ILIAD 4

CHAPTER ZERO

If you were to change one event or chapter from the Iliad, and replace it with your own story, what chapter or episode will what be?

If I were to change one event or chapter from the Iliad, and replace it with my own story, I will change the battle between the two great armies, the Greeks and the Trojans. In the story the two great armies was led by their greatest and strongest warrior, Achilies and Hector. I want to change this event and make it more impressive. My version is entitled:

THE LAST CLASH

The war between the Greeks and the Trojans will be held in the land of Troy. When Zeus heard the war between the two great armies he immediately told the other gods about the war. When the day of the war came the Greeks went to the land of Troy to start the battle. The two armies prepared themselves and begin the war. The Trojans first take charge and the Greeks fight back and started to clash. The two great armies don't want loose and they fight for their lives. Zeus tried to stop the war but Ares (the god of war) interrupted Zeus. When Ares interrupted Zeus, Zeus cast a strong spell called thunder wrath to Ares, but Ares survived Zeus' spell. After that Ares attacked Zeus immediadtely, and killed Zeus. The other gods saw how Ares killed Zues. The other gods got angry and attack Ares. They together fight and killed Ares for Zeus. After that the gods stopped the war between the Trojans and Greeks and explained about the two gods who wasted their life. Achilies and Hector talk to each other and stopped the war for the gods. And the land of Troy was left peacefully.

ILIAD 3

Zeus

a) As a god, what forces can he control? What forces make him powerless?

Zeus is the king of gods and the god if lightning. Zeus's symbol as the god of lightning is the thunderbolt. As a king of gods and god of lightning, He can control the forces of war. And the forces that make him powerless are the forces of the deception or the imposture of the other gods.

b) What weaknesses does he show in the given chapters? Cite textual proof.

Zeus showed his weakness in book 14. "Hera spots Zeus on Mount Ida, overlooking Troy, and devises a plan to distract him so that she may help the Achaeans behind his back. She visits Aphrodite and tricks her into giving her an enchanted breastband into which the powers of Love and Longing are woven, forceful enough to make the sanest man go mad. She then visits the embodiment of Sleep, and by promising him one of her daughters in marriage, persuades him to lull Zeus to sleep. Sleep follows her to the peak of Mount Ida; disguised as a bird, he hides in a tree. Zeus sees Hera, and the enchanted band seizes him with passion. He makes love to Hera and, as planned, soon falls asleep. Hera then calls to Poseidon, telling him that he now has free rein to steer the Achaeans to victory. Poseidon regroups them, and they charge the Trojans. In the ensuing scuffle, Great Ajax knocks Hector to the ground with a boulder, and the Trojans must carry the hero back to Troy. With Hector gone, the Achaeans soon trounce their enemies, and Trojans die in great numbers as the army flees back to the city." The weaknesses that Zeus showed are getting in trouble over love affairs. And Zeus fall upon goddess and mortal woman alike.

reference: http://www.sparknotes.com/lit/iliad/section8.rhtml

c) Relate his weak and strong characteristics to someone you know today.

Zeus weakness is women, he was passionately fond of female charms. Many men today are also passionately fond of female charms especially the youth. Zeus has also a strong characteristics like being charming, strong and persuasive. Many men today especially the youth are also strong, charming and persuasive like Zeus even though he got trouble over affairs. And I learned that we should fight our weakness and continue our strong characteristics.