The Qualities of Ideal Leader, Heros in Trojan War: Hector versus Agamemnon - Report Example

Hector vs. Agamemnon: Introduction: Due to the advances of capitalism, mankind has been able to make great advancement within the last 100 years. Mankind has been able to amass so much wealth, and increase the number of years upon which they live. This is because of the advances made in the development of better medical treatment methods, due to improved science and technological skills. In as much as there is an improvement in the living conditions of mankind, people are not happy. This is because of the emergence of other needs such as that of association, of getting better and quality education, good governance, and increasing employment opportunities. Because of these problems, the society needs good leaders. However, the Question to ask is; what constitutes a good leader? Majority of individuals always want to be leaders, however, once they obtain leadership positions, they do not have an idea on how to be responsible leaders, and how to make a positive impact within the society. Due to bad leadership styles, many tragic events have occurred in the world, and an example is World War 2, and 1. Bad leadership styles have also been experienced in a Greek Myths, referred to as the Trojan War. This story has two very famous leaders that is Hector, and King Agamemnon. This paper compares their leadership styles, and gives an explanation on why Hector is the type of a leader needed by the modern society. Comparison of Hector vs. King Agamemnon: Under the Greek Myths, Hector was a prince in Troy, and the greatest warrior in Troy. Hector was the first son of King Priam, and his wife Queen Hecuba. On this basis, Hector was the heir to the throne of Troy. Hector had a wife, whose name was Andromache, and they had an infant son referred to as Scamandrius. In battle, Hector acted as a leader of the Trojan, and he was well respected for his courage and thoughtfulness. According to the Iliad, Hector is seen as a good husband, father and son (Fone, 41). King Agamemnon on the other hand was the ruler of Mycenae, and also the appointed commander of the Achaean army. He was also the brother of Menelaus. According to the Iliad, King Agamemnon did not possess the qualities of a leader that Hector had. In as much as King Agamemnon had the respect of his soldiers, he could not command the respect of his peers such as Telam onian Ajax and Odysseus (Bryant, 12). The respect of his soldiers is depicted when they managed to carry out a ten year siege on Troy. His peers such as Odysseus only respect Agamemnon as the commander of the Achaean army, and not as a man. According to the ancient Greece philosophies, the concept of glory included the glory for the family, the people, and the particular individual himself. Hector and Agamemnon desire these three types of glory. However, King Agamemnon wants personal glory, more than glory for the family and the nation. On this basis, the King is very selfish (Crompton, 37). This is demonstrated in the beginning of the Iliad whereby he ignores the cries of his people, to respect the priest of Apollo, and accept the shining ransom. However, for purposes of maintaining his own personal glory, King Agamemnon decides to keep the Chryseis. In battle, King Agamemnon cares less for his brother Menelaus when he is injured in battle. For instance, he sarcastically tells Menelaus that he will suffer grief for his loss, while going back to patching Argos, when disgraced. On the other hand, Hector is so much concerned with his family, people, and himself. For example, while going out in battler, Hector fights for his father, his nation and himself. This is depicted when he tells Andromache that his spirit is urging him to fight bravely, and in the front ranks, winning battles for his father and himself (Crompton, 29). This character trait of Hector is also depicted when he is angered by the prospects of the Trojan losing the war. He angrily tells Paris after running away from Menelaus that his actions is a disgrace to his father, the people, and the city, and it is a joy, to the enemies of Troy. Through this comments, we can denote that Hector does not only care about his behavior to the glory to his family, people, and nation, but he also cares about the action of others in relation to the glory gained for their families, and the nation. Leaders in the modern times must not be selfish. This is because selfishness will always lead to bad governance, and hence the emergence of corruption. Bravery was an issue that was greatly celebrated amongst the ancient Greeks. It is important denote that in as much as Hector and Agamemnon are brave, there levels of bravery are different. This is because the bravery of Agamemnon is always faltering in battle. This is when the enemies’ forces are winning the war against him. For example, the Iliad denotes that when the battle was in favor of the Trojans, Agamemnon could not stand his ground, and he ordered his soldiers to run away, since they could not win the battle (Bryant, 32). This is as opposed to Hector, who was considered the bravest Trojan. For example, the Iliad denotes that when the battle was against the Trojans, Hector stood his ground defending his people (Bryant, 37). Bravery is a character trait that is required amongst the modern day leaders. This is because they will bravely enact policies that will solve the modern day problems affecting the society. This is without fearing those who might be opposed to such kind of policies. Cowardice is not desirable, because a leader who is a coward will fail to take risks in solving the various problems in the society. Another difference in their character traits is responsibility. Agamemnon will always blame the gods for his failures, while Hector will always blame himself for his failures. For example, after refusing to give back Chryseis, Apollo makes it impossible for Agamemnon and his army to travel. Agamemnon criticizes the seer for speaking lies, instead of taking responsibility for his actions (Burgess, 29). Another example emanates after his quarrel with Achilles, he blames Zeus and the other gods for creating a savage heart in him. Hector on the other hand takes responsibility for his every action. Hector will never blame the gods for his failures, but himself. For instance, the Iliad denotes that Hector used to blame himself whenever there he failed in battle or made a mistake. Responsibility is an admirable trait amongst the modern day leaders. A leader who does not take responsibility for his actions cannot rule adequately, and chances are high that his or her leadership will fail to provide solutions to the problems facing their subjects (Thomas and Miguel, 27). On the other hand, a responsible leader will be able to own up the various policies enacted, and monitors them for purposes of ensuring that they are effectively implemented. Conclusion: In conclusion, Hector was a better leader that Agamemnon. This is because Hector was not selfish, he was brave, and took responsibility of his actions. Agamemnon on the other hand was selfish, coward, and never took responsibility of his actions. For a modern day leader, he must possess the character traits of Hector. A leader must never be selfish. This is because a selfish leader will not get the capability of solving the problems of the society. This leader will only think of how to benefit himself, using the resources of the community. A leader must also be brave. Bravery will help a leader to take risks, and initiate policies aimed at solving a variety of problems within the society. It is important to denote that people are always resistant to change, and it will only take a brave leader to be able to pass through criticism, and enact changes within the community. Finally, responsibility is a virtue that all leaders within the community must have. Without responsibility, an individual cannot account for his or her actions. On this basis, there might be an increase into the misuse of the community’s resources. Works Cited: Bryant, William Cullen. The Illiad of Homer. Boston, N.Y.: Houghton Mifflin, 1898. Print. Burgess, Jonathan S.. The tradition of the Trojan War in Homer and the epic cycle. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press, 2001. Print. Crompton, Samuel Etinde. Troy. New York: Chelsea House, 2012. Print. Fone, Byrne R. S.. Achilles, a love story: a novel of the Trojan War. Lexington, Ky.: s.n., 2010. Print. Thomas, Roy, and Miguel Angel Sepulveda. Trojan War. New York: Marvel ;, 2010. Print. Read More