ILIAD SIMILES & METAPHORS

Book 3:

Paris - ‘Magnificent as a God’ he is luxurious and far from the ideal masculine warrior

Menelaus - ‘like a lion’ the Homeric simile is extended so that Menelaus as a lion is developed into a complete picture. ‘hunger strikes - he rips to bolt it down’ Paris is like Fresh meat - driven by a thirst for vengeance

Book 4:

Agamemnon - ‘strong as boar’ Agamemnon demonstrates clear, organized leadership skills in the heat and stress of battle. - Shamed man retreating from battle and put known cowards in the center so that they would have np choice but to fight and organised charioteers with teams and cars with backing infantry close behind them. contrasting depiction to BK 1

Achaean army - ‘ a storm cloud moving down the sea’ & ‘Whipping the whitecaps, full hurricane fury’ Homer uses a metaphor to describe the Achaean army like a formidable storm, a terror that is looming over and ready to infiltrate the Trojans

Achaean army - ‘as the heavy surf assaults some roaring coast’ ‘pounds on the shore with hoarse, rumbling thunder’ - likened to powerful forces of nature to mimic how fighting is a apart of their nature

Trojan army - like flocks of sheep, thousands crowding to have their white milk drained’ - distinction between Western and Easter discipline. Trojans are conveyed as incompetents compared to Achaeans

fighting between the Achaeans and Trojans ‘ Achaeans and Trojans mauling each other like wolves’ animalistic and vivid imagery created. ‘the ground streamed blood’

BOOK 10

Odysseus and Diomedes are likened to 2 lions

Book 16

Hector and Patroclus are likened to 2 ravenous lions tussling and fighting each other

Patroclus and Sarpedon are Likened to ‘2 vultures’ suggests equally matched contestants

BOOK 17

Menelaus is ‘as fierce as a mountain lion’ as he tries to protect Patroclus’ body, while the Trojans around him are likened to dogs and shepherds.

the fight for Patrcolus’ body is likened to an enormous tug of war - Patroclus’ body becomes a symbol of pride to the Achaeans - represents value of respect and brotherhood

BOOK 22

Achilles is likened to ‘ a wild mountain hawk’ while Hector is likened to ‘a cringing dove’ hector as the strongest and bravest warrior in the Trojan army is nothing in comparison to Achilles

NOTES FROM THE TEXTBOOK

  • Homeric similes are often extended so that a simple likeness is developed into a complete picture

    individual similes are effective but similes together as a repeated part of the narrative shape the mood and atmosphere of the poem

typical animals used to create predator prey dynamics:

  • lions, vultures, eagles, boars, hunting dogs

  • sheep, lambs, fawns, hares, dove

desperate and bloody struggle to survive nature

similes can draw upon forces of nature: BK 4 - Achaean army = a storm cloud moving down the sea, whipping the whitecaps, full hurricane fury - evoke idea that war is a natural element of nature

similes help build characterization:

  • Paris’ vanity wis expressed when likened to a God

  • Achilles is likened to powerful beasts: wolf, wild boar, lion, haw