The cliffsnotes study guide on homers iliad supplements the original literary work, giving you background information about the author, an introduction to the work, a graphical character map, critical commentaries, expanded glossaries, and a comprehensive index, all for you to use as an educational tool that will allow you to better understand the work. Read an overview of the entire poem or a line by line summary and analysis. After the burial of hektor, the trojans call on outside forces for help, and the greeks lose many warriors. May 30, 2016 summary and analysis of book 1 of homers iliad, with a focus on the theme of pride. The iliad is an ancient greek epic poem by homer that was first published in 762 bc. This section, in addition to providing variety and an exciting episode to the iliad, shows the importance of the psychological element in war. Buy a cheap copy of the iliad cliffs notes book by bob linn. Zeus begins to taunt hera, mocking her and athena for standing by while aphrodite rescues paris. Homer begins by asking the muse to help him sing the story of the rage of achilles. The iliad begins with the poet calling on the muse to sing of the wrath of achilleus and its consequences. However, after the wall was constructed, poseidon demanded his just compensation, but the trojans reneged. Greek audiences would have been familiar with the background of the story, and here a brief summary of events is necessary to help the reader to put these events in context. Here youll find an approximately onepage summary of each book, a description of the major characters and sometimes places, and an english translation. Book 1 of the epic poem, set in the trojan war, begins not with a battle between countries, but an argument between friends.
The poet invokes a muse to aid him in telling the story of the rage of achilles, the greatest greek hero to fight in the trojan war. Menelaus is also unable to sleep and comes across his. It all begins when agamemnon refuses chryses request to return his daughter. Homers address to the muse begins the idea that the iliad is a poem inspired by the gods, an epic undertaking that will retrace a myth already well known to homers ancient greek audience. Summary and analysis of book 1 of homers iliad, with a focus on the theme of pride. Iliad is greek for poem about ilium, which is an alternate name for the city of troy, the setting of the trojan war. Free online study guide for the iliad by homerthe illiad by homerbook notes booknotes synopsis study guide analysis essay themes book report. This book also stresses the favor bestowed on odysseus by athena. Chryses, priest of apollo, comes to the greek camp to ransom his daughter, chryseis, held captive by agamemnon. The story told in the iliad figured prominently in greek culture long before the epic was ever written down. Chapter summary for homers the iliad, book 2 summary.
Check out our revolutionary sideby side summary and analysis. Though we are in the tenth year of the trojan war, these encounters are the most violent that have taken place since the greeks arrived. Perfect for acing essays, tests, and quizzes, as well as for writing lesson plans. Well, the first place you could look is the enotes summary on homers iliad. A plague has overcome the greek armies because agamemnon has refused to return the daughter of a priest of apollo. The iliad is a classic ancient greek poem usually attributed to homer. We are told from the beginning that the story is going to be about the rage or anger of achilles, the greatest warrior in achaia greece. The iliad is a classic and the reason it is so is because it is so applicable to all of us. Thus, she and apollo decide to have hektor challenge one of the achaian warriors to a duel in order to settle the war. In fact, this structural technique is a basis for the entire work. The iliad book 1 summary the poet prays to the muse, the goddess of poetic inspiration. Heres where youll find analysis about the poem as a whole. Course heros video study guide provides indepth summary and analysis of book 1 of homers epic poem the iliad.
The outcome of achilles anger is the will of zeus, but it also killed a huge number of achaean soldiers. Jaynes sees the iliad as a book dealing with premodern minds. Summary read an overview of the entire poem or a line by line summary and analysis. In the tenth year of the trojan war, achilles, the greatest fighter for the achaeans the greeks and their allies, is enraged. The trojans enlisted the aid of the sea god, poseidon, to help build the wall. The iliad, an epic poem attributed to homer and the oldest extant piece of european literature, is conventionally divided into 24 books. All the people of troy come out to mourn hektors body. The iliad book i s ing, o goddess, the anger of achilles son of peleus, that brought countless ills upon the achaeans. Set during the trojan war, the tenyear siege of the city of troy ilium by a coalition of greek states, it tells of the battles and events during the.
Book 8 of homers the iliad opens with zeus having a bit of a tantrum. When last we left the story at the end of book 2 of homers the iliad, the achaean forces, which had been camped outside the walls of troy for nine long years trying to defeat. The iliad is an epic poem by homer that tells the story of several weeks in the last year of the decadelong trojan war in the greek camp, agamemnon and achilles, the greeks. The first idea is the conflict between the values symbolized by the two warriors. Many a brave soul did it send hurrying down to hades, and many a hero did it yield a prey to dogs and vultures, for so were the counsels of jove fulfilled from the day on which the son of. Supersummary, a modern alternative to sparknotes and cliffsnotes, offers highquality study guides that feature detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, quotes, and essay topics.
During one of the achaian greek armys many raids on the cities located. Gill is a freelance classics and ancient history writer. As night falls, the achaeans sleep soundly, except for agamemnon, who watches the trojan fires. Summary chronicling the deeds of great heroes from the past who helped form a. Free summary and analysis of book 8 in homers the iliad that wont make you snore. Find helpful summaries and analyses for every chapter in homers the iliad. When agamemnons refuses to give up chryses daughter, apollo provides an early example of divine intervention, setting an example of how the gods can quickly change the fortunes of men. He wants her to tell him about the rage of achilleus, and how it hurt the achaians. This study guide consists of approximately 114 pages of chapter summaries, quotes, character analysis, themes, and more everything you need to sharpen your knowledge of the iliad. The story of the iliad has its actual beginning in the creation of the great wall at troy.
The free the iliad notes include comprehensive information and analysis to help you understand the book. This study guide and infographic for homers the iliad offer summary and analysis on themes, symbols, and other literary devices found in the text. The iliad sparknotes literature guide sparknotes literature guide series by sparknotes and homer feb 4, 2014. See a complete list of the characters in the iliad and indepth analyses of achilles, agamemnon, and hector.
In the tenth year of the trojan war, tensions are running high among the achaians a superancient name for the ancient greeks. In turn, zeus becomes angry, criticizing her relentless desire to raze troy. Apollos priest chryses comes to the achaian camp and asks to ransom back his daughter chryseis, who has been captured. Pdf the iliad book 1 study guide answers dori jules. It is favor he takes care to remember, praying to her and giving offerings to her in gratitude for her help. Iliad, the barrons book notes by homer oct 1, 1984. Achilles, the epics central character, exposes this fact and confronts the king. Litcharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in the iliad, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Therefore, when athena tells achilles not to draw his sword to kill agamemnon, the speaker is actually one. The written version of the iliad presupposes a basic familiarity with the characters and mythological causes and effects of the. Free summary and analysis of book 10 in homers the iliad that wont make you snore. As was the tradition in epic poetry, the iliad opens in medias res, meaning in the. Homers the odyssey barrons book notes by margaret a. Therefore, when athena tells achilles not to draw his sword to kill agamemnon, the speaker is actually one side of achilles brain. Agamemnon roughly rejects the ransom and dismisses the priest. The iliad is one of the most boring, confusing books i have ever read and this helped it become alot more clear to me. Achaeans sack any rich city of the trojans do i receive so good a. This contains a book by book summary and analysis of homers epic poem.
The events after the iliad that lead to the fall of troy are not a part of the poem. During the period of the truce, the trojans gather wood in the mountains and burn hektors body on. He asks her to begin with the fight between achilleus and agamemnon. He seems to be irritated that so many other gods have played a role in the battle between the greeks. It opened up the iliad to me so i could recognize why it is so magnificent. Learn vocabulary, terms, and more with flashcards, games, and other study tools. However, book i essentially sets up the tension for the rest of the poem. This onepage guide includes a plot summary and brief analysis of the iliad by homer. Iliad summary buy study guide in the tenth and final year of the trojan war, chryses, a priest of apollo, attempts to ransom his daughter from agamemnon, commanderinchief of the achaeans, who has taken her captive while on a raid. First, the priest chryses comes to ask their leader, king agamemnon, to release his daughter, whom agamemnon was holding captive. Learn exactly what happened in this chapter, scene, or section of the iliad and what it means. Homers iliad books 1 2 provided by the internet classics archive. Homers iliad begins nine years after the greek armies first arrived at troy.
King agamemnon, who leads the achaeans, has brought an illness upon the army by refusing to give up a woman, chryseis, whom he seized as a prize in a recent battle. He notes that menelaus is the victor, and that he should now lead helen home. Homer calls upon the goddess of poetry and inspiration the muse to sing of achilleus anger. Homers technique of repeating an earlier scene with a later one is used throughout the iliad. The cliffsnotes study guide on homers iliad supplements the original literary work, giving you background information about the author, an introduction to the. The iliad begins with the trojan war already in progress. The second idea is the nature of the relationship between the gods and men. Homers iliad begins during the tenth year of the trojan war and opens, like most epic poems, with a request for inspiration from the appropriate muse.
Homers epic poem the iliad tells the story of the trojan war and the epic heroes and gods, including achilles, hector, odysseus, athena, ares. The following texts are the property of their respective authors and we thank them for giving us the opportunity to share for free to students, teachers and users of the web their texts will used only for illustrative educational and scientific purposes only. Hera explodes with anger, saying that she wont let the duel stop her effort to destroy troy. In one battle, achilles encounters paris, who shoots an arrow that, guided by apollo, strikes achilles in the right heel. She has a masters degree in linguistics and is a former latin teacher. Chapter summary for homers the iliad, book 1 summary. Home english literature classic books the iliad navigate here note book i book ii book iii book iv book v book vi book vii book viii book ix book x book xi book xii book xiii book xiv book xv book xvi book xvii book xviii book xix book xx book xxi book xxii book xxiii book xxiv. Chapter summary for homers the iliad, book 9 summary. Books 1 to 4 of the iliad trace the events from the breaking out of the quarrel between achilles and agamemnon to the first combat on the battlefield. The battle between hektor and achilles brings about a reconsideration of two ideas that have been implicit throughout the iliad.
Achilles pursues the trojans to the ford of the river xanthus. Downloadableprintable version of this monkeynote key literary elements setting character list conflict short plot summary synopsis themes mood background information biography literaryhistorical information. Homers epic poem the iliad tells the story of the trojan war and the epic heroes and gods. The iliad is narrated from a thirdperson omniscient point of view. The wrath of achilles seems justified from book i to book ix. Check out our revolutionary sidebyside summary and analysis. Free online study guide for the iliad by homerthe illiad by. The character notes and critical essays at the end contributed tremendously to both my understanding and appreciation. Find a summary of this and each chapter of the iliad. Homers the iliad starts after the achaians have been at war with the trojans for nine years, trying to retrieve helen of troy, the wife of menelaos who was kidnapped by paris. Andromache, hekuba, and helen, all of whom praise hektor and describe their own reasons for regretting his death, lead the lamentations. These free notes consist of about 101 pages 30,062 words and contain the following sections.