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Hector

Literary Character
Pronunciation

Understanding ARPABET Pronunciation

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The pronunciation guide uses the ARPABET phonetic system—the same system used in speech recognition and text-to-speech applications.

Vowel Examples:
AE1 = cat, bat
EH1 = bed, head
IY1 = see, me
OW1 = go, boat
UW1 = boot, do
Stress Numbers:
0 = no stress (unstressed)
1 = primary stress (loud)
2 = secondary stress (medium)
Example:
AH0 TH IY1 N AH0
= a-THEE-na (Athena)

The stressed syllable (marked with 1) is pronounced louder and clearer than others.

Quick Definition

The noble Trojan prince and defender of his city in the Trojan War.

Detailed Definition
Hector is the great Trojan warrior of Homer’s Iliad and a counterpoint to Achilles. Unlike the Greek hero’s pursuit of personal honor, Hector fights from responsibility to family, city, and people. His farewell to Andromache and their son reveals the tenderness beneath his public courage, while his death marks the impending fall of Troy. He is often remembered as a tragic model of humane heroism, courage joined to knowledge of inevitable defeat.
Example
Example in poetry:
Homer's Iliad presents Hector as Troy's courageous defender and a loving husband and father; A poet may use Hector to represent honorable resistance even when defeat is inevitable; A poem can contrast an enemy's military reputation with Hector's tenderness toward Andromache and Astyanax; An "Hector" figure often embodies civic duty, family loyalty, and tragic patriotism
Additional Notes
Hector, the leading Trojan warrior in Homer’s Iliad, is portrayed as brave, dutiful, and deeply devoted to his wife Andromache and son Astyanax. Unlike the more self-centered Achilles, Hector often fights primarily to protect his city and family. He is therefore associated with honorable courage, civic responsibility, and tragic patriotism. His death marks a major emotional and military turning point in the epic.
Other Meanings of “Hector”
Also Known As
Hektor
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