A Rhetorical Analysis Of Priam's Slipping Into Achilles

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Slipping into Achilles tent, aging Priam gently clasp hold of the hands of the man who killed his beloved son Hector. In Priam’s persuasion speech, he talks to Achilles about returning custody of Hector’s body to him for a proper, Trojan, burial. Throughout his speech, Priam includes rhetorical strategies that allows him to open up Achilles iron heart, and persuade him to release Hector’s body and allow enough time to grieve and remember the mighty Hector. Priam begs the mighty Achilles for the return of his son and does so successfully by portraying deep respect to Achilles and honors his nobility, refers to Achilles father and the remembrance of friends, and finally persuading Achilles that traditions are important to Trojans.

Priam’s argument …show more content…

Shortly after kissing the hands of Achilles, Priam entreats Achilles by asking, “ ‘Godlike Achilles, think of your own father, who is of my generation, and so is the likewise on a sad threshold of old age. Perhaps his neighbors are troubling him, and there is no one to protect him from harm, or ward off ruin. But he at least can rejoice in the knowledge that you live, and each day brings the hope of seeing you return from Troy.” Priam says these lines in hope of making Achilles think of that of his father. Praim wants Achilles to think about what his father would do, what’s best for people, and knowing that it’s the right choice. This quote also portrays Priam's feeling of his lost son by substituting himself with Achilles father, when saying what happens if he is harmed or cannot ward off ruin. This displays Priam’s sadness and the returning from Troy can be inferred as returning Hector’s body so he can rejoice that his son is home again. Priam’s purpose was to persuade Achilles heart to take another point of view, to see not from his own eyes, but the eyes of Priam and does so successfully when both Priam and Achilles weep for their lost: Patroclus, and

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