Iliad is an anthropology of the ancient Greek mythology, but which has a rich mix of characters that could be best archetypes to describe character traits in the modern society. Of particular interest is the character Hector, the eldest prince of Troy and heir of the throne who also happens to be the army leader of the Trojans. His character traits would best suit the situation in this essay that purports to compare and contrast his character traits against those of one of the contemporary leaders, William Jefferson (Bill) Clinton - the 42nd President of the United States who served between 1993 and 2001. As a dedicated politician for a better part of his life and eventually rising to the top political position in a multi-racial democracy, Clinton was obviously in the limelight and subject to scrutiny concerning character. Similarly, Hector emerges as one of the main characters in the mythology Iliad and holds a very critical position in the society in the story, prompting analysis of his character too. This essay will delve into showing that Hector and Clinton are two personalities and key figures in two different societies and time frames which share a lot regarding character traits while showing only a few differences.
Hector and Clinton are both inspirational leaders who had very powerful influences on their respective subjects. At the time Hector was to lead the Trojans against Achaeans, he almost got a significant setback when an eagle, Zeus, appeared with a bloody snake which was a sign of bad omen (Homer, Fagles & Knox, 1998). This is where the leader's inspiration was required - the need to re-energize a people was much needed for Hector to successfully overcome his fears and those of his soldiers. So, he decided to give a speech in which he made very important remarks that not only inspired his army to go into war amidst this early warning but also showed his disregard of superstitions: "Fight for your country - that is the best, the only omen!"(Homer, Fagles, & Knox, 1998:6.281). Eventually, they went to war in love for their country Troy. This is the same kind of inspiration that Clinton stirred in his subjects at the time he was active in politics. Clinton is one guy who never feels comfortable with existing standards and generic way of doing things. He has often being criticized for his attempts to bend the rules to his will as we will see later in this essay. But it is through such leaders as Hector and Clinton that people are inspired to move out of their comfort zones and see things differently, be inspired to make things happen and leave a mark in the society (topsynergy.com, 2003). Both Hector and Clinton inspired their subjects to do things that would otherwise be left undone for fear of the unknown.
Delegate your assignment to our experts and they will do the rest.
Apart from their inspirational leadership, both Hector and Clinton also appeared as brave leaders who did not let moments take them off their vision. At the time of going to war against Achaeans, Hector's wife Andromache was worried that her husband might not make it out of the war and so decided to do what she could to persuade him not to go into war (Wallace, 2003). Hector approached this trying moment with such incredible bravery and nobility that he eventually managed to get over the circumstance by telling his wife about the inescapable fate of all men; brave and coward alike. He supposed that this is what will make his family accept whatever might happen to him, and also good for him to make him face this reality. Similarly, when Clinton was just at the peak of his preparation for his re-election, a sex scandal almost brought him to his knees (topsynergy, 2003). It was a moment that called for his bravery as a leader to reassure his followers that this was just a trial on his steadfast commitment to serving them and so should sway neither them nor him to abandon their tools.
However much these characters showed similar traits in the way they handle their issues, they also depict notable differences especially concerning their emotional responses. Hector is one character who, while he bravely sojourned his down moments, he lived in them in totality and felt the deep emotions associated them. This is reflected in his many speeches to his soldiers as well as to his wife and family. Actually, it was this living the emotions that made him connect better with his subjects and family. He talks to his wife about fate with such deep expression emotions associated with Death and the content of his speech tells it all (Wallace, 2003). The same level of emotional expression also appears in his speech to the soldiers. This is what Clinton lacked at least for the time he was in the limelight. He had trouble dealing with emotions, with reality and so ignored or discounted them and this would lead to interpretation insensitiveness and sometimes an uncaring character (topsynergy.com, 2003). Probably this was the result of his lack of receptivity - of listening to what others are saying and internalizing them instead of remaining incessant on following only his course. He was so much concerned about making things happen, his way, which he failed to leave some of the most critical moments as Hector did.
References
Homer, ., Fagles, R., & Knox, B. (1998). The Iliad. Penguin Books.
Top Synergy. (2003). Bill Clinton characteristics. Famous-relationships.topsynergy.com. Retrieved 9 October 2016, from http://famous-relationships.topsynergy.com/Bill_Clinton/Characteristics.asp
Wallace, D. (Sept 17, 2003). The Iliad Characters: Hector. LitCharts. LitCharts LLC. Retrieved Oct 9 2016 from http://www.litcharts.com/lit/the-iliad/characters
