Is Achilles Selfish Or Self-Preserving?

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The decision whether if Achilles is selfish or self-preserving is quite debatable. In some scenarios he might seem to be selfish, but in others it looks as if he is just being self-preserving. However, in order to choose a final answer, one must know the background information that lies within this debatable question. Achilles was known to be the strongest warrior fighting on the side of the Achaeans. He was looked up to by many. So the question comes up, why would Achilles abandon the battle if he was so greatly praised by the other Achaean warriors? Well, Achilles grew angry because Agamemnon, the leader of the Achaeans, took his friend, Briseis. So in return, Achilles resigned from battle. Achilles in a way could be considered selfish because of the fact that he abandoned war for the simple reason that Agamemnon took Briseis away from him. This conflict makes Achilles almost seem to appear like a child who did not get his way. However, because of his immature actions, Achilles is practically jeopardizing the chance of the Achaeans winning the war because of his absent presence. Another example of Achilles acting …show more content…

One way the mighty warrior shows self-preserving traits is when he states that he rather return to Pythia and live a healthy life instead of dying in battle. This statement shows the Achilles knows that he is most likely going to die and would rather not face that consequence. Another way this man shows self-preserving manners is when he agrees to bequeath his armor to Patroclus so that he can fight in battle in order to save the Achaean ships. This action shows that Achilles still cares about the war but does not want to be harmed. In addition to that, he also shows compassion by praying to Zeus that the ships and Patroclus will remain unharmed during the fight. All of these concerns that Achilles shows, represents why he would be considered

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