Book 22

Abstract

Abstract Book 22 recounts the death of Hector at the hands of Achilles. This is the last death in battle we see in the poem and the culmination of the Iliad’s revenge plot. Achilles chases the Hector three times around the walls of Troy, kills him with the aid of Athena, and then shows no mercy to his corpse, which he drags behind his chariot in front of his parents and wife as they watch from the walls. The book is also notable for its closing scene, which depicts Andromache learning of his death from the city walls. This chapter addresses the themes of the characterization of Hector and Achilles; heroism, shame, and pity; the Homeric body in death; lament and the female perspective on war. It explores the poetics of timing, plot, and narrative.