protagonist of The Iliad

 

Who would you consider the protagonist of The Iliad? Give reasons.

 

Ans. At the very outset it may appear to be quite difficult to identify the central hero of The Iliad! Both Hector and Achilles possess almost same superhuman power. Both are valiant, honourable, widely respected leaders. Besides, both of them have human feelings that eventually led to their doom. But we must keep in mind that the word Iliad means 'wrath'. From that point of view Achilles is the protagonist of the epic poem. The story centres round the wrath of Achilles. His wrath against Agamemnon, his wrath against Hector and withdrawal from the conflict surely affects the other characters. Nevertheless Hector's role is no less important than that of Achilles as the poem ends with his tragic end including his grand funeral.

 

No doubt Achilles is aided with superhuman strength and ability, his close proximity to gods seem to be less than heroic. Besides, his most inhuman crude and barbarous revenge on Hector, his blood thirst, wrath and pride continue to consume him. But as The Iliad  closes, the finer aspects of his qualities are revealed to absolve him of his shortcomings.

 In conclusion we observe that Achilles is the greatest hero in The Iliad and deserves to be the protagonist of the epic.