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Homer's Iliad: The Shield of Memory
“The central image of Homer’s great epic story of the wrath of Achilles,” Atchity writes in his Introduction to this brilliant new study of the poem’s structure, “is the invulnerable shield made for the poem’s hero at the Olympian forge of Hephaistos.” Atchity’s subsequent revelation of the imagery as the guiding aesthetic provides a complete interpretation of the Iliad from the viewpoint of image and theme.
The major portion of Atchity’s new interpretation is devoted to a comparison of the characters of Helen and Achilles, around whom center, Atchity shows, “galaxies” of characters and images that can be identified in orderly or disorderly terms, the relationship of which is the theme of the Iliad. In addition, Atchity pays particular attention to the poem’s presentation of the art of words, thus making clear the relationship of memory, cognition, and action in the epic tradition.
The major portion of Atchity’s new interpretation is devoted to a comparison of the characters of Helen and Achilles, around whom center, Atchity shows, “galaxies” of characters and images that can be identified in orderly or disorderly terms, the relationship of which is the theme of the Iliad. In addition, Atchity pays particular attention to the poem’s presentation of the art of words, thus making clear the relationship of memory, cognition, and action in the epic tradition.
368 pages, Hardcover
First published April 1, 1977
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About the author
Kenneth Atchity
60 books51 followersKenneth John Atchity is an American producer and author, who has worked variously in the world of letters as a literary manager, editor, speaker, writing coach, brand consultant, and professor of comparative literature.
At home among the many worlds of communications and storytelling, he was labeled a "story merchant" by a visiting ambassador to the United States.
Atchity was born 16 January 1944 in Eunice, Louisiana, son of Fred J. and Myrza (née Aguillard) Atchity; he grew up between Louisiana and Kansas City, Missouri. He and his companies, The Story Merchant, Atchity Entertainment International, Inc., The Writers Lifeline, Inc., and The Louisiana Wave Studio, LLC, in Shreveport, Louisiana produce films and develop books for publication; and books, screenplays, and films for television and cinema, and consult with writers about their career strategies and tactics.
At home among the many worlds of communications and storytelling, he was labeled a "story merchant" by a visiting ambassador to the United States.
Atchity was born 16 January 1944 in Eunice, Louisiana, son of Fred J. and Myrza (née Aguillard) Atchity; he grew up between Louisiana and Kansas City, Missouri. He and his companies, The Story Merchant, Atchity Entertainment International, Inc., The Writers Lifeline, Inc., and The Louisiana Wave Studio, LLC, in Shreveport, Louisiana produce films and develop books for publication; and books, screenplays, and films for television and cinema, and consult with writers about their career strategies and tactics.
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September 10, 2020
I first read this book in Atchity's Comparative Mythology class at Occidental College when were studying the Iliad and the Odyssey. His insights into the images on Achille's shield really helped bring the first story to life and gave me insights into the text that I had not seen the first time I read the book on my own. (I am so crazy about mythology that I got a Ph.D. in it.) This is an excellent work to pair with your study of Homer's texts.
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