Desire in the Iliad: The Force That Moves the Epic and Its Audience

This is the first study to examine desire in the Iliad in a comprehensive way, and to explain its relationship to the epic's narrative structure and audience reception. Rachel H. Lesser offers a new reading of the poem that shows how the characters' desires, especially those of the mortal hero Achilleus and the divine king Zeus, motivate plot and keep the audience engaged with the epic until and even beyond its end. The author argues that the characters' desires are primarily organized in narrative triangles that feature two parties in conflict over a third. These desires include sexual passion, longing for a lost loved one, yearning for lamentation, and aggressive desires for vengeance and status. The author also argues that these plots and their motivating desires arouse the listener's or reader's own corresponding desires: narrative desire to know and understand the Iliad's full story, sympathetic desire for characters' welfare, and empathetic passions, longings, and wishes.

Format: Hardback
Length: 288 pages
Publication date: 06 October 2022
Publisher: Oxford University Press

This groundbreaking study is the first to comprehensively examine desire within the Iliad, exploring its intricate relationship with the epic's narrative structure and audience reception. Rachel H. Lesser presents a fresh interpretation of the poem, unveiling how the characters' desires, particularly those of the mortal hero Achilleus and the divine king Zeus, drive the plot and captivate the audience throughout the epic, even after its conclusion. The author argues that the characters' desires are primarily organized into narrative triangles, where two parties engage in conflict over a third element. These triangles are filled with a diverse range of desires, encompassing sexual passion, longing for a lost loved one, yearning for lamentation, and aggressive desires for vengeance and status. These desires are expressed through various terms such as eros, himeros, pothe, menos, thumos, boule, and eeldor, as well as through the epic's thematic emotions of grief and anger.

Through the examination of desire in the Iliad, the author demonstrates how the triangular desires of mortals and gods intertwine to shape two pivotal plots within the epic. The main plot revolves around Achilleus' withdrawal from the fighting and his eventual return to battle. At the same time, the superplot of the larger Trojan War story unfolds. The author further argues that these plots and their motivating desires arouse the listener's or reader's own corresponding desires. These desires include a narrative desire to fully comprehend the Iliad's rich story, a sympathetic desire for the well-being of the characters, and empathetic passions, longings, and wishes.

By investing our desires in the epic narrative and witnessing their resolution, we experience a sense of satisfaction and fulfillment. The Iliad's exploration of desire offers a profound insight into the human condition, reminding us of the complexities and motivations that drive our actions and shape our world. This study is a valuable contribution to the field of classical studies and provides a fresh perspective on one of the most celebrated works of literature in history.

Weight: 562g
Dimension: 165 x 245 x 23 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780192866516