Difference Between Agamemnon And Achilles

When Achilles left the army, he was so infuriated that he pled to his mother, Thetis, to ask Zeus to favor the Trojans, in which Zeus agreed to. The Trojans began t... ... middle of paper ... ...s a different side of Achilles. Besides the grief he developed, Achilles seems to have felt a great sense of humiliation for not going into battle himself and having sent Patroclos instead. Determined for revenge, Achilles decided upon himself to return to battle. This can be perceived that not only does Achilles want vengeance, but also for the chance to redeem his honor and glory.

Although during the course of events, the story exposes that Achilles’ actions may have been perceived as cowardly, ultimately his decisions shape the rest of the story. He initiates the Achaean’s final victory at Troy, his acts become acts of valor and he emerges as Athen’s greatest hero. The poem in Book One lauds Achilles as the finest warrior of the Athenian army. Nonetheless, when his commanding general, Agamemnon refuses to return the captive Chryseis to her father the priest of Apollo, a plague ensues. Achilles is insubordinate (disrespecting his commander) when he demands that the captive be returned to save the troops.

For someone who is supposed to be a fearless and honorable warrior, this was a surprising move. He seems to have been able to “talk the talk,” but when it came to “walking the walk,” he fell woefully short of the mark. Another of Hector’s weaknesses is his arrogance. He shows his arrogance when he refuses to withdraw his troops back behind the walls of Troy after killing Patroclus. By killing Patroclus, Hector fills with confidence and is eager to continue the fight and get to Achilles.

He also must promise, once the Trojans are on the retreat, to come and get him so that the two of them can share the glory of finishing off the Trojans. Whether these boundaries were placed on Patroklos for his safety, or the safety of Achilles honor, makes a huge difference in the character of Achilles. If these limits were given to Patroklos just to save Achilles’ ego in the eyes of the Trojans and Greeks alike, then he is perhaps one of the most arrogant, self-serving men that has ever lived, in myth or real life.

However, it was Patroclus, Achilles’ brother-in-arms, who should be accredited with the Achaean victories and know for his success against the Trojans in the War. When the Achaean commander, Agamemnon, “graciously” returns his war prize Chryseis to her father in order to stop Apollo’s plague on the Achaean camp, he turns to Apollo’s war prize, Briseis, to compensate for his own loss. This angers Achilles, causing him to march off, declaring, “I [Achilles] would not relax my anger, not till the cries and carnage reached my own ships” (Iliad Book 16 Lines 70-71). Achilles is portrayed as a child who lost his toy, storming away in anger and begging his mother to fix the problem, not as a heroic commander of the Greek army. While it is understandable that Apollo would want his share of war prizes, it is extreme to abandon the crusade while knowing that he is the greatest fighter and a key member in the Achaean success.

The Heroic Code determined status in Greece ranging from warriors such as Achilles at the top of the totem pole to being a voice of reasoning like Nestor. The Heroic Code in the Iliad also helped determine the prizes that the Greeks would achieve. This explains why Achilles would garner better war prizes than his other Greek counterparts. One definition of the heroic code being used in the Iliad is when Hector ignored the Priam’s request to not fight Achilles, being the Trojan hero Hector was ignored Priam’s plea and wounded up dying because of it. Another example of the heroic code in the Iliad was when Achilles basically chose to fight in war instead of staying home.

Homer descriptively details the armor of Achilles to show the importance of this scene. Despite Achilles warnings of what risks the armor could bear, he selfishly thinks of himself and allows Patroclus to wear the protective furnishing and go out into battle. Achilles only worries about “when one man attempts to plunder a man of his equal, / to commander a prize, exulting so in his power. / that’s the pain that wounds [him], suffering such humiliation” (16.61-63). He would send out his own best friend to sacrifice

126)”. Another key similarity is that for both men, their fates are influenced by the Gods. Achilles was very angry with Agamemnon because of the situation with the priest’s daughter. Achilles vowed to Agamemnon that he would no longer follow him in battle, bringing home a pittance of the spoils while Agamemnon always brought home the lions share. Agamemnon answered back that he would give back the priests daughter but in return for his loss, he would take Achilles spoil, Briseis.

There was a strong point that Hector is able to underestimate Helen’s seductive ways because of his dedication to his country, his family. It is an obvious reason, why Hector is against the war is because he was fear this war will result in the fall of Troy, which is a feeling and thought that he has that repeats over the course of the Iliad. While in a meantime Achilles is the most outstanding character and the hero of the Iliad. He is the pride of the Greek military. He is the son of Theas.

“Sing, goddess, the anger of Peleus’ son Achilles and it’s devastation which put pain thousandfold upon the Achaians.” The wrath of Achilles begins in Book One of “The Iliad.” Agamemmnon, leader of the Greek army, takes Achilles booty prize, Briseis to replace his own concubine, Chryses, daughter of a priest of Apollo, who was returned to end the plague put on his people by the angry god, Apollo. Achilles feels unappreciated for all that he does for the army when Agamemmnon takes his girl to be his own. He leaves the army because he feels that the king has disrespected him. Thus begins the onset of his doom; by not fighting, and continuing to refuse to do so until after the death of his best friend, Patroklos, he defies his fate. Once having decided to leave the fighting, he goes to speak to his mother, Thetis.