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submit a term paper on Messages in Iliad

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submit a term paper on Messages in Iliad. Your paper should be a minimum of 1000 words in length. This paper will show the instances where messengers have been used and their impact towards the reaction to the given message. It will show that where else messengers were expected to be impartial as to the message, sometimes they intervened to ease the impact of the message and favor the outcomes. Three sets of communications are evident in the poem, messages from a god to another god, messages from the gods to the mortals, humans, and from humans to humans. Communication from a god to another god via messenger has been revealed in several instances in the poem. In book eight of the poem, Zeus sends Iris to tell two other gods, Hera and Athena to turn back and not intervene to help the Greeks in war (Homere, 65). This is after the gods had met at the mount Olympus and Zeus had specifically warned them against intervening in the war between the mortals. He promised to punish the god who would contravene that directive. Hera and Athena. however, decide to help the Greeks, and Zeus sends Iris to turn them back. On receiving the message, Hera heeds to his father’s command and turns back citing that it was not worth for the immortals to fight over mortals. The importance of the messenger here is to prevent a possible war between the gods and the messenger succeeds in averting it by delivering the message precisely and in time. Another instance in the poem where gods communicate with other gods through a messenger is when in book 15. Zeus sends Iris to warn Poseidon that he must quit the battle field and return to the sea or face Zeus’ wrath. Iris delivers the message to Poseidon who angrily retorts that he is not afraid of Zeus, who is also his brother and the god of the sky and lightening. Poseidon tells Iris that he would not heed Zeus orders and Iris talks him down to accept the order and leave the battle field. Iris then goes back to Zeus and is full of praise for him for maintaining peace with his brother. In this instance, the messenger not only delivers a message but also acts as a mediator between the sender and the receiver of the message. Iris suits Poseidon to take back his angry words which the messenger does not repeat to the sender. This is necessary as Iris did not serve to fuel the feud between the two parties by repeating the details on reception of the message. What is essential is that the message is adhered to accordingly. The second mode of communication depicted in the play is when gods communicate to humans through a messenger. One instance when a god communicates to a human through a messenger is in book eleven. As the battle ranges in the battlefield, Zeus has evil intent over the Greeks as Zeus wants Agamemnon killed. However, because Zeus is exceptionally strong he sends a messenger to Hector with a winning strategy. Zeus is urging Hector to hold back fighting until Agamemnon is wounded and ready to retire to his chariot. He then should carry on with the battle to the beached ships and attack Agamemnon’s chariot so as to kill him. Iris recites the message to Hector who obeys. Iris serves as an intermediary between god and humans and as a messenger he delivers the message as it was given to him. He mainly delivers it as it was and in so doing helps maintain a healthy rapport between the Greeks and the gods. The messenger by obeying to deliver the message, and so in a timely manner helps hector win the war.