAIN
EPICS.
THE PURPOSE OF LINES
29. EXPLAIN
WHY
ACHILLES
30. HOW ACHILLES
ACHILLES’
SHOWS OF HIS PERSONALITY.
IN THE CONFLICT AND PRESENT THE ADVICE THAT HE OFFERS TO BOTH
GREEK
FEELS
BRISEIS
SACRIFICIAL OFFERINGS IN
430-469
ZEUS
BOOK 1.
AND HOW THESE LINES VERIFY THE ORAL TRADITION OF
WILL GRANT THE REQUEST
THETIS
WILL MAKE OF
ZEUS.
HAS BROKEN THE CODE OF THE ANCIENT WARRIOR?
31. FIGURE-OUT
WHY THE AUTHOR PLUGS IN THE COMPLICATION OF
32. RECOGNIZE
WHO
ACHILLES
ZEUS
BEING GONE FOR
12
DAYS.
HAS TO BLAME FOR HIS DESPAIR AND BOREDOM.
33. APPRECIATE
REQUEST.
HOW
ZEUS,
DESPITE BEING THE GOD OF GODS, MUST BE CAREFUL IN GRANTING
34. UNDERSTAND
WHY
ZEUS
AND
35. IDENTIFY HEPHAESTUS
HERA'S
MARRIAGE IS PORTRAYED AS IT IS.
AND TALK ABOUT HIS PART IN
ZEUS
AND
HERA'S
CONFLICT.
THETIS’
BE SURE YOU UNDERSTAND THE DYNAMICS OF THE EPIC HERO:
THE EPIC HERO POSSESSES CERTAIN QUALITIES - BRAVERY, SUPERHUMAN STRENGTH,
SUCCESS IN BATTLE, AND A DRIVING DESIRE TO IMMORTALIZE HIMSELF THROUGH VALOROUS
DEEDS. ALL HEROES DESIRE ETERNAL GLORY AND FAME. ALTHOUGH THEY ACHIEVE THAT
FAME BY PERFORMING HEROIC DEEDS FOR SOCIETY, THEY ARE CONCERNED EXCLUSIVELY
WITH HOW THEIR INDIVIDUAL BEHAVIOR WILL IMMORTALIZE THEM FOR FUTURE GENERATIONS. HE
WHO SHOWS COURAGE IN THE FACE OF DEATH IS SURE TO BE IMMORTALIZED AS A HERO.
WITH FEW EXCEPTIONS, THE EPIC HERO IS OF HIGH BIRTH OR OF SEMI-DIVINE ORIGIN, AS
ACHILLES IS THE SON OF A MORTAL AND THE GODDESS THETIS. ACHILLES' MORTALITY IS AN
OVERWHELMING FACT OF LIFE FOR HIM BECAUSE HE KNOWS HE IS FATED TO DIE. THEREFORE,
HE STRIVES TO ACHIEVE A REPUTATION THAT WILL SURVIVE HIS DEATH.
ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT AND RECURRING EPIC CONFLICTS IS THE CONFLICT BETWEEN
HERO AND KING. IT IS MADE VERY CLEAR EARLY IN BOOK 1 THAT ACHILLES AND
AGAMEMNON’S DISPUTE IS A DISPUTE OF HONOR THAT WILL GENERATE THE MATERIAL FOR THE
REMAINDER OF THE POEM.
THINKING AND WRITING - EXPLAINING THE ROLE OF ACHILLES' ANGER
ACHILLES' PARTICULAR SITUATION MAY SEEM DISTANT IN TIME AND CULTURE, BUT HIS ANGER
AND ITS UNDERLYING CAUSES ARE NOT LIMITED TO HIS TIME OR HIS GENDER. SOME WAYS OF
SEEING HIM ARE:
AS A YOUNG MAN REBELLING AGAINST AN OLDER MAN,
AS AN INDIVIDUAL SETTING HIMSELF UP AGAINST AUTHORITY, OR
AS A HUMAN CONFRONTING THE UNFAIRNESS OF THE HUMAN CONDITION
MENTALLY REVIEW ACHILLES AND HIS ACTIONS AND DECIDE WHICH OF THE THREE
PERSPECTIVES OUTLINED ABOVE COMES CLOSEST TO YOUR ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATION
OF ACHILLES.
APPLYING BOOK 1 CONCEPTS TO A NEW SITUATION:
ACHILLES' PRIMARY OBJECTIVE THROUGHOUT ALL OF BOOK 1 IS TO PROVE HIMSELF TO BE
THE BEST AND THE MOST HONORABLE OF ALL GREEK FIGHTERS. ARE MODERN HEROES
SIMILARLY CONCERNED WITH PROVING THEMSELVES HONORABLE? BE READY TO EXPLAIN
AND SUPPORT YOUR THINKING.