Achilles Respect for Authority in The Iliad

Achilles Respect for Authority in The Iliad

Respect for authority plays an important role in The Iliad. Achilles is a major

character in it whose views on authority change throughout the book. In Book

One, he seems to have no respect for King Agamemnon. Achilles questions

his judgment as well as rebelling against his authority. This is shown best

when Achilles says, "What a worthless, burnt-out coward I'd be called if I would

submit to you and all your orders." (Pg. 87 line 43-45). This is an outright lack

of respect directed toward Agamemnon. By Book Twenty-four however, his

views seem to have changed. Achilles talks to King Priam of Troy with respect.

An example in Book twenty-four is when Achilles and King Priam weep

together over their losses. Book One portrays Achilles as an individualist. This

was the accepted way of life in the Bronze Age, which is when Achilles lived.

The people who lived in Greece during that era were very selfish and

self-centered. Achilles is not the only character in The Iliad who acts this way.

Agamemnon, king of the Greeks, is also a very selfish character in this epic

poem. The conflicts between these two major characters have catastrophic

results. Because Agamemnon doesn't want to give up Chryseis, his war-prize,

Apollo cast a plague on the Greeks. Achilles goes to Agamemnon and asks

him to return the girl to her father so the plague will end. He agrees to return

her, but he doesn't want to be left empty-handed. He returns Chryseis to her

home, and he takes Briseis, a war-prize of Achilles. Achilles is so angry with

Agamemnon that he vows to stop helping him fight the Trojans. As the battle

goes on, Agamemnon realizes how important Achilles and his Myrmidons are

to the Achaean troops. The King of the Greeks then swallows his pride and

offers gifts to Achilles if he will come back and help fight. Achilles, however, is

so stubborn that he refuses all the gifts and will not allow his troops to fight.

When he is offered the gifts he rudely responds, "I hate the man

[Agamemnon] like the very gates of death who says one thing but hides

another in his heart."(Pg. 262 lines 378-379) This quote shows how much