Book 24: Achilles and Priam

1.
        My opinion of Achilles has changed since his encounter with Priam because Achilles treats Priam as a guest not the enemy, he has compassion for Priam and gives the body of Hector back.
- when Priam asks for pity he wants Achilles to remember his own father.
-Priam and Achilles cries because Priam is grieving Hector and Achilles is remembering his father.
-Achilles shows Priam hospitality by feeding him, giving him a place to sleep, and cleaning the dead body of Hector.
- Other than giving back Hectors body Achilles agrees to stop fighting for 12 days.

2.
        I feel sympathy towards Achilles because he is feeling an emotion other than anger and its hard for him to deal with.

3.
        Other than anger, Achilles shows that he can be compassionate, he also shows a softer side when talking or remembering his father.

4.
        The Greeks view on fate is that you either get miseries or blessings.

7.
      

The Death of Hector

1.
        The way Achilles insults Hector with actions by letting his men stab the lifeless body of Hector and then Achilles tired Hectors body to the back of his chariot and rode back to the beaches.

2.
        The qualities of Hector that stand out in the excerpt from book 22 is slightly cowardly because he was running away from Achilles, Achilles chased Hector around the walls of his own city 3 times. Also Hector is brave because he was persuaded by Athena to stand face-to-face with Achilles and fight.

3.
         The gods can change a persons fate if they wanted to. in the book Zeus wanted to intervene and save hector from Achilles, but Athena pops in and lets Zeus know that you cant change a persons fate that has already been set in stone a long time go. Also Apollo was helping Hector Run away from Achilles.

4.
        I don't believe that Achilles was justified in the way he mutilated the body of Hector because when Hector killed Patroclus he only took his armor, he didn't mutilate his body so Achilles had no right to do that.

5.
        I think Homer included a description about Priam and Hecuba's grief over their son because its important to know the feelings.

Hector Returns to Troy

1.
        Hector is so determined to keep fight because he is the lone defense of Troy.  If he stops now he would be branded a coward. The people of Troy are counting on him.

2.
        Hector thinks that when Troy falls and he dies his wife will become a servant to a Greek, and she'll have to obay their every wish.

3.
        Hector thinks that when your born your fate is born with you whether your a brave man or a cowardly one.

4.
        Hector is a determined warrior and a loving father.

5.
        Hector seems more of a hero than Achilles because Hector is determined to keep fighting not just because he wants to kill people but because he has to protect the people of Troy, his king (his father), his wife, and son.

1.

        Athena responded to Achilles anger by grabbing him by the hair and telling him to not kill Agamemnon and if he listens then he will be showered with gifts and his prayers will more likely be answered. Agamemnon responds to Achilles anger with more anger and threats by saying he will take Achilles war prize. Nestor responds by trying to calm the situation and make peace between the two.

2.

        Achilles my have a temper but Agamemnon is more to blame in this conflict because he is being selfish but giving up his prize but wanting to take Achilles prized that he worked hard for.

3.

        From the excerpt in book 1 you learn that Achilles has a temper and is easily set off. He is a great warrior. Agamemnon is a greedy man, selfish, and self centered because he wants to take Achilles war prize and give it away.

4.

        Athena grabs Achilles by the hair to stop him from killing Agamemnon. The gods play favorites, Athena takes care of and watches over Achilles.

5.

        Achilles oath was that nothing will save the greek army from the man killing Hector.

Illiad: Pause & Reflect

The angry Achilles has threatened to take his men and return hime. Why do Achilles and Agamemnon become so enraged at each other, and, in your judgement, who is more to blame?

I think Agamemnon is more to blame because he would give the girl back but wants something else as a war prize.

Epic of Gilgamesh

In the epic of Gilgamesh, in the beginning, Gilgamesh is portrayed as a selfish king who takes advantage of his power as king and treats his people like dirt. The Gods didn’t like the way Gilgamesh was acting so they sent Enkidu to kill Gilgamesh, but that backfired and they became great friends. They began reeking havoc together. They cut down the forbidden trees, defeat Humbaba of the cedar forest, and kill the bull of the heavens. The Gods are angry with them and they decide that one of them has to die, they chose Enkidu. After Enkidu dies, Gilgamesh is terrified of dying so he sets out on a journey to find Utnapishtim who has eternal life. That is what Gilgamesh wants, is to live forever. While on his journey he walks though mountain passes in total darkness and comes upon Siduri who tells him of the ferry man Urshanabi. Gilgamesh finally finds Utnapishtim. He tells Gilgamesh that if he can stay awake for one week he can have immortality, but Gilgamesh fails. Utnapishtim tells Gilgamesh of the plant of youth that lies under the sea. He was able to get the plant of youth and was going to bring it to the people so the old could be young again. But while on his journey home a serpent ate the plant.