Books 22-24 belong to three characters: Hector (whose death dominates Book 22), Priam (whose supplication drives Book 24), and Achilles (whose transformation across all three books completes his character arc). Understanding how Homer presents each character is essential for A-Level essays.
Why These Three Matter
Hector: Represents tragic heroism—doing your duty despite knowing you'll fail and die. Priam: Represents parental love transcending pride, fear, and hatred. Achilles: Represents transformation from rage and desecration to compassion and mercy.
These aren't simple "good" or "bad" characters. Homer presents them with psychological depth, showing their fears, motivations, weaknesses, and moments of greatness. The complexity is what makes them memorable and what gives you rich material for character analysis essays.
Book 22 is Hector's book. We watch him wait outside Troy's walls for Achilles, ignore his parents' desperate pleas to come inside, run in terror three times around the city, then finally stand and fight. His death is the emotional climax of the Iliad.
'But I am ashamed before the Trojan men and the Trojan women with trailing robes, that someone more cowardly than I will say: "Hector trusted his own strength and destroyed his people." They will say that. And for me it would be far better to face Achilles and either kill him and return home, or myself die gloriously in front of the city.'
— Hector's soliloquy, Book 22
Hector's Motivation
Hector fights not because he wants to, but because SHAME won't let him retreat. "I am ashamed before the Trojan men and women"—he's trapped by social expectations and his own sense of honour. Notice he doesn't say "I'm brave" or "I want to fight". He says staying outside is "far better" than facing the shame of retreat. This is courage born from social pressure, not natural fearlessness.
The Flight: Hector's Terror
Before standing to fight, Hector RUNS. Three times around Troy, with Achilles chasing him. This isn't noble heroism—it's genuine terror. Homer doesn't hide this or make excuses. He shows Hector's fear honestly.
As Hector saw him, trembling seized him and he could no longer bring himself to stay there. He left the gates behind and fled in terror.
— Hector's flight, Book 22
Why the Flight Matters
Makes Hector HUMAN—heroes feel fear, they're not immune to terror
Shows what courage actually is—not absence of fear, but acting despite it
Creates sympathy—we understand why he's terrified (Achilles is unstoppable)
Makes his final stand more powerful—he stops running and faces death consciously
Hector only stops running because Athene tricks him, disguising herself as his brother Deiphobus and promising to help. When Hector turns to fight, he thinks he has backup. But Deiphobus vanishes—it was Athene all along. Hector faces Achilles alone, realising he's been deceived and will die.
Hector's Death and Its Aftermath
Hector's death scene is brutal. Achilles stabs him in the throat, taunts him as he dies, drags his body behind his chariot, and refuses burial. This isn't a "heroic death"—it's murder followed by desecration.
'Dogs and birds will eat you raw. But the Greeks will give Patroclus his funeral.'
— Achilles to dying Hector, Book 22
✨ Hector's Prophecy
With his dying breath, Hector prophesies Achilles' own death: Paris and Apollo will kill him at the Scaean gate. This links Hector's death to Achilles' future—both heroes die young at Troy. The difference is Hector dies defending his city and family; Achilles dies seeking glory. Homer invites us to consider which death is more meaningful.
Hector in Book 24: Honoured in Death
Book 24 gives Hector what Book 22 denied: proper burial with full honours. Three women lament him, showing different aspects of his character. The Iliad ends with his funeral, not with Greek victory.
Andromache's Lament
Hector as husband and father
Focus on practical consequences—widow, orphan
Future suffering of their son
Hecuba's Lament
Hector as beloved son
Favoured by gods even in death
Mother's grief for lost child
Helen's Lament
Hector as kind friend
Only person in Troy who showed her compassion
Isolated by his death
Combined Picture
Husband, son, friend—complete person
Private roles, not just warrior
Loved by many for different reasons
💡 Why End With Hector's Funeral?
Homer deliberately ends the Iliad with a TROJAN hero's funeral, not Greek victory. This choice honours Hector and acknowledges that the "enemy" deserves respect and proper mourning. It's a statement about shared humanity transcending sides in a conflict. Hector's tragedy—dying young, defending his doomed city, leaving widow and orphan—is presented as worth commemorating.
Priam in Book 24: The Grieving Father
Priam is elderly, king of Troy, father of fifty sons (most now dead). Book 24 shows him in extremis: lying in dung in his palace courtyard, consumed by grief for Hector. Then Zeus commands him to go alone to the Greek camp to ransom Hector's body. This requires extraordinary courage.
'If it is my fate to die by the ships of the bronze-clad Greeks, so be it. Let Achilles kill me at once, when I have taken my son in my arms and satisfied my desire for mourning.'
— Priam to Hecuba, Book 24
Priam's Motivation
Priam is willing to DIE if it means holding Hector one last time. "Let Achilles kill me at once" shows he's accepted death as a possibility—even a likelihood. But getting his son back for proper burial matters more than his own survival. This is pure parental love transcending self-preservation.
The Journey: Impossible Courage
Priam travels at night through enemy territory, guided by Hermes in disguise. He enters Achilles' tent alone—the man who killed his son, who's been desecrating Hector's body for eleven days, who threatened to eat him raw. This is arguably the bravest act in the entire Iliad.
What Makes This Courageous?
Physical danger: Elderly man entering enemy camp alone at night—could easily be killed
Emotional vulnerability: Must beg his son's killer for mercy—ultimate humiliation
Against all advice: Hecuba begs him not to go—he goes anyway
No guarantee: Achilles might refuse, might kill him, might take ransom and keep body
Kisses killer's hands: Physical contact with man who murdered his children
What's remarkable is Priam's DIPLOMACY even in this desperate situation. He doesn't just burst in weeping. He appeals strategically to Achilles' love for his own father Peleus, creates emotional connection through shared experience of loss, and maintains dignity despite his abject position.
The Supplication: Ultimate Vulnerability
'I have borne what no other mortal on earth has borne—I have raised to my lips the hand of the man who killed my son.'
— Priam to Achilles, Book 24
This line captures the horror and courage of what Priam is doing. He ACKNOWLEDGES it—"no other mortal has borne" this degradation. He's kissing the hands that killed multiple sons. He's not pretending this is easy or noble. He's admitting it's the hardest thing imaginable. That honesty is part of what makes the supplication work.
✨ Why Priam Succeeds Where Others Failed
Book 1's Chryses failed (Agamemnon refused brutally). Book 9's embassy failed (Achilles wouldn't accept compensation). Priam succeeds because he shows EXTREME vulnerability, appeals to shared humanity ("think of your own father"), and is emotionally honest. He doesn't hide behind dignity or make demands. He simply asks, as one suffering human to another, for mercy. That vulnerability is what breaks through Achilles' rage.
Harsh to surviving sons: Wishes they'd died instead of Hector
Dependent on gods: Needs divine intervention to act
Elderly and weak: Physically vulnerable
Doomed: Will see Troy fall and be murdered
⚠️ Priam's Tragedy
Priam's successful supplication is bittersweet. He gets Hector back for proper burial, but Troy is still doomed. The audience knows (even if Priam doesn't fully accept it) that he'll see his city sacked and be murdered at an altar. His courage in Book 24 doesn't save him or Troy—it just allows proper mourning for one son. That limited victory is all that's possible.
Achilles Across Books 22-24: Complete Transformation
Books 22-24 complete Achilles' character arc. Book 22 shows him at his most inhuman—brutal killer, refusing burial, threatening cannibalism. Books 23-24 show gradual transformation back to humanity, culminating in weeping with Priam and showing mercy. This is character development on an epic scale.
Book 22: Inhuman
Book 24: Human Again
Threatens to eat Hector raw
Gently washes and anoints Hector's body
Drags corpse behind chariot
Personally lifts body onto wagon
Refuses all pleas for burial
Grants ransom and twelve-day truce
Taunts dying Hector
Speaks philosophy with Priam
Sees Hector as object/trophy
Recognises Priam's nobility and grief
Consumed by rage, unable to rest
Weeps, eats, sleeps—functions restored
Book 22: Achilles the Monster
In Book 22, Achilles is terrifying. He's not just killing Hector—he's ENJOYING the cruelty. Homer doesn't soften this or make excuses. We see Achilles at his absolute worst.
'I wish that rage and anger would drive me to cut off your flesh and eat it raw, for what you have done to me.'
— Achilles to dying Hector, Book 22
Achilles' Inhumanity in Book 22
Threatens cannibalism—becoming beast, not human
Refuses Hector's plea for proper burial—violating sacred customs
Taunts as Hector dies—no mercy or respect
Drags body—treating corpse as object, not person
Lets body be trampled by horses and wheels
Displays corpse to Greeks—celebrating desecration
This is what unchecked rage does—it destroys humanity. Apollo's later condemnation in Book 24 ("Achilles has destroyed pity... like a lion") confirms what we see: Achilles has lost the essential quality that makes us human. His grief for Patroclus has turned him into something monstrous.
Book 23: Beginning of Transformation
Book 23's funeral games for Patroclus show Achilles starting to return to civilised behaviour. He organises elaborate contests, mediates disputes fairly, shows generosity with prizes. But he's still dragging Hector's corpse daily—humanity returning slowly, incompletely.
What Book 23 Shows
Structure and ritual: Achilles creating order through funeral games—civilised behaviour
Community focus: Bringing Greeks together through competition and shared mourning
But still obsessed: Continues daily desecration of Hector—can't let go yet
Book 23 is TRANSITION. Achilles is functioning again (organising, leading, interacting normally), but the grief and rage haven't fully released him. He needs divine intervention and Priam's supplication to complete his return to humanity.
Book 24: Achilles Restored
Book 24 completes Achilles' transformation. When Priam enters his tent and appeals to his humanity, something breaks in Achilles. He weeps—not just for Patroclus, but for his father, for Priam, for the human condition. His rage ends, replaced by compassion.
He spoke, and stirred in Achilles a desire to weep for his own father. He took Priam by the hand and gently pushed the old man away. The two of them remembered. Priam wept for Hector, and Achilles wept for his own father, and then again for Patroclus. The sound of their lamentation filled the house.
— Shared grief, Book 24
✨ The Return of Humanity
"Gently pushed the old man away"—that word GENTLY is crucial. Achilles doesn't let Priam remain abject at his feet. He restores Priam's dignity. This physical gentleness, after eleven days of violent desecration, shows Achilles has regained his humanity. He can see Priam not as enemy but as fellow human—old man, grieving father, someone worthy of respect despite being Trojan.
Achilles' Philosophy of Suffering
After they weep together, Achilles speaks his philosophy of human suffering—the two jars of Zeus. This speech shows Achilles has moved beyond personal rage to understanding UNIVERSAL human experience. He's not just grieving Patroclus anymore; he's contemplating mortality itself.
'This is the way the gods have spun the thread for miserable mortals, that they should live in pain; yet the gods themselves are sorrowless.'
— Achilles to Priam, Book 24
What This Philosophy Shows About Achilles
Maturity: Moved from personal rage to universal understanding
Honesty: No false comfort—suffering is inevitable, gods don't care
Compassion: "We all suffer" creates solidarity with Priam
Acceptance: "Bear up"—you can't change fate, only endure it
Wisdom: Understanding that vengeance didn't heal his grief
This is a profoundly changed Achilles from Book 1 (who withdrew in rage over honour) or Book 22 (who threatened cannibalism). He's learned that rage doesn't heal grief, that desecration doesn't bring back the dead, that all mortals share vulnerability to suffering and death. This wisdom enables his mercy to Priam.
Achilles' Character Development Complete
By the end of Book 24, Achilles has completed an extraordinary arc: from proud warrior (Book 1) to absent sulker (Books 2-16) to grief-mad avenger (Books 18-22) to compassionate human (Book 24). The transformation isn't simple or linear, but it's COMPLETE.
Book 1 Achilles
Obsessed with personal honour
Withdraws when dishonoured
Prays for Greek deaths
Refuses all reconciliation
Book 24 Achilles
Understands honour is hollow without compassion
Accepts ransom, shows mercy
Weeps with enemy, recognises shared humanity
Achieves reconciliation through vulnerability
💡 What Has Achilles Learned?
Through Patroclus' death, his own grief and rage, and finally Priam's supplication, Achilles learns that: (1) vengeance doesn't heal grief, (2) desecration dishonours the desecrator not the victim, (3) all mortals share vulnerability to death and loss, (4) compassion matters more than glory, (5) enemies are still human beings deserving dignity. These aren't lessons he could learn through victory or glory—only through suffering and choosing mercy.
Comparing the Three Characters
Understanding how Hector, Priam, and Achilles compare and contrast gives you powerful material for essays. They represent different types of heroism, different responses to mortality, different values.
Quality
Hector
Priam
Achilles
Primary Motivation
Duty to city and family
Love for son
Personal honour and glory (then grief)
Type of Courage
Despite fear (runs, then stands)
Despite vulnerability (old, alone)
Through rage (no fear, pure anger)
Relationship to Death
Knows he'll die, fights anyway
Willing to die to retrieve son
Chose early death for glory
Character Arc
Consistent—always dutiful defender
Transforms from paralysed grief to action
Complete transformation—rage to compassion
Divine Help
Gods against him (Athene tricks him)
Gods help him (Zeus, Hermes)
Divine mother (Thetis) but also limits
Tragic Element
Dies defending unjust war
Gets son back but city still doomed
Achieves glory but learns it's hollow
Hector vs Achilles: Perfect Opposites
Hector and Achilles are deliberately contrasted throughout the Iliad. Their confrontation in Book 22 is the clash of two completely different types of hero.
Hector
Fights for community (Troy, family)
Motivated by duty and shame
Feels fear, acts despite it
Purely mortal—no divine parent
Loses but dies honourably
Defended what was doomed
Achilles
Fights for personal glory (kleos)
Motivated by rage and vengeance
Fearless—terrifying to others
Semi-divine (Thetis his mother)
Wins but acts dishonourably (initially)
Achieved glory but found it empty
⚠️ Who's the "Better" Hero?
Homer doesn't tell us. Hector defends his city dutifully but the war is unjust (Paris caused it). Achilles achieves unmatched glory but loses his humanity temporarily. Both die young at Troy. Both leave grieving families. The Iliad presents heroism as COMPLEX and COSTLY, not simply glorious. Don't write essays claiming one is "better"—analyse how they represent different heroic values with different consequences.
Priam and Achilles: Enemies United by Grief
The relationship between Priam and Achilles in Book 24 is the Iliad's emotional climax. Two men who should hate each other find common ground through shared mortality and grief.
What Unites Them
Both love someone dead/dying: Priam lost Hector; Achilles lost Patroclus
Both think of absent fathers: Priam IS the father; Achilles thinks of Peleus growing old alone
Both face mortality: Priam is elderly, near death; Achilles will die young at Troy
Both understand suffering: Zeus' two jars—all mortals suffer, gods don't
Both capable of mercy: Priam forgives (kisses killer's hands); Achilles shows compassion (returns body)
The old man, godlike Priam, marvelled at Achilles, at his size and beauty. He was like the gods to look at. And Achilles marvelled at Priam, looking at his noble appearance and listening to his words. When they had taken their fill of gazing at one another...
— Mutual recognition, Book 24
"They had taken their fill of gazing at one another"—this mutual recognition is what makes Book 24 so powerful. They SEE each other not as Greek/Trojan, young/old, killer/victim's father, but as human beings worthy of respect. That recognition—that capacity to see the enemy's humanity—is what enables reconciliation.
Essay Ideas: Character Analysis
Sample Essay Questions
"How does Homer present Hector as a tragic figure in Book 22?"
"To what extent does Achilles change across Books 22-24?"
"What makes Priam's supplication successful in Book 24?"
"Compare how Homer presents courage in Hector and Priam."
Good Character Analysis Includes:
Specific evidence: Quote or reference specific actions, speeches, reactions
Motivation analysis: WHY do characters act this way? What drives them?
Development over time: How do they change? What causes the change?
Comparison: How do they contrast with other characters?
Complexity: Acknowledge strengths AND weaknesses—no one's perfect
Homer's techniques: How does Homer SHOW character (through action, speech, others' reactions)?
Final Thoughts: Why These Characters Matter
Hector, Priam, and Achilles aren't just characters in an ancient poem—they represent enduring questions about courage, grief, mortality, and what it means to be human. Hector shows us duty can be both noble and tragic. Priam shows us love can transcend pride and fear. Achilles shows us that even the greatest heroes must choose between rage and compassion.
✨ The Power of Character
What makes the Iliad timeless is that these characters feel REAL. Hector's fear, Priam's desperation, Achilles' transformation—these are psychologically honest portraits of human beings under extreme stress. Homer doesn't idealise or simplify. He shows us people making difficult choices, experiencing genuine emotions, and trying to maintain humanity despite war's dehumanising force. That's why we still read this poem 2,800 years later.