The Character Achilles in Homer's The Iliad "The first book of The Iliad, appropriately titled the "Rage of Achilles," sets the scene for the remainder of the epic" (selu.edu/Academics/Depts/WritingCenter/The_Growth_of_Achilles.htm). "This rage is invoked by pride, a theme of pivotal importance for the Greeks. Pride is the source of the conflict between Achilles and Agamemnon in Book 1. The incident that provoked Achilles rage took place in the tenth and final year of the Achaean attack on Troy. The king is angered by what he sees as a challenge to his authority. He is furious at Calchas for indicting Agamemnon as the cause of the plague. Rather than graciously admit his mistake, the king becomes monstrous and demands compensation for what should not have been his in the first place. He knows what he must do for the sake of the army, but he demands recognition of his privileged status as king" (gradesaver.com/ClassicNotes/Titles/iliad/summ1.htm). "Agamemnon seizes Achilles' prize, the beautiful Briseis, to sooth his own wounded pride" (selu.edu/Academics/Depts/WritingCenter/The_Growth_of_Achilles.htm). "Achilles, in turn, demands recognition of his status as the greatest warrior among the Achaeans. The loss of Briseis is not humiliating because he has any kind of romantic attachment to her. It is humiliating because she was a prize given to Achilles by Agamemnon for valor"(gradesaver.com/ClassicNotes/Titles/iliad/summ1.htm). "When Agamemnon takes her away as is technically his right to do, although it clearly violates rules of respect and honorable conduct he dishonors Achilles horribly and devalues Achilles' contributions as a warrior" (Approaches of Teaching Homer's Iliad, p37). 'Even though Achilles is correct to suggest that Agamemnon return Chryseis, the swift runner's brash manner leaves Agamemnon feeling slighted" (selu.edu/Academics/Depts/WritingCenter/The_Growth_of_Achilles.htm ). In return, Achilles vows that he will not fight in the Trojan War any longer. This is where he turned his back on his heroic ideals. He became cowardly and indecisive. "Athena herself calls the king's behavior an "outrage". This insult to Achilles' pride is what causes the great warrior's wrath. The fact that Achilles is fiercely proud does not mean that Achilles is not a great man, because the Greeks understood pride as an inseparable part of a hero's greatness. He is hot-tempered, insubordinate, prizing his honor above the wellbeing of his fellow troopsHis wrath is the cause of his own later bitterness, the bitter end that his mother predicts. But he is also destined to die gloriously, unequaled on the battlefield. The desire to win glory is one of the themes of the Iliad, and it is seen in Achilles choice to win glory instead of long life. Achilles is also courageous, capable of deep feeling, and, unlike most of the characters of the epic, he is eventually transformed by new understanding"(gradesaver.com/ClassicNotes/Titles/iliad/summ1.htm). "Achilles had a dear friend named Patroclus who wasn't involved in the dispute, but saw how the Greek side was suffering. He knew that if the Greek forces were supplemented with the troops Achilles had led, the Greeks would have a fighting chance, so he begged Achilles to let him take the Myrmidons (the name of Achilles' men). Achilles agreed and gave him his own armor to add authority. Dressed as Achilles, Patroclus attracted the notice of the greatest Trojan hero and brother of Paris, Hector" (classics.allinfoabout.com/articles/homer.htm)."When Hector stays outside the walls of Troy to fight Achilles, it is not because that is what he believes is right, or because such is his duty; there is no way of even expressing that in ancient Greek. He stays outside out of a sense of shame"(gradesaver.com/ClassicNotes/Titles/iliad/summ1.htm). "The shame of losing and running away is especially powerful. Shame was the only way to understand such a moral check on behavior; Hector's acute sense of shame is thus, contrary to Aristotle, the mark of a noble character. Achilles might have been a fair match for Hector, but Patroclus wasn't. Hector killed him. This drove Achilles over the edge and he entered the battle to kill Patroclus' killer -- which he did. Achilles continues to mutilate the corpse of Hector, while the gods continue to preserve it" (Approaches of Teaching Homer's Iliad). "Finally, the gods agree that Achilles should accept an immense ransom for the return of the body, so Hermes guides Priam to Achilles' tent, so that Priam can make his case, and present his ransom, in person. " (thinkquest.org/library/site_sum.html?tname=23057&url=23057/iliad4.html). "Priam pleads with Achilles to remember his mortal parent, and recognize that every human being, even the most blessed and most powerful king, must suffer loss just as Achilles has. Achilles is still angry and still willful: he declares himself ready to disobey the gods, should he so choose, and he gives Priam instructions as to the precise limits of what he will and will not bear" (astro.temple.edu/~rguay/iliad3.pdf). In short, he is himself. But his rage has finally abated. He can share his pain with another, and he is ready to go on living, even though that means he must be ready to die soon. "Priam must realize, Achilleus implies, that there is no human achievement whatsoever unless Zeus allows it. The power of Zeus is supreme. In the end the Muse conveys in the Iliad, the glory of Achilleus is secure, in spite of, and because of, the will of Zeus" (Approaches of Teaching Homer's Iliad). Works Cited: http://www.gradesaver.com/ClassicNotes/Titles/iliad/summ1.htm Selva, Russell The Growth of Achilles Southeastern Louisiana University Copyright (c)2002 Gill, N.S. All Info About Classics Copyright (c) 2004 Guay, Robert STUDY GUIDE - ILIAD BOOKS Intellectual Heritage 51 Copyright (c) 2003 Fagles, Robert The Iliad Penguin Classics June 2001 Rouse, W.H. D. Homer The Iliad The Story of Achilles published by the New York American Library New York and Toronto First Published 1938 Lawall, Sarah The Norton Anthology World Masterpieces Seventh Edition Volume 1 W.W. Norton and Company, Inc. Copyright 1984 Myrsiades, Kostas Approaches to Teaching Homer's Iliad and Odyssey The Modern Language Association of America New York Fourth Printing 1993 http://www.selu.edu/Academics/Depts/WritingCenter/The_Growth_of_Achilles.htm http://classics.allinfoabout.com/articles/homer.htm http://www.thinkquest.org/library/site_sum.html?tname=23057&url=23057/iliad4.htl http://astro.temple.edu/~rguay/iliad3.pdf www.gutenberg.net/1/0/7/1/10716/10716-h/10716-h.html www.uweb.ucsb.edu/~bmaatuk/achilles.html
In Book 21, Achilles kills a hostage at his mercy, whose life he has sparred in the past. By the end of Book 21, Achilles has killed so many Trojan’s that the river is clogged with the bodies of his victims. Achilles behaves without a care for human life, as well as his treatment toward Hector before and after he kills him. As stated in Blucher’s article, Achilles is found to go berserk, committing atrocities to both living and dead. This, for Shay, is the story of the Iliad and also as Shay goes on to demonstrate, the story of many Vietnam combat veterans”. (Blucher). Before their battle Hector begs Achilles to honor his corpse if he is killed in war, and Achilles refuse, saying, “Don’t try to cut any deals with me, Hector. Do lions make peace treaties with men? Do wolves and lambs agree to get along? No, they hate each other to the core, And that’s how it is between you and me, No talk of agreements until one of us Falls and gluts Ares with his blood” (Homer). His statement of intent to dishonor Hector’s corpse and to damage the body after his enemy’s death, shows that he had anger towards his superiors. The most disturbing portrayal from Achilles is his behavior, when Hector’s father Priam meets with him to ask for Hector’s body. This show Achilles’ anger is driven by rage towards other superior officers in the
To Achilles this prize Brises represents something more than just a prize; she is a symbol of status, of acceptance. His way of obtaining honor which he (Achilles) has to figh...
In the bloody society of the Iliad pride is what defines the means of a male character .the main conflict of the Iliad is between Achilles and Agamemnon which was led by the damaging might of Pride. Achilles who is considered to be the strongest of the Achaean army is held back by his character flaws so he can’t act with nobility and mercy. The Iliad begins nine years after the beginning of the Greek war against the Trojans, where the Agamemnon the commander of the Achaean army take a Trojan allied town and capture Chryseis a priest of the god Apollo daughter, and another maiden of the name Briseis. Achilles claims briseis for himself as spoil of war. Chryseis’s father begs Agamemnon to return his daughters and offers to pay an enormous ransom Agamemnon refused to return chryseis in the Iliad because of his arrogance and concede.
Although most of his actions are motivated by anger and revenge, there are at least two occasions in Homer’s Iliad where Achilles chooses true virtue. While Agamemnon and Achilles are conversing, Achilles declares, “Despite my anguish I will beat it down, the fury mourning inside me...I call a halt to all my anger-- it’s wrong to keep on raging, heart inflamed forever” (Homer 19.75-78). At one time, Achilles thought it was smart and a justified reason to fight over a young girl named Briseis. Now he comprehends that the feud served no purpose and cost many lives including his best friend Patroclus. In this instance, Achilles is making peace with Agamemnon. He realizes he has been acting out of anger instead of simply mourning. He chooses to put his anger aside and forgive Agamemnon which shows traits of virtuousness. As Achilles and Priam are engulfed in grief, Achilles offers these merciful words: “Poor man, how much you’ve borne-- pain to break the spirit! What daring brought you...all alone, to face the glance of the man who killed your sons” (Homer 24.602-607). In this situation, Priam comes to Achilles to bargain for his son, Hector, so that the body of Hector can be buried properly. Priam offers Achilles many gifts. The conversation turns to the loss of their sons, father, and best friends. Both men weep uncontrollably. Achilles is overwhelmed with feelings of pity, sympathy, and compassion. He recognizes their common humanity and that suffering has importance. He agrees to give back the body of Hector without expecting anything in return. This performance of virtue is especially significant because it is an act of kindness offers to an enemy. Hen Achilles acts unlike himself by putting aside his vengeance, it illustrates that he values something other than himself. Achilles’s virtuous deeds allow himself, Agamemnon, Priam, and the Trojans that mourn for Hector to
To solve the foreclosure crisis we must take a multi-pronged approach that tackles the issues making the situation worse and that caused the problems in the first place. Our goal is to do this in an efficient and time conscious manner. Any solution is going to have its positive and negative aspects but we must try to maximize the former and minimize the latter.
Foreclosure in America has been a rising and prominent problem recently, and has destroyed many Americans hopes and dreams. Over 2.3 million homes were foreclosed in 2008, and an estimated four million homes will be foreclosed by the end of this year. Despite the efforts of many banks and lending companies, over half of homes will foreclose that have received their help. I believe that we have only started in the right direction in solving the foreclosure crisis. Giving money and lowering mortgage rates will help, but I believe we should find out why Americans are in this situation in the first place. We are being too stereotypical when we think the only reason someone is foreclosing is because of irresponsible payments or buying a home out of a person’s capabilities to pay for it. If we understand their situation, we will be better enabled to help and solve their crisis.
The best way to solve this foreclosure crisis is preventing homes from foreclosing one house at a time. The American family needs a simple option to save their home. My solution is based upon the concept of the homeowner paying what they are capable today, with a long term solution for the homeowner to repay the entire debt eventually. If the homeowner can now afford to make the payments, then they can escape foreclosure, rebuild their pride, and be productive citizens.
Schein, Seth L. The Mortal Hero: An Introduction to Homer's Iliad. Berkeley: University of California Press, 1984.
Achilles anger was a predominant theme in the Iliad. It led to Patrokolos, death, Hektor’s death and a great many other Trojan deaths. Achilles was a very powerful Greek warrior, he had many faults but one of his most prominent was his uncontrollable anger. Multiple times throughout the Iliad his anger had for reaching effects on the war and people around him. These effects were not usually favorable to anyone. There are three main occurrences that led Achilles’ anger down devastating paths. The first was when Agamemnon took Achilles’ girlfriend. When this happened, Achilles felt robbed because Brisies, his girlfriend, represented his might and the glory of his conquests. In the Greek culture, glory and honor were highly esteemed. This is why
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...
In The Iliad, pride makes the world go round for the warriors of both the Achaeans and Trojans. Throughout The Iliad it becomes known that the amount of war prizes that each male warrior holds determines their social status and reputation of being a skillful warrior. Achilles, the Achaeans greatest warrior, and King Agamemnon take great pride in all of their war prizes and because of it they get into an argument. As King, Agamemnon believed that he could take Achilles precious war prize Brisëis when he had to give up his own women war prize, which results in the rage of Achilles throughout the whole poem. Achilles becomes enraged when Agamemnon takes his women because he believed that he also took part of his pride away from him. That action of Agamemnon proves that his own pride led to conflict throughout the whole poem. By Agamemnon taking away Achilles women he
Achilles conveys kindness and respect, particularly towards the end of the book and the movie, he was able to learn what those two words meant after Patroclus died. When Priam came to Achilles in the movie, he knew that it was honorable to give Hector’s corpse back to his father. Nevertheless, Priam was able
Homer makes it clear that Achilles is a man mainly driven by his hunger for glory. Achilles has all the traits of a superhuman from his strength to his incredible ability to fight on the battlefield. Even with these great abilities, it is hard for many readers to perceive him as a hero because of the way he acts. Homer takes this brief time period out of this whole ten-year war just to demonstrate how Achilles cannot control himself when he goes into a rage. In todays world Achilles would not last long as a soldier in any army because he would be court marshaled for insubordination. Achilles ye...
The Iliad may be seen as an account of the circumstances that irrevocably alter the life of one man: Achilles, one of the greatest warriors. Throughout the course of the poem Achilles goes through many ordeals that change his character immensely. Starting with his quarrel with Agamemnon and withdrawal from battle, to the death of Patroklos, and with the slaying of Hektor. Achilles emotions and actions decide the fate of many warriors on both sides. Achilles struggles with anger, honor, pride, loyalty and love make the poem more that just a gruesome war story.
Agamemnon has very distinctive attributes that Homer displays in him throughout the book; they have readers believing he is not a good or reliable ruler. He is known for being exceedingly stubborn and having a bad temper, which are two inferior qualities to have. Throughout the book Agamemnon is conveyed as a terrible King, letting his anger get in the way of ruling. During times of discouragement he makes wrong decisions that are unfair. He does not realize that a king is not supposed to yield to his own desires according to his emotions. He fails to perceive that authority demands responsibility and that personal desires come later once the matter at hand is resolved. We see him displaying these aspects when he insists on keeping his war prize, Chryseis, despite her father pleading for her. Agamemnon believes that she is his and that he shouldn’t have to give her back. Eventually he realizes he has to give her back, but not without him getting something in return so he sends his men to take Brieses, Achilles’ prize, from Achilles. The decision to keep Chryseis before giving her back was clearly a conclusion he made based of off his own aspirations. Additionally he is an awful commander, and Apollo calls him out on it while they are arguing, he said he was a “shameless profiteering excuse ...