Morphology of a Folktale and the Battle of Two Heroes

Myths are often times very complex and difficult to understand, so in order to attain a better understanding of a myth we apply certain strategies and techniques, such as Vladimir Propp’s Morphology of the Folktale, to ensure a more effective or deeper understanding of a myth. Propp’s structuralist approach, when used to analyze the Iliad, creates a very streamlined outline of what should occur throughout the story; however, as Professor Jamison has made very clear during lecture, the things that stand out are what one is supposed to look into. The structured outline makes it much more feasible to pin point the instances that stand out, and because of that one is able to further analyze that specific instance and find its significance in the myth. In the book twenty-two of the Iliad, the two great warriors Achilleus and Hektor clash and Achilleus is triumphant. Thereafter, the question arises of whether or not good triumphed over evil, and my simple answer is no, neither good nor evil triumphed. I say that because it is difficult for one to recognize the fact that neither warrior is explicitly more â€Å"evil† than the other due to the fact that â€Å"even worst enemies are deeply, fundamentally the same—desirous of glory and immortality;† however, as Saul Levin states, â€Å"the Greeks†¦ reinterpreted the Iliad so as to idealize Achilles and ignore Hector,† so it is only natural for one to see Achilleus as the good warrior. In light of that, Hector actually â€Å"moves most modern readersShow MoreRelatedMetz Film Language a Semiotics of the Cinema PDF100902 Words   |  316 Pagesmaking them more easily available, originated with Mikel Dufrenne, Professor at the University of Paris-Nanterre and editor of the series in which this work was published in French. He has my very warm gratitude. C . M. Cannes August 1967 here. On two or three definite and important points, this text no longer corresponds to the present state of the problems it confronts. I have taken this opportunity to clarify it and place it in perspective by means of footnotes, for the method and the structure