which is mythology, reference to folk lore, epic hero and in medias res

Question

Beloved of Jove, Achilles! would'st thou know

Why angry Phoebusbends his fatal bow?

First give thy faith, and plight a prince's word

Of sure protection, by thy power and sword:

(excerpt from the Iliad by Homer)

Achilles' wrath, to Greece the direful spring

Of woes unnumber'd, heavenly goddess, sing!

That wrath which hurl'd to Pluto's gloomy reign

The souls of mighty chiefs untimely slain;

Whose limbs unburied on the naked shore,

Devouring dogs and hungry vultures tore.

Since great Achilles and Atrides strove,

Such was the sovereign doom, and such the will of Jove

(excerpt from the Iliad by Homer)

How Agamemnon touch'd his Argive coast,

And how his life by fraud and force he lost,

And how the murderer, paid his forfeit breath;

What lands so distant from that scene of death

But trembling heard the fame? and heard, admire.

How well the son appeased his slaughter'd sire!

(excerpt from the Odyssey by Homer

Ye kings and warriors! may your vows be crown'd, 

And Troy's proud walls lie level with the ground. 

May Jove restore you when your toils are o'er 

Safe to the pleasures of your native shore. 

But, oh! relieve a wretched parent's pain, 

And give Chryseis to these arms again; 

If mercy fail, yet let my presents move, 

And dread avenging Phoebus, son of Jove.

(excerpt from the Iliad by Homer)

Answer 1

1. Mythology:

• Mentions of Phoebus (Apollo) and Jove (Zeus) show Greek gods influencing mortal events, key in Greek myths.

2. Folklore:

• References to souls of chiefs and devouring dogs tie to Greek beliefs about dishonored deaths and burial traditions.

3. Epic Hero:

• Achilles: A heroic figure with divine lineage and great strength, whose wrath drives the Iliad.

• Odysseus: A clever, brave hero of the Odyssey, known for his long journey home.

4. In Medias Res:

• The Iliad and Odyssey start in the middle of the action, not at the beginning