Nietzsche s Iliad As A Demonstration Of A Single Nature...

Nietzsche interprets Iliad as a demonstration of a single nature of â€Å"power† among the Greeks that leads to the brutal war. Simone Weil disagrees with Nietzsche and believes Iliad to be a representation of two forces, â€Å"might† and courtesy, which she calls â€Å"gravity† and â€Å"grace† (Simone Weil Handout, passage # 2, pg 2). Nietzsche considers only one perspective of the Iliad, the cruelty of â€Å"power,† in contrast, Weil examines both the good and the brutality shown in Homer’s epic. Weil thinks of Homer’s epic to be exhibiting the misery of the war, along with some sparks of â€Å"grace† (IC 48). Overall, Nietzsche thinks of Homer’s Iliad only to be a celebration of competition derived by the â€Å"will to power,† whereas Weil considers Iliad as not just a representation of the rule by â€Å"might,† but also showing moments of courtesy through the savagery of war (NR 355). Nietzsche argues that Iliad is all about the constant battle of strife driven by the â€Å"will to power† in life. As he says â€Å"...life simply is the will to power† (NR 355). Here, Nietzsche is saying that everyone in Iliad takes action in order to gain honor and â€Å"power.† For example, when Agamemnon returns his prize Chryseis, he says Achilles to give him his prize, Briseis because it would be a dishonor for him to be without a prize (SHI 5). This starts a conflict between the two, as Achilles says that it’s better for him to return home, than being â€Å"unhonored† by giving up his prize (SHI 6). Nietzsche further mentions that â€Å"Where I