Trojan War

Selfish and greedy, as he puts his own wants and needs above his family and troops, always craving more 

Weak and ineffectual, as he often decides to avoid conflict and frequently changes his mind about important issues 

Wise and strong, as he is made the leader of the Greeks due to being superior in intelligence and fighting skills compared to all other Greeks 

Morally upright and unyielding, as he believes in helping his brother regain his wife and honor no matter how great the obstacles 

Thetis is not very influential or powerful, she serves as an archetype of feminine beauty 

Her son sees her as his best advisor and defender, thus he always carries out her commands and is determined to show her power by being victorious against Poseidon

Her relationship to Zeus enables her to manipulate events, usually to favor her son, and it is even her marriage that started the chain of events 

She is the most ancient and powerful of goddesses, thus she can tip the odds in the Greek's favor, as the lack divine allies 

It is man's willpower and determination that prevails rather than divinity, as the Greeks are able to overcome the Trojans and their gods with few allies on Olympus. 

A person's destiny comes to pass whether they embrace it or not, as no one can hide from their true nature. This is shown by Achilles's death and Odyseus's cursed journey. 

It provides a positive depiction of war and all that can be gained when one devotes oneself entirely to one's country  

It shows the overwhelming power of love, as love of their families and each other keeps the men motivated to fight and drives them to great sacrfice. 

They are largely absent from the text and appear to have no affect on the plot 

They are viewed as property to be won, traded, or discarded, as seen in the death of Agamemnon's daughter and the conflict over the priest's daughter

They are seen as valuable and in need of protection, as shown by the determination to recover Helen

They are viewed as sensitive, caring, and nurturing, as seen by the amount of mother-figures in the text 

Odysseus gave Paris instructions on how to use enchantments and wit to seduce Helen, all because of a bet that he had made over whether Helen would remain with her husband 

Odysseus accidentally gave Helen and Paris safe passage from his Greek island home to Troy due to him not recognizing them in their disguises 

Odysseus created a plan that all the kings' of Greece must pledge to respect and defend Helen's marriage to Menelaus, while meant to avoid warring between Greek kings over Helen, it left them on the hook when Trojans took her 

Odysseus bears no responsibility , as his kingdom was remote and he sought to avoid war at all costs, even feigning madness 

He sees the kidnapping of Helen as an insult to all of Greece 

Achilles is paid to fight by the Greeks, who have more wealth than the Trojans, and all Achilles cares about is money 

Hector kills Patroclus, Achilles's friend, thus finally turning Achilles's animosity away from Agamemnon 

Odysseus tricks him by putting Agamemnon's armor on Hector, so Achilles really thought he was killing Agamemnon 

Helen

Briseis 

Penelope

Cassandra 

Athena 

Zeus

Poseidon

Apollo