Top 139 The Iliad Essay Topics: A Comprehensive List

If you are looking for good The Iliad essay topics, this comprehensive list of 100 simple, easy, and interesting topics will help you.

The Iliad of Homer is an epic novel about the Trojan War. So, the story goes, a battle among ancient Greek City-states took place in 1200 B.C. This ancient tale still impacts human nature today and in modern culture.

Do you need help coming up with essay topics for “The Iliad”? In this blog post, we will give you some of The Iliad Essay Topics and ideas to get you started!

Simple The Iliad Essay Topics

1. The Iliad as a Retelling of Classical Mythology
2. The Influence of the Theogony on the Iliad
3. Helen and the Role of Women in Ancient Greece in General and Homer’s Poems Specifically
4. Achilles’ Character Development Throughout the Storyline and It’s Meaning for Readers Today
5. How One Book Can Change Your Life: Why You Should Read Homer’s Epic Poem at Least Once During Your Lifetime
6. What is the purpose of the Iliad?
7. What are the main themes of The Iliad?
8. How did Homer use similes in The Iliad?
9. What does this epic poem tell us about Greek culture and society?
10. A great essay on glory and honor in the Iliad of Homer

Easy The Iliad Essay Topics

1. Discuss the story of Agamemnon and his daughter Iphigenia in Greek mythology
2. Analyze how Homer uses language, imagery, and structure to convey themes related to war and death in The Iliad.
3. What is the role of the gods in The Iliad?
4. How does Homer reveal his understanding of human nature?
5. How much did the Trojan War affect Greek society?
6. How did The Iliad influence later works, such as Macbeth and King Lear?
7. Explain why Helen is seen as a tragic figure in The Iliad.
8. The role of the gods in Homeric hero epic
9. How Homer’s Iliad differs from other classical epics
10. The structure of the Iliad as a work of literature
11. The influence of the Iliad on Western culture and society
12. The influence of Homer’s Iliad on later English writers, such as Milton, Wordsworth, and Shakespeare
13. Why Achilles is thought to be an archetype for all subsequent heroes in literature
14. Compare and contrast the gods in The Iliad.
15. Discuss how The Iliad is similar to and different from other works of literature.
16. Compare the heroines of The Iliad and describe what they have in common.

Interesting The Iliad Essay Topics

1. How did the gods influence the events in The Iliad?
2. Did Achilles love Patroclus, or were they just friends?
3. Did Agamemnon’s decision to sacrifice his daughter Iphigenia later affect his decisions in the epic?
4. How does Homer suggest that readers of this epic poem should view Helen?
5. What is the role of women in The Iliad?
6. How are women portrayed in The Iliad?
7. Are the female characters depicted positively?
8. Discuss the major female characters from The Iliad, including Helen, Andromache, and Hecuba (Hector’s wife).
9. How does Homer portray Helen as an object of beauty and desire to be won by Menelaus at all costs?

Controversial The Iliad Essay Topics

1. Are Achilles a hero or villain?
2. Was the Trojan War worth it?
3. Why do the gods interfere with human affairs? Do they have any power over humans?
4. Are women treated fairly throughout The Iliad, or are they always secondary characters and objects at best?
5. Is Paris’s choice to take Helen back justified by her beauty and passionate nature, or does he deserve scorn for leaving his family behind in Troy?
6. What is Agamemnon like as a leader?
7. Explain how the epic poem The Iliad is relevant to today’s society
8. Discuss how much influence Homer had on the Bible
9. Define what you think are the key themes in The Iliad
10. Write an essay on how Achilles should have used different strategies during the Trojan War
11. Explain if a person can be a hero without being brave.
12. Achilles and Patroclus were homosexual lovers.
13. The Iliad is a misogynistic poem that promotes violence against women
14. Homer was blind, which accounts for his use of simile and metaphor throughout the poem
15. The gods were not real—they were simply metaphors for natural phenomena like thunderstorms or earthquakes (or perhaps even the Greek pantheon)

The Iliad Essay Topics for Kids

1. “The Iliad” is a story about war, revenge, and friendship. What does the author say about it? Do you agree with him?
2. Why do you think so many people are interested in this epic poem?
3. Are Achilles a hero or just arrogant?
4. How the Trojan War started
5. A comparison between men and women in Homer’s time and today’s society
6. Why Achilles is considered to be the greatest of all Greek heroes, despite his flaws
7. What makes Helen an interesting character?
8. The relationship between Achilles and Patroclus in The Iliad
9. Why did Achilles want to avenge the death of Patroclus?
10. How do the gods influence the events in The Iliad?
11. Discuss the epic nature of Homer’s style in his works, specifically as it applies to The Iliad

The Iliad Essay Topics for middle school

1. How does the narrator describe Hector’s body?
2. The use of similes in the poem
3. How different characters feel about war
4. What happens to Patroclus when he dies
5. Why do you think Homer mentions horses so often?
6. Which character do you think is most important to the poem? Why?
7. What is your opinion on Achilles’ decision not to fight in Books 19 and 20?
8. Choose a single hero from Books 1-16 and write an essay that compares their relationship with another character
9. Compare and contrast the treatment of women in The Iliad to that of men.
10. Describe the role/purpose of Helen in The Iliad.
11. What are some ways that Achilles is like another character in the book, and how are they different?

The Iliad Essay Topics for high school

1. How do Homer’s The Iliad’s gods differ from other mythological gods?
2. What do the characters in The Iliad learn about themselves and others through their experiences in the war?
3. Was Achilles right to act as he did? If so, why, and if not, why not?
4. What are some examples of character development in The Iliad?
5. Why do you think that Achilles was so important to Homer’s story?
6. How do we know what happened at Troy if no cameras were filming these events like in today’s world (like in reality TV or sports)?
7. Homer’s portrayal of women in the epic poem “The Iliad.”
8. Achilles’ fatal flaw and its effect on the plot of The Iliad
9. How does Homer create a feeling of suspense and excitement in his work?

The Iliad Essay Topics for College

1. How much influence did the gods have on the events of The Iliad?
2. What is the significance of Achilles’ anger in The Iliad?
3. Is The Iliad a war story or a love story?
4. Are there any modern equivalents to the events of The Iliad?
5. The role of the gods in The Iliad.
6. Achilles is an epic hero, according to Aristotle’s criteria for determining a hero (or “person of excellence”).
7. Agamemnon’s decision to sacrifice his daughter Iphigenia to the gods affects the war’s outcome at Troy.
8. Helen’s marriage to Menelaus and her abduction by Paris
9. Achilles’ wrath
10. The nature of the relationship between the gods and humans
11. The role of fate in human life and the ways that it should be interpreted
12. Homer’s depiction of Achilles as a tragic hero, in light of his actions during this epic poem
13. The way Homer uses similes to describe various aspects of war, such as battles and weaponry

The Iliad Essay Questions

1. How does Achilles react to the death of Patroclus?
2. What characteristics of Greek society can be highlighted in Homer’s works?
3. Why does Helen return to Troy after Paris’ death?
4. What is the theme of The Iliad?
5. How does Homer convey his view of the gods in The Iliad?
6. Compare and contrast Helen’s attitude in Book 1 to her attitude in Book 3. Why does she change so much?
7. How do both sides treat prisoners during wartime?
8. How are women portrayed throughout The Iliad, and what role do they play in this epic poem?
9. What is the importance of shape in The Iliad?
10. How does Homer use simile and metaphor in The Iliad?
11. What are some similarities between the gods and humans in The Iliad? How do they differ?
12. Why is Achilles’ speech to Priam so important to the narrative of The Iliad?
13. How did Achilles change throughout The Iliad, and why did he change this way or throughout the story?

Conclusion

We hope this list of topics will help you get started on your The Iliad essay. And if you want more ideas, check out our other articles about how to write an essay about anything and how to write better essays in general. Take care and good luck!

Joseph Oleksandr

With a passion for education and student empowerment, I create blog content that speaks directly to the needs and interests of students. From study hacks and productivity tips to career exploration and personal development