BOP Literal
What does it mean on page 59 that the armies clashed on the open plain?
The armies fought each other on a flat piece of ground.
On Page 60 The text says that Hera and Athena descended to Troy. What does descend mean? What clues in the text help give the meaning?
Descend means “to go downward.” To get to Troy, they have to go down from the home of the gods at the top of Mt. Olympus.
Page 68: How does Zeus interfere in the fate of Hector and the Trojans?
Zeus interferes directly in Hector’s plans by telling him not to fight while Agamemnon is in the front line. Zeus tells Hector what is going to happen, and as long as he follows Zeus’ instructions, he will get the victory he wants.
Page 68: How does Zeus’s treatment of Hector contrast with how he deals with Agamemnon and the two Trojan warriors?
Agamemnon and the two Trojans are not Zeus’s favorites, so they receive no assistance from him. The will of the gods thus depends on who their favorites are, who has offended them, and what internal divine squabbles they want to win.
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On page 61: What does Hera mean when she says she “cannot help but pity the Greeks”?
She feels sorry for them because they cannot stand up to the Trojan attack.
On page 59 in the second paragraph: What simile is used to describe a character’s action in this paragraph, and what does it mean?
The simile is “as a dog follows a wild beast and catches him by the thigh as he flies.” It means that Hector acts like a determined hunter, catching the terrified Greeks as they run away.
Page 68/69: What kind of figurative language is “as an oak falls when the lightning has struck it”? What does it describe?
It is a simile used to describe how shocking, sudden, and violent Hector’s fall is.
Page 68: What does the author want to show by saying that Hector’s “eyes flashed with fire”? How does this symbolism deepen our understanding of what Hector wants to do? (two things!)
This phrase shows how determined Hector is. It also connects him symbolically to the fire he wants to use to burn the Greek ships.
Page 68: How does Zeus’s interference in the fight affect your understanding of how fate and the will of the gods impact the events of the story?
The passage shows how fate and the will of Zeus are linked. Zeus knows what is going to happen, but by telling Hector how to win, he also makes it happen.
On Page 61: Why does Zeus say that “there is worse to come” for the Greeks?
He says this because he knows the Greeks’ fate and is, in fact, in control of it. Zeus is not making predictions or issuing commands; he knows what is going to happen next in the story.
In this section on page 60, Hera, Athena, and Zeus come into conflict. How does the description of this argument show how the gods relate to each other? What does it show about how the gods enact their will?
It shows that gods sometimes make alliances with one another but that none dares to challenge Zeus unless it is important. Zeus is shown to be more powerful than Hera and Athena combined, and he claims to be stronger than all of the gods together, as he “shall prevail over them” if they were to challenge him. They are not willing to challenge Zeus’s authority just to help out the Greeks.
The gods are shown wishing to help out their favorites. Their will is not always united, and they have their own schemes. But Zeus is the ultimate decider, as the most powerful. It potentially shows that the will of the gods is really the will of Zeus, who has the final say. But it might also show that other gods just have to work more subtly to avoid Zeus ruining their plans.
Page 71: What does Zeus mean when he tells Poseidon not to meddle with affairs on earth? Why?
He is telling Poseidon not to interfere with what’s happening on the land, because he’s the god of the sea.
Why is Poseidon more successful at helping the Greeks than Athena and Hera had been?
Zeus wasn’t paying close attention, as he “had his eyes turned from the battle.” Also, Poseidon disguises himself, while Hera and Athena had tried to act directly.
Page 72: What might the audience find funny about Hector’s speech to Apollo in paragraph three? Why?
He asks if a god is speaking to him, as if he cannot believe such a thing is possible, but he also asks Apollo whether or not he saw what just happened to him. His indignant response is not usually the way we think that people should talk to gods. It is also amusing to think of him flat on his back while a god asks why he isn’t fighting anymore.
Page 62: What metaphor helps to describe the coming night?
“The sun sank into the sea.”
Page 61: How does Hera’s pity reflect her attitude toward fate and the suffering of humans?
It suggests that she does not want the Greeks to suffer too much. She has an emotional connection to them and their plight. But she is only able to take pity because she is prevented by Zeus from taking action. She wishes she could do more but cannot, which is her own fate.
Page 73: What is the cloud of fire around Apollo’s shoulders meant to symbolize, and why?
It symbolizes the sun, because Apollo is the god associated with the sun.
page 72: What is Hector compared to? Why is this comparison made?
Hector is compared to a lion. The comparison is made because the Greeks thought that Hector would be easy prey like a stag or a goat, but instead he is dangerous and strong, like a lion.
On page 59 Homer describes Zeus doing something that acts as a metaphor for action in this paragraph. Read the metaphor, and explain what it means.
Zeus’s golden scales are a metaphor for the fortunes, or fate, of each side in battle. The scales, laden with “weights of death” are a metaphor for the casualties on each side. It means that the fortunes of the two sides are balanced against each other and that the Greeks’ losses are “heavier.”
Page 62: Why is Hector concerned that the Greeks might try to flee?
Hector wants to defeat them, not let them run away.
Page 62: What are the watch-fires of the Trojans compared to? What does this explain about the watch-fires and the Trojans.
They are compared to the stars in the sky. The comparison demonstrates the number and brightness of the many watch-fires. It suggests that the Trojan army is large and ready to fight.
Page 73: In his speech, Hector tells his men that “Zeus is with us.” What does he mean?
It means that victory is sure to be theirs because the will of the god Zeus is on their side.
Page 73: Ajax tells the Greeks that there is “no one to save you if you will not save yourselves.” What does this say about how fate and the will of the gods affect the Greeks as compared to the Trojans?
The Trojans have fate and the will of Zeus on their side, while the Greeks do not.
How do think the will of the gods affects fate in the Iliad?
Answers will vary but may state that the will of the gods is what determines fate.