Reading/Questions for Homer, The Iliad, Books 6, 9, & 12

From Gareth Hinds' graphic novel, The Iliad

NOTE: Try to read Books 6-16 for next week, though these questions will only cover the first three books. I'll post a separate lecture video for Book 16, since it's longer and you might need more time to finish it. But we'll talk about all of them next week for those who come to class.

ALSO: If you're having trouble keeping some of the names straight, refer to pages 158-165 of our book, which is a GLOSSARY of the main characters in the book. It really helps the first time you encounter someone with a particularly long and exotic name like Andromache or Polypoetes. 

Answer 2 of the following:

Q1: In Book 9, Achilles makes a long and impassioned defense of his refusal to return to the war. Though Ajax is very dismissive of his answer, what do you make of it? Are we supposed to be sympathetic of Achilles here? Is this how we would respond to Agamemnon's request to return to battle? Or is he being a spoiled demigod here, using his pride and position to doom hundreds of Greek soldiers to their death? 

Q2: In Book 6, the battle stops for a short dialogue between Diomedes, the powerful Greek warrior, and Glaucus, a famous Trojan. Why is this an important encounter in displaying the beliefs and values of Greek society? Though both are warriors, what is clearly more important than winning in battle?

Q3: In Book 9, the Greek named Phoenix tells Achilles that "Prayer are daughters of great Zeus./Lame and wrinkled and with eyes averted,/They are careful to follow in Folly's footsteps,/But Folly is strong and fleet, and outruns them all,/Beating them everywhere and plaguing humans,/Who are cured by the Prayers when they come behind" (65). What is he trying to tell Achilles (and us) through this instructive metaphor? Why might this sound like the kind of advice Sappho gives in some of her poems? 

Q4: Several people in The Iliad seem to have a fatalistic approach to life, as we seen in Book 12 when Sarpedom tells Glaucus, "death is everywhere/In more shapes than we can count,/And since no mortal is immune or can escape,/Let's go forward, either to give glory/To another man or get glory from him" (74). Do you find this an optimistic or a pessimistic philosophy? If you believed this, would you be more inspired to do great deeds of heroism...or to abandon great deeds as a pointless pursuit?