In Homer's Iliad, two conflicting desires motivate Hector. He adheres to the heroic code by fighting for honor and glory, but he does not always actively continue the fight. He has a strong survival instinct that drives him to retreat from danger and conflicts with his desire to fight heroically. However, his desire to follow the heroic ideals that are so dear to him ultimately influences him more than his desire to protect himself. Hector's drive to achieve glory and immortality in the hearts of his followers drives him to fight while putting himself in danger and fighting more valiantly than he naturally would. Say no to plagiarism. Get a custom essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”?Get the original essay When Hector leads the battle fiercely, he does not fight because he loves Paris and supports her theft of Helen; nor does he even fight to protect Troy and his father, his wife or his son. For example, when the Greeks, under Diomedes, repel the Trojans, Hector begs Hecuba to pray to Athena for help and then curses his brother: "A great curse that Olympian Zeus allows to live and grow in him, / for Troy and for great-hearted Priam and all his sons" (6.334-335). Hector expresses his resentment towards his brother and the "curse" of the war that Paris brought to Troy, and all the suffering it caused to him and his relatives He does not fight against the Greeks to show his support for Paris's decision to capture Helen; in fact, he does not like Paris at all as an army comrade. Hector to withdraw from the war before the Greeks defeat him, he admits that he knows that "the day will come when sacred Troy must die, / Priam must die and all his people with him" (6.531-533) . Hector understands that Troy will one day fall and therefore does not fight to protect his beloved family, because he knows that they will certainly die when the walls of Troy collapse. Fighting the Greeks, no matter how valiantly, will not save his beloved family from ultimate death. By harboring negative feelings toward Paris and revealing his resignation that no matter what he does, Troy and everyone he holds dear will fall, Hector demonstrates that he is not fighting to save someone he loves. However, Hector receives the motivation to fight against the Greeks. fighting strictly according to the ancient heroic code, shaping his actions and behavior to conform to his goals of honor and glory. While conversing with his wife during a brief respite from the battle, Hector remarks that he would "die of shame" if he shrank from battle, and that he has learned that his goal is "to win great glory [at his] father, [and] glory for [himself]" (6.523, 6.529). Because he cares what others may think of him and fears the shame of his fellow warriors, Hector has developed a basic instinct to enter into battle Instead of avoiding conflict, he strives to fight with such fearlessness and intensity that his comrades will bestow upon him prestige and glory, two cornerstones of the heroic code. even, Hector issues a challenge to fight, declaring that he will slaughter any opponent and that one day someone will say that "there is a brave one that the glorious Hector has killed" and [sa]. ] fame shall never die” (7.101, 103-104). Hector also hopes to gain fame among all men by seeking out aristos or being the best he can be in battle. To achieve his endless fame, he must slaughter as many men as possible to accomplish aristeia, or feats that will give him prestige among his comrades. He hopes these achievements will propel him to immortality beyond, 1991.