Beyond the Spear Tip: An Anti-War Interpretation of the Trojan War
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Mentor Information
Dr. Robert Hedrick
Description
Often when analyzing Homer’s Iliad, there is a focus on conquest, battles, and heroism. But there is a deeper, more nuanced message about war’s profound and horrific results. Homer has two layers to the Iliad: the graphic battle scenes and an introspective outlook on how war affects the soldiers, their immediate relations, and communities as a whole. Key to the message is the soldiers’ elation when prompted with the possibility of an end to the war and Homer’s commitment to documenting the reactions of gods and humans when unable to save their loved ones, emphasizing the sorrow caused by war. Supporting evidence involves characters’ misguided relations or rejections of glory, how the depiction of blood is metaphorically used to dehumanize and criticize, and the lambasting of bellicose characters. Lastly, yet crucially, the ultimate focus is not on the triumphant Greeks. The fall of Troy and the Trojan Horse does not occur in the Iliad, but instead, the poem ends with the lamentation of the Trojan women over the body of Hector: Troy’s greatest protector now perished. By analyzing these components of the Iliad, this paper makes a strong argument for the anti-war interpretation.
Beyond the Spear Tip: An Anti-War Interpretation of the Trojan War
Often when analyzing Homer’s Iliad, there is a focus on conquest, battles, and heroism. But there is a deeper, more nuanced message about war’s profound and horrific results. Homer has two layers to the Iliad: the graphic battle scenes and an introspective outlook on how war affects the soldiers, their immediate relations, and communities as a whole. Key to the message is the soldiers’ elation when prompted with the possibility of an end to the war and Homer’s commitment to documenting the reactions of gods and humans when unable to save their loved ones, emphasizing the sorrow caused by war. Supporting evidence involves characters’ misguided relations or rejections of glory, how the depiction of blood is metaphorically used to dehumanize and criticize, and the lambasting of bellicose characters. Lastly, yet crucially, the ultimate focus is not on the triumphant Greeks. The fall of Troy and the Trojan Horse does not occur in the Iliad, but instead, the poem ends with the lamentation of the Trojan women over the body of Hector: Troy’s greatest protector now perished. By analyzing these components of the Iliad, this paper makes a strong argument for the anti-war interpretation.
