The Iliad: Book 22 (XXII)
The Death of Hector
Priam and Hecuba (Hector’s parents) plead with
Hector to stay inside the Trojan walls
Achilles is mad because Hector killed his bff:
Patroclus
Hector is reckless and courageous—does not stay
inside walls
Hector is characterized: a snake, guarding his hole,
bloated with poison, deadly hatred, coils around his
lair=SNAKE
Soliloquy=talking to himself
First option: Cannot hide inside the gate because he
will be disgraced; would be thought of as less of a
man
The night before he leads the Trojans back to Ilium;
only Achilles—killed many men of the Trojan army
2nd option: talks to Achilles: lay down armor
-Give back Helen
-all the treasures/riches
-give the rest to the Argives (Greeks)
Talks himself out of this because Achilles will not
show mercy/respect (parley=negotiate)
FINAL DECISION: clash with Achilles—Zeus will
award the winner (fate)
Achilles sees Hector, Hector decided to run, Achilles
chases after
Achilles: god of war, helmet flashes, Pelian ash
spear, bronze armor shone brightly—looked like
fire.
Achilles is symbolized to look like a hawk: quickest
thing on wings, sure of its speed, swooping down on
a cringing dove, screaming, tear his kill
Run around Troy three times; passing the clear
running springs—the wives and daughters of Troy
would wash their glistening robes in the old days
when there was peace.
Zeus: my heart grieves for Hector, asks the other
gods/goddesses if they should kill Hector or let him
live.
Athena: You already know what Hector is going to
do, why would you let him live?
Zeus allows Athena to go down to Troy for action;
Zeus uses his golden scale to ‘weigh’ the two fates
of death (fate)
Athena tells Achilles to rest up a little, then goes to
Hector pretends to be his brother (Deiphobus) and
convinces Hector to fight Achilles face to face with
(Deiphobus) her ‘help’
Hector stops running to confront Achilles; kill or be
killed—gods will oversee everything
Hector wants to start a pact that whoever dies will
have their body returned to the family
Achilles reacts angrily; NO PACT. “Athena will kill
you”.
Achilles casts the first spear, and misses—goes into
the dirt
Hector acts cocky/sarcastic/overdramatic: says
Achilles is all bluff
Hector casts his spear—hits Achilles shield; turned
to his brother…. Brother is GONE, realizes the truth
that “Athena has tricked him blind”
Hector’s attitude: has changed to realizing that his
death is inevitable (he will die)
Understands that it is his fate to die, however, he
will not accept this without a battle (making his own
fate)
Hector dies—in the neck (collarbone)
Achilles lends his own armor to his BFF, Patroclus.
Achilles realizes that Hector is wearing his armor
and knows the weak spot…near the neck.
Hector’s last words: begging to not allow the dogs
and birds to maul him (attack and eat), take my
body back to my family/friends. I will give you gold
if you take my body back.
Achilles refuses to take his body back (extremely
overdramatic) “I would rather chop you up and eat
you rather than to take your body back”
Achilles takes bronze spear from Hector’s body, the
other Greeks come over to peek at his body, stab at
his dead body, drills hole in the back of his heels,
ties him up to the back of his chariot, head is
dragging.
Recognizes the gods as allowing him to kill Hector
Hector’s mom (Hecuba) is the first to see him being
dragged—yanks her hair out, screaming
Priam (father) sees next, whole city is wailing, Priam
wants to go down to the Greeks’ ships to talk to
Achilles about returning the body; his friends are
holding him back
Hecuba—very upset, her baby is dead, does not
think she has purpose anymore
Meanwhile… Andromache is drawing his warm bath
water for when Hector returns
Andromache hears Hector’s mother’s cries and runs
to the tower walls to see what happened—faints
after she sees Hector’s body being dragged
Astyanax’s future: isolated in society, stealing his
property, humiliated,
In order to honor Hector, Andromache says she will
burn all of his clothing in honor of him