Final answer:
The overarching theme of 'The Iliad' is 'the wrath of Achilles,' focusing on how Achilles’s anger affects the course of the Trojan War and the characters within it.
Step-by-step explanation:
The theme of The Iliad is complex, encompassing various aspects of the Trojan War, character development, and the interplay of fate and human agency. However, if we look closely at the narrative arc and central conflicts of the epic poem, we can deduce that the dominant theme is 'the wrath of Achilles.' While the epic encompasses the wider scope of the war between the Greeks and Trojans, the poem specifically zooms in on the personal story of Achilles and his anger's impact on the course of the war, causing suffering for both Greeks and Trojans.
Homer’s poem begins with the line "Sing, O goddess, the anger of Achilles son of Peleus, that brought countless ills upon the Achaeans." This clearly frames the narrative to revolve around Achilles's rage following a dispute with Agamemnon over the war prize, Briseis. The other options, such as 'the Trojan War,' 'the death of Hector,' and 'the fall of Troy,' are indeed significant events within The Iliad, yet they revolve around or are heavily influenced by the arc of Achilles's wrath.