Comparing The Iliad And The Bible, Jesus And Hector Die

When it comes to death, most people tend to sympathize with the victim of death while others dwell on the pleasures the deceased had brought them while they were living. In our readings there were many instances where the individuals were remembered for the honor and glory they showed and for the extreme measures they took for leaving this world a changed place. The differences in reactions to mortality in our texts is most apparent. People strive to give their lives meaning in the face of death in each of the texts, however there is a difference between what is worth dying for. Throughout the Iliad and in the bible, Jesus and Hector die for different reasons; while on dies for honor and glory, the other dies for the salvation of others. Honor is defined as a high respect given to an individual that brings credit. To receive honor is paralleled to being crowned with jewels and being regarded as a role model to all. The society that the Iliad portrays is â€Å"centered on the battlef ield of achievement and its rewards† (Homer, xxi). The figures in Homer’s epic poem, the Iliad, partake in events that will allow them to â€Å"receive more honor and more material rewards† even if it means that they must indulge themselves in heightened risks that could end in death (xxiii). Hector, one of the most pivotal characters in the poem, illustrates the lust for glory and ignorance of everything else that holds just as much importance. As his character is strengthened, it can be seen that every