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Quarrel between achilles and agamemnon
Critical analysis of achilles
Critical analysis of achilles
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The most important acts of Achilles are his argument with Agamemnon and consequent refusal to fight; his decision to send the Myrmidons to battle; his rout of the Trojans after the death of Patroclus; and the killing of Hector and mutilation of his corpse. In the conflict with Agamemnon over Briseïs, Achilles argued for individual rights and for reward by merit while Agamemnon clung to his higher rank. Achilles appears to be in the right but there are other considerations. Church teachings provide a perspective:
The war changed Achilles behaviour.Achilles is a halfgod who everyone looks up to as a hero due to that war is important to Achilles because Achilles doesn’t want to fade into obscurity as the greatest warrior he has a reputation to live up to and fight to prove himself worthy of such a prestigious title. But it all changes due to the
The first event was when Briseis, Achilles’ war prize, was taken away from him when Agamemnon had to give up his own war prize, Chryseis, to her father Chryses who was the Priest of Apollo. Achilles was beyond outraged by Agamemnon’s arrogance that he insulted Agamemnon’s capabilities as a leader, and withdrew from the troop. “You drunkard, with eyes like a bitch and heart like a fawn! You never arm yourself with your men…so truly a time will come where Achilles will be missed…” (Homer 15). Achilles’ hot temper is an example of his reaction to being dishonored. In Achilles’ eyes, Briseis was more than a war prize. He saw her as a token and felt affronted that his honor and pride was taken from him. Consequently, leaving the Achaean army made a huge effect in the story.
Achilles, in Homer’s epic poem, The Iliad, is a flawed character. For example, when Agamemnon only allows Chryseis to be taken back if he can have Briseis, Achilles’ prize, Achilles outrages and calls Agamemnon a “king who devours his people” and goes back to Phthia, saying it is “better that way by far” (1.270,199). This shows that Achilles has so much hubris that he decides to stop fighting and abandon his Greek comrades in order to prevent himself from losing his pride. This also shows that Achilles
Achilles was the greatest warrior the Achaean army has ever seen. Throughout the epic he is described and closely compared to a god. In the beginning of the epic it is described that there is much tension between Agamemnon and Achillies after the battle when Agamemenon uses his power at his own advantage. They begin to argue and Achilles finally speaks his mind on how self-centered Agamemnon is after he threatens to take his prize after the return of his. Achilles mentions Menelaus, Agamemnon’s brother for whom the battle of Troy is for seeking to recover his wife who had run off with the son of Priam. Achilles tells him that he has to do all of the “dirty work” and when the battle is over Agamemnon takes the “lions share” and he has nothing but the worn ones that have no strength from the war. He states that he “sweated” for what the Greek gave him and that he never receives and equal prize to him. He goes on by saying that he would rather go home with his curved ships than stay and “unhonored myself and piling up a fortune for you” (111). After reading Book I of the Iliad and Achilles
Heroism can be defined as the pursuit of good through warfare. Achilles is more heroic than Hector because more action occurs by the time Achilles engages in battle. Achilles is audacious because his recklessness drives him to the point of seeing the destructions of every last Achaean. Hector is audacious because despite the difficulties he faces, he still fights. While Achilles is holding the story back, Hector moves it forward. Achilles’s allegiance to Patroclus makes him great because Achilles realizes the only way to avenge Patrocolus’s death was to join the battle. Hector’s allegiance is also as well important because even though he knows the Trojans are losing, he fights. Achilles becomes compassionate when the King of Troy kneels before Achilles begging for Hector’s defiled body. Hector shows compassion towards his family by telling Achilles before his combat to return his body to Troy.
Living in a difficult age full of war and death, Achilles tried to hold dear to the time he still had with his loved ones by remembering to treat them with an honorable attitude. During the Trojan War, having glory and honor was looked upon with great respect, so he would try to grasp this glory and honor with his honorable approach to his friends and family. At one point, for example, Agamemnon stole aw...
Achilles is called out of hiding by Agamemnon to fight in the Trojan War because he was such an outstanding warrior. Nothing could kill him because his mother had dipped him in the river Styx when he was a baby so he would be immortal. He was in hiding because he was told that he would die if he ever returned to battle; despite his efforts, however, he returned to battle with the Achaeans in the Great War at the walls of Troy. Achilles traveled to Troy to fight not because he was invested in the cause, but because it was his duty. However, once he got to the battle, Agamemnon and he got in a fight over some girls and Achilles withdrew from battle. Odysseus went to the tent of Achilles and tried to convince him to continue fighting. To these attempts Achilles responded, “But why must the Argives fight the Trojans? Why did Atreus' son assemble and bring us? Wasn't ...
In book one “Plague and Wrath,” Achilles has his honor and his pride hurt for the first time when Agamemnon refuses to return his hostage Chryseis for his own selfish needs and is causing the Greek to suffer a great wrath of Apollo and the Plague he has bestowed upon the Greeks for taking the daughter of the priest Chryses. Achilles knows that the only way to stop the plague is to return Chryseis to her father. Agamemnon sees Chryseis as a prize for the war effort and losing his prize does not make him a happy man. He then tells Ajax, Odysseus, and Achilles that because he lost his prize, he shall take one of their prizes. Achilles, who is now angry with Agamemnon, threatens to leave the war effort saying “It was with no quarrel with the Trojan warriors that brought me here to fight. They have never done me any harm.” (The Iliad P.8 152-154). Agamemnon with all of the pride he has says that Ach...
The first requirement of Aristotle's tragic hero is that they are more admirable than the average character. Achilles meets this requirement because of his ability on the battlefield. In The Iliad, the background to the story is the war between the Greeks and the Trojans. This background is not only the basis for the story overall, but is also the basis for Achilles' own story. This begins when Achilles refuses to join the battle because he is insulted by Agamemnon. This decision results in the action that drives the remainder of the story. Later in the story when Achilles becomes angered and goes to the other extreme, launching into battle and killing ferociously. The significance of this is that it places battle as central to both Achilles' story and to what is important in the setting of the story. Importantly, the aspect that makes Achilles greater than most is his ability o...
Achilles is introduced into The Iliad getting into a debacle with the leader of the Greek army, Agamemnon, during the last year of the Trojan War. Achilles starts a quarrel with Agamemnon because he has demanded possession of Achilles’ woman, Briseis, in consolation for having to give up his woman, Chryseis, so that the gods will end their plague upon the Greek soldiers. Achilles does all he can to get his loved one back, but he knows that nothing will waver Agamemnon’s decision. This is when Achil...
Achilles rejects Agamemnon’s plea to return to the war effort, despite the luring of the myriad of prizes and rewards that Agamemnon is willing to give to him. With the Greek forces suffering major losses, neither Odysseus, Great Ajax or Phoenix can persuade the fierce warrior. Achilles argues in defense of his decision not to accept Agamemnon’s
Achilles, the Greek hero of the Trojan War, was an inspiration to many people both past and present. While he was a hero in terms of his strength in battle, he also proves that he is heroic when it comes to morals. Achilles’ accomplishments as commander and conqueror in the Trojan War alone are enough to prove his heroics (That’s Greece, N.D.). Being born a demigod, he exemplifies the power and leadership of the gods before him (The History Channel, 2014). Of course, he also shows leadership in his moral decisions during the war against the Trojans. This is shown by his sense of grief and mercy when he is faced with the Trojan king, Priam (Fiero, 84). Achilles is also very moral in the way that he strictly follows the rules of the gods. While his story occurred so many years ago, his legacy has come to influence many people in today’s age. His decisions as a leader and a fighter both show just how heroic he is.
In the beginning we are told that Apollo sent a great plague throughout Agamemnon’s army because he wouldn’t return Chryses’ daughter. Chryses begged the army, but more importantly the two commanders, to accept his gifts and return his daughter. The army replied that they respect the priest, but then harshly rejected the priests offer. After this happened Chryses prayed to Apollo that he might cast a great plague so Apollo shot arrows of despair first at their dogs and mules, but then the men themselves, taking them down in droves for a total of nine days. After facing defeat due to the plague, Achilles stood and began talk of retreat, but before such actions were taken he called for a seer
The Iliad features the great warrior Achilles. Achilles is born by a mother who was a god and a mortal man which makes him a demi god. Being a demi god Achilles had great strength and character but he is not immortal. He is also the best Greek solider. The king of the Greeks is Agamemnon. Agamemnon and Achilles are constantly causing problems for one another. These problems are just a distraction because they are already fighting the city of Troy. Agamemnon annoys Achilles extremely when he wants Achilles to provide for him his lady Briseis, whom Achilles cherished deeply. Achilles withdraws from the fight realizing that the Greek armed forces can't win without his help. This enraged Achilles and brings out one of his biggest flaws which is trying to contain his anger and pride. This cause Achilles to be too proud and deny the apologies from Agamemnon for taking his lady Briseis. (ENotes.com)
The two leader’s characteristics unfold where it seems as though Agamemnon cares more about power and wants something that was supposed to be given to him whereas Achilles is way more likely to choose honour over anything because at the end of the Iliad Achilles did not take the death of his dear friend Patroclus and he was not happy when his friend passed away and found out who did it. Agamemnon views his honour is greater than any army, but Achilles states “wrapped in shamelessness, with your mind forever on profit” (Homer, Iliad 1.149) proving how Agamemnon seems to always think about himself before others . The only aspect that these two leaders agree on is that honour can be received through women. They believe honour can be received through women because it is a sign of power and status. Agamemnon goes out of his way to ask for Brisesis because the lady that he received in war Chryseis was taken away. Honour was a very important factor for both of these men as they made sure that their one source of honour through a maiden was not