Achilles & Hector Essay

The art in the vase painting in Harvards collection depicts an anguish-stricken King Priam pleading to a triumphant and irreverent Achilles for the return of the already desecrated clay of his son, the pourboire Prince of Troy, ballyrag. The artist of the vase painting wants to illustrate an image of nullifying status, raze more so, it characterized a reversal of stature a King kneeling and pleading to a common warrior and the consistency of a prince dishonored. In halt 24 of marks Iliad, it narrated the weeping King Priam virtually throwing himself at Achilles feet beseeching the last mentioned to release the body of his dead son.In the text, it did not state however, that the body of Hector was in the same room as King Priam and Achilles. It is noteworthy to mention at this point however that the primary reason that Hector is dead is because Achilles avenged the death of Patroclus whom Hector killed mistaking him for Achilles. Moreover, in Book 22 of the narrative, Achil les threatened Hector of the situation he will be in if he suffered death in Achilles hands, to wit, dogs and vultures shall work their will upon yourself.Achilles regret for the death of Patroclus has fueled his wrath towards Hector and that as an ultimate misuse to Hectors person, Achilles have left the body untended give awaydoor(a) his tent to make good on his word of dogs and vultures shall eat you perfectly up. Furthermore, the text speaks of Achilles taking it Hectors body to a place where Priam should not see it. In the vase painting, we see Hectors body under Achilles, who is holding a knife and apparently eating unsanded shopping mall with blood dripping from the knifes blade unto the dead body below.This scene can be gleaned from a prior heated supplant of wrangle between Achilles and Hector. In Book 22 of the Iliad, Hector in his last breath spoke I beg you, Achilles, by your get soul and by your parents, do not allow the dogs to mutilate my body. By the Greek s hips, accept the gold and bronze ransom my father and spawn will give you and send my body back home to be burned in honor by the Trojans and their wives. To which Achilles angrily uttered take for grantedt whine to me about my parents, You dogI wish my contribute would let me cut off your flesh in strips and eat it raw for what youve done to me. There is no one and no way to hap the dogs off your head, not even if they bring ten or cardinal ransoms, pile them up here and promise more not even if Dardanian Priam weighs your body out in gold, not even thence will your mother ever get to mourn you laid out on a bier. The vase painting seems to draw out from this war of words between Achilles and Hector and displays the aftermath and the realization of Achilles enraged threats.It depicted overly an arrogant Achilles eating meat over a dead body an act way beyond being rational. Whereas in the text, upon hearing Priams heart-wrenching plea, Achilles displayed empathy and even we nt as far as telling Priam that he, Achilles himself, is also in sorrow for the death of Patroclus and showed endearing sentiment when he mentioned that Priam reminded him of his own father. Moreover, in the text, Achilles even admired Priam for his candor in going defenseless and whole amidst the enemys lair.One of the major themes of Homers Iliad deals with revenge, amends, and recompense. In portraying Priams plea to Achilles, the vase painting essentially captured these three themes. Achilles thoughtlessness for Hectors body speaks of revenge. Achilles, blinded by deep sorrow, did what he thought would best vindicate Patroclus. Hectors legs were bound at the ankles as in the ultimate act of deliverance, Achilles dragged Hectors exanimate body around the tomb of Patroclus.Hectors death itself is the reparation for the death of Patroclus the proverbial an eye for an eye. Whereas, Priams ransom is the compensation for and in exchange for the possession of Hectors body. Works C ited Homer, and Stanley Lombardo. Iliad. Indianapolis, IN Hackett Publishing Company, 1997. Wilson, D. F. Ransom, Revenge and Heroic Identity in the Iliad. Cambridge, England Cambridge University Press, 2002.