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The character of Achilles
The character of Achilles
Homer the essential iliad essay
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Patroclus, in contrast to Achilles, thinks constantly of the fate of the whole Greek army. In fact, he is driven by compassion for the plight of the army to fight, not by any potential glory like Achilles. To further prove his inherent humility, when he fails to sway Achilles to fight, he suggests wearing Achilles armor, instead of his own, to inspire the army in battle. So he suggests “And give me your own fine armor to buckle on my back, so the Trojans might take me for you” (Iliad 16.46-47). In doing this he relinquishes all potential glory in battle, which will inevitably be attributed to Achilles. His attitude toward fighting is not based in pride and glory for himself, but an overall victory and glory for his country. Patroclus epitomizes …show more content…
Had Achilles joined with him or, on a larger note, not have asked for Zeus’s wrath against the Achaeans, his one companion might not have faced such a bitter end. It can no longer be a trivial battle of glory for Achilles, because it is now a personal cause to him. Patroclus’s selflessness is what aids in remedying Achilles’s attitude. Just as Patroclus humbled himself for the Greek army, so Achilles finally admits to how his selfishness negatively impacted his fellow Greeks. “How many fewer friends had gnawed the dust of the wide world, brought down by enemy hands as I raged on and on” (Iliad 19.69-70). It is this compensation for his own flaw that provides him with a purpose to fight and a motivation to work toward bettering himself, as a way of honoring Patroclus’s …show more content…
The king’s close and well known bond with his daughter heightens the importance of his decisions, however, he struggles to make any such concrete choices. His constant waffling between decisions represents the absence of an important quality of leadership, decisiveness. After eventually choosing power over his own blood, he distances himself and is not direct with his own family due to his ultimate decision and even blatantly states ““I work out clever schemes to deal with those I love” (Iphigenia at Aulis pg. 244). In saying this, he essentially admits to his immaturity, as a true patriarch would lead his family with openness and honesty. Refusal to accept the consequences and criticisms for his decisions thus translates to an overarching sense of immaturity. There is a lack of respect between Agamemnon and his wife and, more importantly, his daughter (that is more central between Achilles and Patroclus) due to significant power dynamic and even more so due to their gender division. It becomes more apparent that he doesn’t consider Iphigenia’s opinion as he never asks for it. Though she has many potential lessons to offer him, he could not be bothered to listen. Clytemnestra is well aware of her husband’s immaturity as a father and calls them to light, (as he only addresses her) when she says “You, good strangers, you, my child, your
Phoenix’s paradigm narrative fails to persuade Achilles to rejoin the war because the specifics of that narrative fail to align with Achilles’ specific concerns. In particular, Phoenix neglects the pernicious effects of Agamemnon’s actions on Achilles’ notions of honor and pride. The old man discounts Achilles’ ability to act solely on the account of his dangerously inflated pride, which proves to be detrimental not only to the Greeks but also those whom Achilles cares about, most notably Patroclus. Additionally, Phoenix’s anecdote draws incorrectly upon the role and relationship of Achilles’ parental figures, lessening the efficacy of the speech as a whole. Phoenix’s terminal mistake was confusing the desires of Achilles with that of Meleager, assuming that the warrior values his fellow Greeks over himself (Homer’s Iliad 9.607-611).
Throughout Greek history and mythology, the greatest heroes have been driven by the desire to gain heroic glory. For them, kleos served as a fundamental indicator of their personal value. A warrior’s worth was defined by how they were viewed and discussed by their peers. Personal glory was more important than life itself. Warriors would rather die young with renown than live a long life of little consequence. However, once they reached the underworld, many found their struggle for kleos by way of personal gain never earned them what they desired. True glory goes beyond an individual’s accomplishments and lives on after their death through their posterity as demonstrated by Agamemnon and Achilles who, upon being visited by Odysseus in the underworld, inquire after the
At first Achilles had a set of clearly defined goals, he was to fight side by side with the Achaeans, sack Troy, and, by doing these things, gain honor and wealth. As the war progressed a series of events took place that forced Achilles to step out of the fight. While he was inactive and had time to contemplate, he came to the realization that he had been fighting for nine years for the sake of a man whose woman has been stolen; now that his woman had been stolen no one fights for his sake. He also realizes that there are other, less risky ways of obtaining wealth and honor, including sending Patroklus out in his armor. Another thing he ponders on, but doesn't seem to take seriously, is whether or not honor is really worth the struggle.
The Iliad begins with the clash between Achilles and Agamemnon. Agamemnon has little, if any, respect for the gods. This is displayed by his irreverent behavior towards the priest, Chryses. Agamemnon refuses to release the princess even when the Achaean soldiers suggested "`Respect the priest, accept the shining ransom!' But it brought no joy to the heart of Agamemnon" (104). Achilles is, unlike Agamemnon, respectful of and revered by the gods. In order to expose the cause of Apollo's wrath against the Argive army, Achilles uses the prophet, Calchas. Achilles already knows why Apollo is angry, but decides the fact should be stated by someone other than himself. He knows that Agamemnon will become angry once the truth is revealed. I believe that in this instance he is trying to keep his rage in check by avoiding a direct confrontation with Agamemnon. Calchas also fears for his life because he also knows Agamemnon's fury is unyielding at times. However, with a great deal of encouragement from Achilles, Calchas "spoke out, bravely: `Beware-The god's enraged because Agamemnon spurned his priest'" (106). When the truth is exposed, Agamemnon be...
The Ancient Greeks admired their heroes and tried to learn from both their achievements and their mistakes. They believed that most great leaders and warriors followed a predictable behavior cycle, which often ended tragically. In Homer’s epic poem, The Iliad, Achilles is a great warrior who traces the stages of the behavior cycle twice, from arete to hubris to ate and then to nemesis. Achilles is a highly skilled warrior and a great leader who becomes a narcissist and an arrogant person, which leads to selfish and childish behavior resulting in the death of his best friend. Following Patroclus’ death, Achilles repeats the behavior cycle by regaining his courage and motivation, and goes back to battle against Hector. The pride he feels in killing Hector and his overpowering hatred for him, leads Achilles to another bad decision: disrespecting the body of his enemy. This foolish choice leads directly to Achilles death. Although The Iliad is mainly known as a story about the Trojan War, it is understood as a story about Achilles and his struggle to be a hero.
"The Iliad is a poem that celebrates the heroic values war imposes on its votaries (27)." Homer himself describes war as "bringing glory to man." War is a huge part of both the Achaeans and the Trojans' lives. Characters gain glory through their performances and bravery in battle. Furthermore, Homer persuades the reader that war is the glorious way to settle a dispute. For example, Hector and other Trojans scorn Paris for backing down from Menelaus. On the other hand, Achilles acquires glory by deferring the option of a long, peaceful life in order to fight and become an epic hero. The characters in The Iliad value honor and glory to such a degree that they are willing to give up life itself in order to possess it.
The myth states that Achilles was callous to others but kind to Patroclus. Achilles and Patroclus are assumed to be lovers that would die for each other. Patroclus dies because Achilles did not want to fight the Trojans under Agamemnon, and he is slain by Hector, prince of Troy. Achilles immediately sought revenge, thinking blindly like a lover would.
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
Achilles refuses the offer at once and states, “I say no wealth is worth my life!... A man's life breath cannot come back again-no raiders in force, no trading brings it back, once it slips through a man's clenched teeth”(265). Achilles denies his commander a suppliants request. This refusal is the knowing act of hubris. Because Achilles chooses not to fight for the Greeks, his best friend, Patroclus, takes up his armor and leads Achilles men into battle.
Patroclus was not as good a warrior as Achilles was and so it showed on the battlefield. Patroclus was killed by Prince Hector and Achilles became enraged. He goes to war to avenge his friend and kills Prince Hector in return. During the battle, you can tell from the tone of the Iliad that Achilles was brutally
Despite Homer's grand scope for The Iliad, which draws heroism, adventure, warfare, and divinity as the forces which shape destiny, it seems more of an account of the conditions that changes the life of one man permanently: Achilles, the greatest of warriors. The Iliad makes this individual the protagonist through his morals, his motivations, his behaviors, and his choices; all of which affect others. Homer places him in the first lines of his story, and Achilles’ plays the primary role in the plot through his anger, his withdrawal from battles and the upsetting affects this has on the Greek army. “Sing, O goddess, the anger of Achilles son of Peleus, that brought countless ills upon the Achaeans. ”1 Achilles is a complex character with his own peculiarity and a system of ideals that sometimes no one else but he can understand.
Achilles shows his moral inferiority in book one of The Iliad when Agamemnon supposedly deprives Achilles of his honor by taking his “prize.” Achilles responds to Agamemnon’s action by deciding to not fight in the war and he also prays against the Greeks by asking his mother, Thetis, to go to Zeus. When Thetis goes to Zeus she says “Zeus, out father, if ever I have helped you among the immortals either in word or in something I did, fulfill me this desire. Give honor to my son who, more than others, is born to a quick death. But as it is, now the king of men Agamemnon has not given him honor. He has taken away his prize. He holds it! But give him honor, O Olympian, counselor Zeus. Give power to the Trojans until the Achaeans honor my son and increase his honor” (I. Lines 491-99). When Achilles does this he is showing that he is selfish and only caring about himself. He is showing he does not care for his troops by praying having his mother ask Zeus to give the Trojans power until Achilles gets the honor he believes he deserves. Another reason in which demonstrates that Achilles is a selfish man is later in book seven-teen. Throughout most of the epic poem Achilles chooses not to fight just because Agamemnon didn’t give him the honor he thought he deserved. But finally, in book seven-teen, Achilles decides to join the battle again. But he doesn’t choose to fight because he knows it is the best things to do for his people or country. He fights because he wants his name to be remembered. But that isn’t the main reason. The real reason that Achilles made his decision to fight is because Hector killed his friend, Patroklos. This is proven to be the main reason Achilles decides to fight in book twenty-two when Achilles is telling Hector what he is going to do to him because Hector killed Patroklos. Achilles says “Don’t beg me, you dog, by my knees
...les obtains the flaws of a Tragic Hero with his anger and pride issues. The fact that he won’t fight for Agamemnon because he stole his woman shows that his pride was hurt and when Achilles fights in a pure wrath upon hearing about Patroclus’s fate shows his flaw of anger. The transition from having to overcome his hurt pride after hearing about Patroclus’s death reveals his adaptability as a character with his change in behavior from being passive at the Achaean ships to violent in war. Lastly, Achilles solidifies his position as a Tragic Hero when he finds his moment of clarity with King Priam as he gives the body of the fallen Hector back in an act to finalize and end all conflicts Achilles and Troy. Achilles undoubtably symbolizes Aristotle’s definition of the Tragic Hero.
First off, Achilles talks about how sad he is about the death of Patroclus. Achilles groaned and answered, 'Mother, Olympian Zeus has indeed vouchsafed me the fulfillment of my prayer, but what pleasure is it to me, seeing that my dear comrade Patroclus has fallen—he whom I valued more than all others, and loved as dearly as my own life?
...h Agamemnon and wishes that ‘strife could die from the lives of gods and men’… Not to avenge Patroclus by killing Hector would be a renunciation of all that he stands for and has lived by”. Even though “sorrow fell on Achilles like a cloud” (216), he went back out to the battlefield and killed Hector. It took a great deal of bravery for Achilles to face the man who killed his best friend but Achilles, being the hero that he was, got back into battle and killed him because he couldn’t let Patroclus’ death go unavenged.