war This realism makes the story powerful Readers can feel the real suffering of the warriors It shows that Homer is a master of realism Human Emotions Homer shows real human emotions We see love anger fear and grief Rage Goddess sing the rage of Peleus son Achilles Achilles loves Patroclus like a brother When Patroclus dies Achilles cries in deep pain Priam feels sorrow for Hector He reminds Achilles of his own father Priam says Have pity on me remember your father Achilles feels pity for Priam His heart softens and he returns Hector s body Even soldiers feel fear before death These feelings are true to life Homer makes heroes look like real men with human hearts This is not simple imagination It reflects human reality Homer s focus on emotions makes The Iliad very close to real life Daily Life Details Homer also describes daily life in detail We see food clothes ships and houses He shows how people cook meals play games and prepare armor During the funeral of Patroclus Homer shows games and contests These details are very natural and true They reflect the culture of his age Such daily scenes make the story real Readers can imagine the life of that time This strong use of daily images proves Homer s realism Realistic Characters The characters in The Iliad are very real Achilles is strong but also proud Agamemnon is brave but selfish Hector is noble but afraid of failure Even women like Andromache show deep truth Andromache speaks these words after learning of Hector s death You were their greatest glory while you lived now death and fate have seized you These characters are not gods only They are real human beings with both strength and weakness Homer does not make them perfect He shows them as they are This realism makes the poem universal Blend of Gods and Humans Though gods appear Homer shows their actions in real ways The gods behave like humans They feel jealousy anger and love Their actions are like real human actions Homer also shows how people believe in divine power in daily life This mixture makes the story real for that age It shows the belief of Greek people in gods as part of real life Thus Homer keeps even the divine part within realistic limits In The Iliad Homer is a true realist He presents war with real pain and blood He shows daily life and human feelings with truth His characters are close to real human beings Even the gods act in human ways His realism makes the poem timeless and universal nbsp