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Give critique on the Iliad
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As a historical document, Homer’s The Iliad, serves as a depiction of the Greeks’ belief in the gods and goddesses’ influence in their life. He displays this relationship throughout the entirety of the story, namely utilizing his main character, Achilles. Homer uses the Iliad as a vehicle through which his audience can understand the mechanics of greek mythology and life. His serious tone helps the readers’ comprehension of their way of life in a legitimate manner.
The Iliad in it’s entirety is driven by the gods and goddesses meddling in human life. Achilles’ actions throughout the epic, from his grit-teeth-servitude to Agamemnon to his decision to listen to his goddess mother over the king, show the reader the type of balance a Greek would
The Iliad is a long poem that is composed by a series of books. The narrative begins nine years after the start of the war. Agamemnon and Achilles get into a skirmish about two maidens, Chryseis and Briseis that were captured in a Trojan-allied town. After Apollo releases a plague for not returning Chryseis, Agamemnon goes into a rage and says that he will return Chryseis only if Achilles gives him Briseis. Agamemnon’s demand infuriates and humiliates Achilles. The men argue, and Achilles threatens to withdraw from the battle and take his people, back home to Phthia. That night Achilles prays to his mother, Thetis, to ask Zeus to punish the Achaeans. She promises to ask Zeus about his offer. After twelve days, Thetis makes her appeal to Zeus. Zeus is reluctant to help the Trojans but he finally agrees. The next day Zeus sends a false dream to Agamemnon that he can take Troy if he launches a full-scale assault on the city’s walls. The next day, Agamemnon gathers the troops and prepares for the attack. After that The Trojan army ...
A hero known for his invincibility. A warrior who fought in the Trojan War and killed many, but also died in battle. Achilles was hero who was dipped in River Styx as a baby by his mother to make him immortal. However, his mother did not contemplate that where she held him, his heel, would remain mortal resulting in his weakness. Achilles was trained by a wise centaur and became the brave warrior he was, he pretended to be a woman to avoid war, and he died by a poison arrow that pierced through his heel.
Homer's two central heroes, Odysseus and Achilles, are in many ways differing manifestations of the same themes. While Achilles' character is almost utterly consistent in his rage, pride, and near divinity, Odysseus' character is difficult to pin down to a single moral; though perhaps more human than Achilles, he remains more difficult to understand. Nevertheless, both heroes are defined not by their appearances, nor by the impressions they leave upon the minds of those around them, nor even so much by the words they speak, but almost entirely by their actions. Action is what drives the plot of both the Iliad and the Odyssey, and action is what holds the characters together. In this respect, the theme of humanity is revealed in both Odysseus and Achilles: man is a combination of his will, his actions, and his relationship to the divine. This blend allows Homer to divulge all that is human in his characters, and all that is a vehicle for the idyllic aspects of ancient Greek society. Accordingly, the apparent inconsistencies in the characterization of Odysseus can be accounted for by his spiritual distance from the god-like Achilles; Achilles is more coherent because he is the son of a god. This is not to say that Achilles is not at times petty or unimaginative, but that his standards of action are merely more continuous through time. Nevertheless, both of Homer's heroes embody important and admirable facets of ancient Greek culture, though they fracture in the ways they are represented.
In Homer’s The Iliad Achilles individuality and his lust for future glory is what makes him so tragic.
The Iliad is first presented as Achilles and Agamemnon arguing, for Agamemnon was being selfish himself, relentlessly denying Achilles his spoils for what he earns. This in turn made Achilles very mad, and in an act of selfishness, asked his mother to convince Zeus to
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...
The story of Homer's Iliad actually centers around the "rage of Achilles, contrary to popular belief. At first thought or reading the epic poem seems like its main theme is utlimately the totality and gruesomness of war. In reality it is an ancient "Saving Private Ryan" in that it tells us of the raw details of war without any lack of description and information. However this ultimate devistation and emotion of the actual fighting and Trojan War is not the main focal point of this heroic tale. The real story centers on one awesome fighter, man, and hero--that man is Achilles.
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)
Because he embodied Greek ideals, was ‘immortalized’ through his actions and glorious death, and was courageous, Achilles was an epic hero. Honor was of the utmost importance to both him and the entire Greek society, he chose to die a hero in battle, and he avenged the death of Patroclus even through mourning; Achilles is the true hero of the Iliad.
In The Iliad, Homer’s main protagonist, Achilles, is a heroic figure. Achilles’ reputation precedes him as being the most powerful warrior in The Iliad. Son of a soldier and sea-nymph, when Achilles was a baby his mother took him to the underworld and dunked him into the river Styx which made him immune to death, his only vulnerability was his ankle where his mother held him. His invulnerability made him a warrior unmatched in battle which made his skills legendary. There was a prophecy made for Achilles that if he chose to go to war he would be the greatest warrior of his time, but he would die in war. Overall, Achilles is a perfect example of providing legendary significance in The Iliad and providing a heroic protagonist. 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).
Homer's view of a villain is petty, selfish, and disloyal. Achilles is shown as an extreme villain in The Iliad. In almost three quarters of the epic, he stays home and just continues to argue with Agamemnon. He may display incredible martial skills on the battlefield, but he still will not fight in the war. He's petty because he's not fighting in his country's war just because he is in a small argument. It also shows that he is disloyal because he is not serving his leader by not fighting in the war.
Achilles, having been a famed and valiant soldier, was sought after and loved by all, except his adversary Agamemnon. He was a prominent warrior known for his great strength that actually caused the Acheans to win many battles. But what was it that caused Achilles to be such a hero? Consider the definition for the word, “hero.” A hero is “a person who is admired or idealized for courage, outstanding achievements, or noble qualities.” This gallant warrior is all three of these points in the definition, plus more. Achilles’ honorable attitude for his loved ones, bravery in times of adversity, and as the definition states, “outstanding achievements” make him a hero beyond recognition.
The audience is dropped into the middle of a decade long conflict between the Greeks and Trojans, and the story continues from this point onward. The epic highlights the actions preceding the climax of the Trojan War, the duel of Hector and Achilles, the greatest heroes of the clashing nations. Allusions are made to past events, although the author, or authors, do not explore these allusions. The Iliad expects the reader to know of the fate of Achilles, arguably the most important character in the epic. An expectation of a knowledge base is reason to believe that the Iliad was heavily engrained in the epic cycle, so much so that single authorship could be dismissed. In contrast, The Odyssey follows Odysseus through space and time as he recounts past run-ins with Cyclopes, bondage to nymphs, and horrific scenes of warfare and retribution. The structure is much like that of the novel; the epic has a clear beginning, middle, and end. Between the two epics the Odyssey is often more appealing to modern readers. On the other side of the structure and coherence spectrum, the Iliad sets itself up to be all about the wrath of Achilles. The epic opens