The Iliad: Structure and Interpretation

Abstract

The Iliad is organized according to two complementary, structural principles, one related to its narrative action and traditional mythological content, the other to its traditional style and the artistic norms of the eighth century B.C. Generally speaking, the narrative of the Iliad consists of three parts or stages: Books 1-7, Books 8-17 (perhaps excluding Book 10, the Doloneia), and Books 18 24. Trojans, followed by the death of Patroclus, raises moral and intellectual issues that go beyond anything in Books 1-7, and perhaps beyond anything in the poetic tradition; this stage is distinctively Iliadic. Achilles' aristeia in the final stage of the poem, culminating in the killing of Hector and mutilation of his corpse, is even more dislocated and untraditional than that of Patroclus, and in comparison with Diomedes, Achilles stands out as a deadly and daemonic force of destruction barely acknowledging his human limits.Keywords: Achilles; aristeia; Doloneia; Iliad; Patroclus; Trojans

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