Phoenix’s paradigm narrative fails to persuade Achilles to rejoin the war because the specifics of that narrative, his choice of myth, and his botched retelling of it fail to connect with Achilles' specific concerns. The first part that Phoenix add to the myth is how he told Achilles that Meleager’s situation is similar to Achilles’. In the myth, there was a big war between the Curetes and the Aetolians, similar to the Greek with the Trojan. Phoenix tried to make Achilles and Meleager are in the same position, so Achilles can imagine and try to follow Meleager’s path. Meleager is Aetolians, similar with Achilles is Greek, which concludes that they must fight for their people. The second part is how Meleager choose to help his family when they are in danger. Furthermore, …show more content…
In Meleager’s story, he shares the glory with Atalanta because she is the first who draw the blood. In Ovid, Meleager said, “Girl from Nonacria, take the prize that is mine by right, and let my glory be shared with you.” (Ovid, Bk VIII: 425-450). The other way how the normal myth is more apply in Achilles’ situation is how Meleager’s fate should give a moral story. Meleager’s mother hold a piece of wood that control Meleager’s life. Because of the fact that Meleager commits a family murder, his mother kills him. It is stated in Ovid, “Far off, and unaware, Meleager is alight with that fire, and feels his inner organs invisibly seared.” (Ovid, Bk VIII: 515-546). This is similar with Achilles who have another fate to deal with too. Achilles know his fate and he needs to make a choice about his life. The myth itself is actually is not strong enough for Achilles to join the war, because Meleager’s story is about hunting a wild boar that caused by the anger of Artemis and how he is unfaithful to his family that cause him die. It is not relevant and helps convince Achilles to rejoin the
While Achilles is a great and powerful warrior, he still risks his life when he engages in battle with the Trojans, courageously leading his men and fighting in such a way that renders admiration from both parties of the war. Odysseus, on the other hand, also exhibits courage in battle, but, additionally, exhibits courage during the many perilous trials that he and his men endure on their journey home. While Achilles does have great capacity for courage and bravery, his own agenda often prevents him from using these virtues for the benefit of his comrades. A necessary characteristic of a true hero is the ability to put personal grievances aside for the greater good. When Agamemnon demands Achilles’ prize of battle, the maiden Briseis, Achilles’ pride is so injured that he refuses to take part in battle. This exhibition of selfishness and single-minded pettiness on the part of Achilles attests to this character’s tendency for menis, an unbound rage and wrath. This menis both makes Achilles an invaluable soldier and prevents him from being as admirable of a hero as Odysseus. The latter hero endures countless personal losses, yet keeps the well-being of his men first and foremost in his
This discrepancy proves irreparable in convincing Achilles, and highlights yet more flaws in the execution of Phoenix’s plan. For instance, Phoenix relies heavily on the aspects of Meleager’s story pertaining to the Aetolians to show the consequences the Greeks may face if Achilles did not fight (Homer’s Iliad 9. 609-622). See the e-mail address.
From these lines we see that Achilles does not understand the importance of being a team and working together. He wants to be the boss and
offers gifts to Achilles if he will come back and help fight. Achilles, however, is
Achilles’ true nature is that of a warrior. The son of Peleus must fight. When he denounces Agamemnon and the Achaeans, he does not go home. His ship is last in line, near Troy. Subconsciously, he has already made the choice of accepting a short life filled with glory. Subconsciously, he wants to go back to war. He needs to. However, he also needs to insure his possession of glory and honor. But what kind of glory, what kind of honor? He already possesses the honor of the gods. He says, “my honor lies in the great decree of Zeus…” (IX.741.p.272). By book IX, material wealth is no longer what Achilles wants. He spurns Agamemnon’s offers. The typical mortal concepts of heroism no longer concern him; his ideals differ from those of his peers. Phoenix’s Meleager is no example to him. However, at this point Achilles still does not know what he wants. Pride and stubbornness still supplement his rage, but now his anger appears to be a manifestation of his fear and confusion—“Stop confusing my fixed resolve with this…” (IX.745-746.p.272). Achilles knows that he wants honor and glory, but in what form?
In Homer’s The Iliad, Achilles is often referred to as a very courageous Greek hero but a further look into the epic will reveal a man that is more arrogant than courageous. It was truly his arrogance that made his name famous and not his courage. Achilles was a narcissistic, self-serving man who was not concerned with his fellow country man. His actions of courage can easily be revealed as selfishness instead of what most people believe.
Burgess, Jonathan. "Achilles' heel: the death of Achilles in ancient myth." Classical Antiquity. v. 14 (Oct. '95) p. 217- 43.
Homer devotes the final passages of Book 18 of The Iliad to the description of the shield of Achilles. Only a quarter of the description concerns warfare, the essential grist of the epic. Instead, the bulk of the description presents a peaceful society and rural idylls, a curious choice for the most ferocious warrior of the Greeks, and an odd thing for both armies to fear. A narrative emerges from the scenes of the shield, and it is this that fits Achilles and repulses everyone else.
These two characters have obvious differences in their approaches to fitting the heroic mold to which they both try to conform. However, despite their differences and the fact that they are fighting for opposing armies and meet each other with hatred in battle, they also have numerous similar traits which logically lend themselves to a comparison between the two men. They both display behavior that could be described as heroism. The first way in which Achilles, who fights for the Greeks, and Hector, who fights for the Trojans, act differently is how they approach war and the inevitable violence and death which accompany it. Although Achilles knows that he is fated to be killed in battle, when his faithful and devoted friend Patroclus is mercilessly and dishonorably cut down in combat, he puts aside his pride and chooses to temporarily forget about his previous feuds with Agamemnon that have up until now prevented him from participating in the war.
Achilles rejects Agamemnon’s plea to return to the war effort, despite the luring of the myriad of prizes and rewards that Agamemnon is willing to give to him. With the Greek forces suffering major losses, neither Odysseus, Great Ajax or Phoenix can persuade the fierce warrior. Achilles argues in defense of his decision not to accept Agamemnon’s
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...
In Homer’s epic, the Iliad, the legendary, has no two characters that are so similar yet so different as Greek warrior, Achilles, and the Prince of Troy, Hector. Achilles is the strongest fighter in the Greek side, and Hector is the strongest Trojan. They are both put into the mold of a hero that their respective societies have put them into; however; it is evident that they are both extremely complex characters with different roles within their society and with their families, and with the gods.
The setting of the poem is Greek at a time of war and the events covered occur a few weeks towards the Trojan War. From the flow of the poem, it is evident that The Iliad finds joy in war. Their bravery and competence determine the value of each character in the story during a battle. Paris who is a character in the poem is scorned by his lover and his family because he does not enjoy war yet the pride of a man is endorsed from their strength in battle. Achilles is viewed as a victorious man by the society because of his decision not to stay home living an uneventful, long, and comfortable life.
The story starts with Agamemnon and Achilles capturing Chryseis and Briseis during a battle. In that case, Chryseis’s father, Chryses, prays to Apollo to help him gets back his daughter from Agamemnon’s hand. The aid from god Apollo helps Chryses wins over Agamemnon and Achilles. Agamemnon