The Iliad and Unforgiven

The book The Iliad and the movie Unforgiven both portray the theme of brutal revenge and violence through the actions of heroic fighters. Though the book and the movie depict these themes very differently, they share a common focus concentrating on the actions of the main characters, Archilles in The Iliad and William Munny in Unforgiven. Archilles and Munny are similar in many aspects such as how they deal with enemies, their loyalty to their friends, and their perspective on life.
At first, Munny denies his “heroic code” when he first hears word of the abused lady. He acts as if his cowboy days are long gone, especially during his first outburst with LiL Bill, but soon realizes his true self-underneath. Some may view his intentions for the trip as heroic; however, the well being of the lady wasn’t his main concern, for it was the reward pending. Munny remained loyal and honest to both his partners throughout the entire quest. Munny even promised Ned his future share...