Course: Date: Essay on comparison between Troy myth and motion picture Troy is a 2004 epic film that was written by David Benioff and directed by Wolfgang Petersen. The film is co-produced in Mexico, Malta and the United Kingdom. Troy is an adaptation of Homer’s great epic and shows the manner in which Troy was assaulted by united Greek forces. The film also chronicles the fate of the men involved in this assault. It is important to note that both the film and the myth have almost similar plots, such as the conflict between Achilles and Agamemnon and siege of Troy by the Greeks. However, there are some differences between the myth and the film. This essay will discuss the main differences in the execution of the plot and character portrayal between the myth and the motion picture. The first difference is that the myth begins in the ninth year of the ten year siege of Troy by the Greeks. On the other hand, the movie highlights how Helen is being taken away from Troy by Paris. This is a process that angers Menelaus. The Greeks sail through the Aegean Sea in ships in order to avenge against the Priam’s Kingdom and are assisted by Achilles. This is an event that leads to fighting which results in bloodshed. The myth ends in Hector’s funeral and this forms another major difference with the movie. …show more content…
The god in the myth is a real god and it is through his characterization that the Greeks learn about war. The Greeks believe that just like the biblical God, the god in the myth is able to influence and shake human life. On the other hand, there is no direct evidence of presence of gods in the movie. As has been mentioned, the gods played a role in making the ten year war making the myth be a battle of wills. On the other hand, the Troy adaptation of the myth does not provide for this consistence thereby lacking some form of credibility in its
In the Iliad is a very interesting epic with features two main central characters that are similar in some ways but totally different in other ways. In this epic you will be introduced to Hector and Achilles. Two men from each side in the great Trojan-Greek war. They were both heroes to their people despite their clearly different contrast in their personalities. In this paper I will highlight the life of both of these two leaders of the Greek and Trojans in this epic the Iliad. Also a little will be shed of how Homer portrays the characters deeper then an average thought. I will attempt to show the complexity of his thought process in forming the climax of these two characters coming to battle.
In Homer’s epic, the Iliad, the legendary, has no two characters that are so similar yet so different as Greek warrior, Achilles, and the Prince of Troy, Hector. Achilles is the strongest fighter in the Greek side, and Hector is the strongest Trojan. They are both put into the mold of a hero that their respective societies have put them into; however; it is evident that they are both extremely complex characters with different roles within their society and with their families, and with the gods.
The gods were more involved in the Iliad than in the movie Troy. In the Iliad they manipulated people’s emotions, the weather, the outcomes of battle; they would disguise themselves to trick the characters into the move they wanted them to make, physically trip them up to give the opponent a better standing. In the movie the gods had no visible role they were more of a believe system and a thought process. The characters believed that there were signs from the gods letting them know how to proceed. An example of this is when determining wither to go into battles after a farmer saw a sparrow with a snake
The true history of Troy has been shrouded in mystery and has, to a certain extent, been lost. In the middle of the 18th century, the site of Ilios was the most sought after archaeological mystery. In the years between Achilles and Hector and modern time, the location of Troy had been lost. Only echoes of the ancient city remained in texts found elsewhere in the Anatolian peninsula and mainland Greece, and even though Homer’s epic poems ignited the passion to find Troy, they did little to reveal the exact location of his famous city. The one who found Troy would once and for all answer the Homeric Question: were the Iliad and Odyssey based on historical fact?
One significant difference between the Iliad and Troy is the timespan. The Iliad is not a story of a Trojan war, but a story of a hero’s wrath. The time span it covers is only a few weeks in the tenth year of the siege of Troy. Homer chooses to focus on events that occurred during a quarrel of King Agamemnon, king of Mycenae and brother of Menelaus, and Achilles, the most powerful warrior of the Achaean army. Homer doesn’t go into detail about other events and battles, as the story of the Trojan War was well-known to the Greek society because it has been told and retold by bards for numerous times and the general plot was still fresh in the minds of the Greeks. For his poem to stand out, Homer had to be original, so he didn't tell his audience about the war as a whole, but rather spotlighted the wrath of an individual hero, Achilles. Troy,
Another difference is that Perseus had a sibling in the movie version and no siblings in the Greek story. Also, in the movie version, his family was killed but in the Greek tale, his family plays a big part in the whole thing being that they are the reason that he went to cut off Medusa’s head and they eventually become king and queen. In the Greek tale, Perseus meets a princess named Andromeda and they get married, but in the movie version Andromeda is not a love interest of Perseus’. As well as in the movie version the prophecy that Perseus is a part of is killing the Kraken, and in the Greek story, he is part of the prophecy stating that he will overthrow and kill his grandfather, King Acreseous. Perseus becomes king of Argos in the story version but in the movie he turns down becoming the king, and that is another difference. Even though the movie and the story are based on the same character, the two are fairly different from one
Over the thousands of years that the epic story the Iliad has survived, there has no doubt been some form of alteration to Homer’s original. Last May, Wolfgang Petersen directed a movie based on the Iliad. This movie, Troy, has proven to be a very loose adaptation of Homer’s original, as are almost all stories that are made into movies, unfortunately. With its timeless storyline, amazing scenery, gorgeous actors/actresses and most of all, its reported two hundred million dollar budget, it is easy to see why Troy was hyped up to be a box office hit. However, the film critics were harsh on this movie, as they had every right to be, and it ended up being a total flop. Compared to Homer’s Iliad, Troy is rather
Wolfgang Peterson tackles the job of bringing the epic of Homer's The Iliad to the big screen in his film Troy. Iliad being a lengthy text, it is impossible to include every detail in a movie. Therefore, there are obvious deviations from the book such as the length of the Trojan War, and the absence of celestial participation in the war. There is also an absence of mortal female characters such as Chryseis, Hecuba, and Cassandra in the movie. In contrast, though, the female characters who are included in the film are developed more elaborately than they are in the book.
The way ancient culture can impact our ideals is demonstrated by various contemporary adaptations of Greek mythology. For instance, in 1997, Walt Disney produced the animated movie Hercules, based on stories about the legendary Greek hero who persevered through numerous labors and challenges and eventually gained a place in Mount Olympus, the home of the gods. Hercules was a major box-office hit among children and had left a deep impression on how they perceive the qualities of a hero. Similarly, the 2004 film Troy, based loosely on Homer’s the Iliad, tells the story of the hero Achilles and the Trojan War. Troy was a critical success, grossing nearly 500 million dollars worldwide. But the movie did not exhibit merely entertainment values: studies found Troy also established on the male
Over the thousands of years that the epic story the Iliad has survived, there has no doubt been some form of alteration to Homer's original. Last May, Wolfgang Petersen directed a movie based on the Iliad. This movie, Troy, has proven to be a very loose adaptation of Homer's original, as are almost all stories that are made into movies, unfortunately. With its timeless storyline, amazing scenery, gorgeous actors/actresses and most of all, its reported two hundred million dollar budget, it is easy to see why Troy was hyped up to be a box office hit. However, the film critics were harsh on this movie, as they had every right to be, and it ended up being a total flop. Compared to Homer's Iliad, Troy is rather disappointing. But, to be
The Trojan War was more than a series of battles between opposing forces, it was the climax of an age of heroes. The retrieval of Helen brought together many of the mythological characters of that time onto a single stage. Of the thousands of brave men who fought at Ilion, two men stood above the masses, sharing the title of hero. They were born in the line of those on Mt. Olympus, favored by the gods. Excelling in courage and skill, adored by those who followed them into battle, the actions of Achilles and Odysseus achieved a high place in Greek mythology. Through analysis we see that Odysseus and Achilles were close variations upon the same theme.
Homer’s Iliad does not fail to portray the role of the gods in the Trojan war and it also includes several magical elements within the poem. However, in the 2004 movie Troy, these significant elements are rather neglected. In addition, some of the history of the characters are changed in the film, resulting in a change of plot. Nevertheless, the portrayal of the characters, gods and magical elements in the epic and the film differentiate from each other in a multitude of ways. The differences between the two are definitely worth pointing out and discussing.
housands of years that the epic story the Iliad has survived, which is credited to the famous Greek poet, Homer. In the 2004 film Troy, directed by Wolfgang Peterson, the plot resembles and is based from the epic poem, the Iliad. When the movie Troy was released, there was criticism on how even though the movie was based off of the Iliad, there were numerous differences from the Iliad itself. Even with its differences, the movie, Troy, does have many similarities to the Iliad. Even though there are numerous similarities and differences between the epic poem and the movie, this essay will focus on the major differences and similarities to compare the two.
While the film and poem have the same overall plots, revolving around the takeover of Troy by the Greeks, the feud between Achilles and king Agamemnon, and such events that ultimately triggered the actions of the Trojan prince Paris stealing Helen of Sparta. While at the same time, revolving around the same general plotline, in that of Homer’s Iliad, many significant differences separate these two works of art from one another. This indifferent between several key aspects is most noticeable in regards to the overall progression of years
Names and relationships can be a very powerful tool in any medium, they can represent values or teach us priceless lessons. But the names and moreover relationship that I will be focusing on today are that of Achilles of Greece and King Priam of Troy, and their relationship through a film medium, in the adaptation of Troy directed by Wolfgang Petersen.