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Contents
The greatest Greek warrior and the poem's central figure. His rage at Agamemnon pulls him out of the war, and his grief over Patroclus pulls him back in. He is capable of tremendous violence and, at the end, genuine compassion. His arc moves from wounded pride to something closer to human understanding.
Troy's best warrior and its main defender. He is Prince Priam's son and husband to Andromache. Unlike Achilles, Hector fights out of duty to his city and family rather than personal glory. His death is the emotional climax of the poem.
Commander of the Greek forces and king of Mycenae. His decision to take Briseis from Achilles starts the whole crisis. He is powerful but arrogant, and his poor leadership costs the Greeks dearly during Achilles' absence.
Achilles' closest companion. He is gentler than Achilles and more willing to feel for the suffering Greeks. His decision to fight in Achilles' armor, against Achilles' instructions, leads to his death and changes the entire direction of the poem.
King of Troy and Hector's father. He appears most powerfully at the end of the poem, when he risks his life to cross into the Greek camp and beg Achilles for his son's body. His grief and courage in that scene bring out the only moment of real tenderness Achilles shows.
Achilles' divine mother, a sea goddess. She advocates for her son with Zeus and arranges for new armor after Patroclus' death. She also knows Achilles will die young. Her love for him is real but cannot change his fate.
One of the shrewder Greek leaders. He leads the embassy that tries to bring Achilles back, and he fights effectively throughout the battles. He is not the focus here the way he is in the Odyssey, but he represents the calculating, diplomatic side of Greek leadership.
The largest and physically strongest of the Greek warriors after Achilles. He holds the line in some of the hardest fighting and is known for stubborn, grinding courage rather than speed or cleverness.
Hector's wife. Her scene with Hector on the walls of Troy, where she begs him not to fight and he tells her he must, is one of the most emotionally direct moments in the poem. She represents what the war destroys on the Trojan side.
King of the gods and the figure who controls the broad shape of events. He agrees to Thetis' request to let the Trojans win temporarily, which sets the middle section of the poem in motion. He is not neutral, but he tries to balance competing divine interests.
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