Iliad and Pat Tillman:
European Literature:
The Iliad Essay:
A recurring topic in literature is “the classic war between passion and responsibility.” This conflict can involve a personal cause, a love, a desire for revenge, a determination to redress a wrong, or some other emotion or drive that interferes with one’s moral duty. In The Iliad, Homer portrays characters (i.e. Achilles and Hector) who face this conflict between passion and responsibility. This same conflict can also be seen in the non-fiction pieces we have read in this unit.
Writing Prompt:
Using one of the non-fiction pieces we have covered in class, develop an argument that identifies whether it is an individual’s commitment to passion or responsibility that makes one heroic. Based on this understanding of heroism, argue which character in The Iliad is more heroic: Achilles or Hector.
Requirements:
• Approximately 3 pages
• Minimum of 4 direct quotations
• Quotations must come from The Iliad and one non-fiction piece
• 4-5 paragraphs
• Typed and in MLA format
• Submission to turnitin.com.
• NO outside sources