Learning Lessons from the Trojan War: Briseis and the Theme of Force
Publication Type |
Journal Article |
Year of Publication |
2007 |
Author |
|
Journal |
College Literature |
Volume |
34 |
Number |
2 |
Pages |
229-262 |
Language |
English |
Tertiary Author |
Anonymous, |
Publish Dates |
Spring |
Keywords |
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Annotation |
Dué compares Weil’s essay “The Iliad or the Poem of Force” to the “underlying assumptions” of the modern film Troy. He begins by looking at the view of war in the Iliad itself, paying particular attention to its representation of the victims of war. He briefly touches upon the ‘lesson of war’ for the early Greeks, and then moves on to briefly discuss World War One, the Vietnam War and the current war in Iraq. He then turns to Weil’s essay and her argument that the central theme of the Iliad is that of force. After a brief biographical introduction to Weil, he summarizes what he argues are Weil’s ‘principle arguments about force’ including the dehumanization of people in war and the subsequent loss of agency, the cyclical nature of force, and the ‘moments of grace’ that can arise in war (pp. 246-247). Dué then turns to consider the movie Troy, directed by Wolfgang Petersen arguing that many of Weil’s themes can be found within it, especially with their portrayal of the character of Briseis. The essay concludes with a brief reflection on the modern concern with the historicity of the Trojan War. |