Warrior, forever bound by the ‘hero’s code’; by duty and honor, Paris is the Lover, bound
only by his own wants and needs, by his vanity and his love for Helen. These differences
in personal values are arguable the main sources of the tension and resentment that
flourishes between the brothers throughout the progress of ‘The Iliad’.
Paris is the beautiful, charming, often womanizing, Trojan Prince; he is the son of Priam,
King of Troy, and brother to Hektor, heroic warrior Prince of Troy. Paris is essentially
the catalyst of the Trojan War and therefore consequently the fall of Troy. His abduction
of Helen - Queen of Sparta and wife of Menelaos- although implemented by the goddess
Aphrodite, capitulated the Trojans into the tragically doomed ten year long war against
the Greeks. Paris’ personality resembles that of a spoilt child, he endeavors to acquire
everything he wants and desires regardless of the consequences. Even though after he has
abducted Helen and it is clear that through his actions he will bring discord and danger to
Troy, he refuses to return her to Menelaos. It is Paris’ love -or lust- for Helen, as well as
his own vanity and inclination towards safety and luxury rather than honor and glory,
which clouds Paris’ conscience when considering his refusal to fulfill the responsibilities
he owes to his country as a Prince of Troy. Although Paris is an accomplished archer, the
bow and arrow are considered the weapons of cowards and not as masculine as either the
sword or spear and he lacks the spirit for battle, preferring to stay in his chamber and
make love to Helen while others are sent out to fight for him. This latter attribute earns
him the scorn of both Helen and Hektor. Paris’ outward show of bravery at the beginning
of book three when he is seen challenging the Greeks to “fight him one to one in grim
combat”1 is belied by hid lack of courage when he sights Menelaos across the battlefield;
“so godlike Alexandros slipped back into the body of the proud Trojans in his fear of
Atreus’ son.”2 Paris’ immediate and cowardly retreat into hiding behind the strong ranks
of the Trojan army is a shameful and embarrassing act to be preformed by a man of such
defined royal blood.
Hektor is Paris’ parallel in both personality and dispostion. He is a paragon for everything
Homeric Hero’s stand for; he is courageous, loyal and fearsome and seeks to claim both
honor and glory. But unlike his major adversary Achilleus, he is not completely void of
emotion and does not feign indifference or superiority to the people who surround him.
Hektor is not only a commanding and impressive leader of the Trojan forces but also a
devoted husband and father, who is capable of expressing compassion and affection when
dealing with his wife and family. The scene in book six where Hektor unknowingly
informs Andromache of the fate which will befall not only her, but also himself and their
infant son Astyanax, is one of the most moving moments in the whole poem. Hektor’s
speech to his wife not only shows the reader the strength of Hektor’s love for his family
but also gives insight into the extent of which Hektor is a prisoner of the ‘Hero’s code’.
“But I would feel terrible shame before the men of Troy and the women of Troy with
their trailing dresses, if like a coward I sulk away from the fighting. Nor is that what my
own heart urges, for I have learnt always to be brave in the forefront of the Trojans,
winning great glory for my father and for myself.”3 Hektor’s devotion to duty is proved
beyond doubt when he denies Andromache’s passionate pleas for him not to return to
battle and chooses the prospect of an honorable death over the temptation of living
through retreat. It is his ability to make this decision that makes Hektor a man who will
surpass mortality and, like Achilleus, live on in the glory of legend.
When we first read the simile in Book Six, Homer compares Paris to magnificent horse
that has broken free of his restraints and is galloping free, a vision of strength and beauty.
This description does seem suited to Paris, for despite his faults he is indeed impressive
in both beauty and physical strength. The words, “sure of his own magnificence, his legs
carry him lightly to the haunts where the mares are at pasture.’4 are extremely accurate
when thought of in relation to Paris, as this is how he has been presented to the reader
throughout the poem; as a man of impressive good looks who possesses an unquenchable
desire for women. However when the same simile is used in comparison to Hektor, the
same reasoning can not be applied. The reader does not see Hektor as a man of beauty
and charm, nor as a great lover. He is a husband, a father, a prince and a warrior. One
acquires a feeling of renewed strength and determination when reading this simile in
relation to Hektor. It is not Hektor’s beauty or physical impressiveness that gives him the
confidence to charge back into battle, but the renewed energy infused upon if by the god
Apollo. It is not only physical power and strength that causes Hektor to exude
magnificence but also his renewed inner strength and courage along with the banishment
of any thought of defeat from his mind. It could be said that it is the confidence, which
had so recently been instilled in both Paris and Hektor at the time their comparisons in
the each use of the simile were made, that forms a connection between the two and gives
a reason as to why Homer would use the same words to describe these two contradicting
men.
After contemplating the context in which each use of the simile is put forward by Homer,
it can be said that the simile was indeed appropriate to each character and situation it
illuminated within ‘The Iliad’. Despite their obvious and dominating differences, it is the
confidence in themselves and their worth that Paris and Hektor share at the time of their
separate comparisons and the embodiment of power and strength which they each
possess, that for a brief period in time, make the two individuals, usually poles apart,
essentially the same.
1. Homer. The Iliad. Translated by Mark Hammond. London: Penguin Group, 1987. p42. (3. 35-36)
2. Homer. The Iliad. Translated by Mark Hammond. London: Penguin Group, 1987. p41 (3. 18-19)
3. Homer. The Iliad. Translated by Mark Hammond. London: Penguin Group, 1987.p102 (6. 440-446)
4. Homer. The Iliad. Translated by Mark Hammond. London: Penguin Group, 1987.p103 (6. 510-512)
Reference List:
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Homer. The Iliad. Translated by Mark Hammond. London: Penguin Group, 1987.