Illiad vs Troy

704 Words3 Pages
Homer’s Illiad vs. Wolfgang Petersen’s Troy “Sing, goddess, the anger of Peleus’ song Achilleus and its devastation, which puts pains thousand fold upon the Achaians” (1.1). As the opening of the Iliad delivers a strong sense of rage instilled by Achilles, discontent and uproar are clear themes that Homer is trying to present in his work. Homer’s great epic was transformed into a war film that strives to depict those events described in the Iliad. Granted, the events that take place in the film stray away from those in Homer’s original work, but the Iliad only inspired the movie, it was not a complete replica of what he wrote. Major as well as minor aspects are evidently removed or altered, and can be seen when comparing the poem to the film. Though the Iliad and Troy share differences, both works are fuelled by jealousy, greed, and pride. When comparing the Iliad to Troy, one of the most influential aspects of the poem is absent in the movie, the gods. The divine intervention between the gods and goddesses and the characters in the Iliad plays a significant role in the understanding of the work. The film does, however, convince the audience that the characters are firm believers in the gods. A simple understanding that cinematic appeal has an impact upon the production of the film shows how the film lacks dominant aspects of Homer’s work. Thetis, however, goddess of the sea and Achilles’ mother, is present in Troy, but not as a goddess, as a true character. Thetis strives to influence her son Achilles, promoting his participation in the war. Thetis’ role in the Iliad proves to be significant as she reminds Achilles of his mortality. “Why did I raise you? ... Since indeed your lifetime is to be short, of no length. Now it has befallen that your life must be brief and bitter beyond all men’s. To a bad destiny I bore you in my chambers” (1. 414-417).
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