Simone Weil's The Iliad, Or, The Poem of Force: A Critical EditionSimone Weil, a brilliant young teacher, philosopher, and social activist, wrote the essay, The 'Iliad' or the Poem of Force at France at the beginning of World War II. Her profound meditation on the nature of violence provides a remarkably vivid and accessible testament of the Greek epic's continuing relevance to our lives. This celebrated work appears here for the first time in a bilingual version, based on the text of the authoritative edition of the author's complete writings. An introduction discusses the significance of the essay both in the evolution of Weil's thought and as a distinctively iconoclastic contribution to Homeric studies. The commentary draws on recent interpretations of the Iliad and examines the parallels between Weil's vision of Homer's warriors and the experiences of modern soldiers. |
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Common terms and phrases
Achilles action Aeschylus Agamemnon appears armes autres battle become believe bien bitterness blind Book C'est cause chose combat criticism dans dead death defeat destiny effect enemy epic essay être example expression face fait fall fate father fear feel force French give gods Grecs Greek guerre hands heart Hector Homer hommes human Iliad jour kill knows l'âme l'Iliade literature living lost Marxism matter mind moments moral mort n'est nature never passage Patroclus person peut poem poet possess present Press Priam qu'il qu'un quoted reading reason regard rien Roman seul Simone slave sort soul sous spirit suffering suppliant thing thought tion touches tout translation Troie Trojans Troy Troyens true turn understand victims victory violence warriors Weil's Zeus δὲ ἐν καὶ τε