Why Does Achilles Change In The Iliad

Achilles did not want to fight the Greeks, but ended fighting on the Trojan War to avenge the death of the ones he loved. He is seen by most as if he was a god, Achilles was sturdy and invincible; thus came from when he was born that his mother dipped him into the river Styx to make him immortal. His mother though did not realize that the heel form where she was holding him was the only part that remained human. Too many years of war and killing have all of them fill with anger. “I hate like hell the man who says one thing and think another” Book IX, line 316-317. Achilles is expressing his thoughts about the reactions in humans. Being tired of so many years of war he come to the conclusion that it does not matter who wins; at the end everyone

He begins the hunt of his friend’s killer and Achilles reason to fight changes form selfish to revenge. Somewhere down the road he learns to feel as other humans. But a contradict behavior in his humanity, perhaps because he always have embraced his divine side, he feels more as a god that human which is probably what makes him so invincible. Achilles created an image of the invisible being, human or god? Who is he? He knows he is not a regular human and he takes advantage of

King Priam, Hector’s father travels to beg Achilles to return his son's body to him. The King is willing to negotiate by offering lavish presents to Achilles, but discovers that this is not a business meeting but is a meeting where humanity and compassion is at stake. Achilles sees the love this king has for his son; though Hector is dead his father objective is to recuperate his corpse to give him a human burial. King Priam gets closer to Achilles and kisses his hands. This humility of a grieving father must have moved the humanity of Achilles; to see the old man courage and compassion but most of all the dreadful gesture to kiss the hands of his son’s killer. Achilles imagines that his own father at one point will also feel the same pain he sees in Hector’s father, he identify with the pain and suffering he sees in front of him as he feels the same kind of pain as he mourns his friend