How is the character of Paris drawn in Homer's Iliad?

The Trojan War began after the Trojan Paris abducted a
Greek woman, Helen, whose husband was Menelaus. Despite Paris' role in starting the war,
he is mentioned comparatively infrequently in Homer's
Iliad.

One of the most useful places
to look for a description of Paris is Iliad 3, where he fights a one-on-one duel with
Menelaus. Menelaus would have killed Paris if Aphrodite had not rescued him from the
battlefield and whisked him away to Helen's bedroom at Troy, where Helen tells Paris
that he is no match for her real husband:

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my advice would be to stay here, not fight hand
to hand with red-haired Menelaus, nor taunt him rashly, lest his spear conquers you
(A.S. Kline
translation)

Another of the
more telling characterizations of Paris appears at the conclusion of Iliad
6, where Hector and Paris prepare to head out together to the battlefield.
Homer, as with many other heroes, describes Paris as "Godlike" and does make Hector say
that Paris cannot be faulted for lack of courage. However, Hector goes on to say that
"you malinger when it suits, and shun the fight" (Kline
translation).

We might also note that Paris is best known
as a warrior who fights with a bow, a weapon that allows the fighter to stand farther
away from the battle than those who fight with spears.

Even
though Homer portrays Paris as a rather cowardly fellow in comparison to Hector or some
of the other warriors on the Greek side, the dying Hector does predict (correctly) in
Iliad 22 that it will be Paris who ultimately kills
Achilles.