Hector and Achilles as Tragic Heroes
The term hero is known to be used in the titles, superhero, tragic hero and its original form, hero. A hero, originated from a Greek word, has heroic traits, is well liked by the audience, and faces dangerous experiences with courage. A super hero, defined by Dwight K. Shrute, is “a hero [who] kills people, people that wish him harm. A [super] hero is part human and supernatural. A [super] hero is born out of a disaster, and must be avenged.” Aristotle defines a tragic hero as “a person who must evoke a sense of pity or fear into the audience.” Unfortunately, superheroes are born from our imagination and are not real, but heroes can undergo such events to become a tragic hero. A tragic hero is a character in tragedy, and is most commonly the protagonist of the story. Hero metamorphosize into a tragic hero once he has experienced a tragic downfall. A tragic downfall comes in the form of one’s own mistakes, fate, or in the hands of others.
Tragic heroes are not always the main character or the ones most rooted for, but those who meet the qualifications. Such as Severus Snape, from Harry Potter. He is portrayed as an antagonist for most of the series, until his true intentions are revealed at his demise/death. Snape is despised throughout his life and is not well liked by the audience. But behind the scenes he acts heroically and his life ends in a tragic downfall ultimately by his own actions, thus meeting the requirements to be a tragic hero.
The Iliad is considered a tragic epic poem yet Hector, rather than Achilles, is its tragic hero. Although Achilles is not the tragic hero of this epic poem, he does meet the credentials to be a hero. The Iliad is made up of 24 books and within those, the audience is able to compare and contrast Achilles and Hector. From book one through the end of book two, the audience gets to know the Greek hero, Achilles. Known as a fearless warrior, physically strong, a feared enemy, a man with such confidence he fears not even a king, and rights to gain glory for himself. The audience was familiarized with his heroic traits and they fell in love with his determination to win the Greeks. He is the greatest fighter in this war known thus far. Beginning in book three of The Iliad, the audience is introduced to Hector, the hero of Troy. Hector is perceived as a determined warrior who does not shy away from battle, a loyal soldier, son, and husband, and he fights for the safety of Troy. More different than alike, the two are different types of heroes in the eyes of the audience.
By picking apart the 24 books in The Iliad, one can compare the actions of both heroes and what it portrays for their qualities of achieving the title of the tragic hero. In book one, Agamemnon, commander-in-chief of the Achaean army, takes Chryseis captive as his prize. Chryses, her father, unable to retrieve her on his own uncord, prays to the god Apollo for help. Apollo answers his prayer by casting a plaque upon a Greek camp. Achilles then removes the plaque by acting with the help of a soothsayer and the Achaean army.
Thus, demonstrating courage and intelligence in a life-threatening situation. In comparison, in book six, Hector must leave his wife Andromache and son Astyanax to fight in the war for the Trojans. Hector has a difficult time parting way with his family, which stems his reason to live and return home to the people he loves. This triggers the empathy from the audience for both his love Troy and his family. Almost seemingly out of spite, Hector’s fate is to die. Unable to return home to his wife and son and reassure his promise to return home safely. He will also no longer be able to provide the protection he once gave them to keep them safe. This pulls the audience in by their realization of the tragedy of his doomed fate or even them rooting for the possibility he could live.
Both Achilles and Hector prove they both have the qualities of a tragic hero, but as stated above a very important factor of a tragic hero is the support and love from the audience for the character. Hector achieves this because his tragic flaws establish a common connection with the audience.
