Tayler Thibodeaux
Dr. Jerry Bradley
World Literature
4 December 2014
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The choices one makes when the date of death is known is completely different than if that person does not know exactly when they are going to die. The question of if one would want to know the exact date of death is probably about fifty-fifty. Some people do want to know so they would be able to complete a ‘bucket list’ or tell loved ones goodbye. On the other hand, those that would not want to know the exact day live their lives to the fullest every day and are able to be free and whatever they want whenever they want to do it. It is known that everyone dies, but we never know exactly when it will happen. In “Death Constant Beyond Love” by Gabriel Marquez, Senator
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Achilleus departs the Trojan War and the Greeks begin to lose. Achilleus is too prideful and thinks he is the mightiest man. The ‘wrath of Achilleus’ is how he also expresses his anger and lives by and for violence. Achilleus is not happy about his withdrawal from the war, so Achilleus reenters the battle more passionate because he feels he has been wronged. Achilleus will do anything in order for his named to be remembered. One of Achilleus’ most distinguished achievements during the war is the killing of the Trojan hero Hektor. Even though it is not much, we see a bit of a softer side of Achilleus when Priam gets Hektor’s body from across the battlefield. Although the death of Achilleus is not in “The Iliad,” we know he dies during the end of the Trojan War by Paris shooting a bow and arrow into Achilleus’ heel. Now, if Achilleus would have known exactly when he was going to die, I think his actions would be slightly different. The way Senator Sanchez acted when he found out about his specific death date was that he did not tell anyone and lived a very lonely life. I think if Achilleus would have know his exact day of his death he would have acted nicer towards other. I also think he would not have exited the war as he did and that he would have fought his hardest to win without being so
The Trojan War veterans of The Odyssey succeeded in defeating their enemies on the battlefield. The end of combat did not mean relief from burdens for them. War is cruel, but in it these men see a glory they cannot find outside. Achilleus’ death in war is treated with ceremony and respect. Agamemnon, having survived that same war, dies a pitiful death and Klytaimestra “was so hard that her hands would not/ press shut [his] eyes and mouth though [he] was going to Hades” (XI, 425-426). Dying at home meant being denied even simple acts of dignity. Reflecting back on it Hades, Agamemnon characterizes the veteran’s struggles when he asks, “What pleasure was there for me when I had wound up the fighting?” (XXIV, 95).
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
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).
The subject of Homer’s epic poem, the Iliad, is very clearly stated--it is “the rage of Peleus’ son Achilles.” The reader remains continually aware of the extent of Achilles’ rage, yet is never told the reason why Achilles remains angry and unreconciled. There is no definitive answer to this question. Achilles is not a static character. He is constantly changing; thus the question of why he remains angry solicits different answers at various stages throughout the poem. To find an answer, the reader must carefully examine Achilles’ ever-changing dilemma involving the concepts of mortality and honor. At its simplest, Achilles’ dilemma is that if he goes to war, he will die. But he will die with glory.
The price that heroes pay for the glory they obtain is something readily forgotten if one does not read The Iliad in the context of the times. In the time of the Iliad, glory and honor was even more important than it was now. One can get easily get lost in the descriptive nature of the epic poem, which gives reason to a belief that the Iliad is simply a glorification of combat, however, this is not the case. The Iliad is based on much deeper principles than combat, it glorifies the search for honor and the sacrifices that great men will take to achieve this honor. If Achilleus had not rejoined his comrades, taking pity on them, he would never be remembered even if he still had great prowess in battle, because he did not use it to help help his friends.
The decision of Achilleus is a crucial moment in understanding how fate works in epic (Homerian) literature. Thetis tells Achilleus of his opportunity to win renown as the greatest warrior of all time, earning glory through his fearless acts in battle against a foe who is sure to overcome the Achaians. The fate of ten years of attack on Troy hinge upon the decision of Achilleus, who is given the choice to win glory for the Achaians and, more importantly, himself.
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.
In The Colored Museum, George Wolfe writes in a Brechtian fashion in order to create an atmosphere of interest and to bring the spectators to question their position and comment on the plays “Git on Board” and “Hairpiece” become a political platform by using alienation techniques through narration, character, and dialogue in order to create a take away for the audience from the “exhibit”; the audience in this manner is able to leave the “exhibit” with the historical value of a black play with an emotional or intellectual impact with the political commentary that each play causes.
This is the inevitable truth which some contemplate every day. Death for many is something they
When the Achaean commander, Agamemnon, “graciously” returns his war prize Chryseis to her father in order to stop Apollo’s plague on the Achaean camp, he turns to Apollo’s war prize, Briseis, to compensate for his own loss. This angers Achilles, causing him to march off, declaring, “I [Achilles] would not relax my anger, not till the cries and carnage reached my own ships” (Iliad Book 16 Lines 70-71). Achilles is portrayed as a child who lost his toy, storming away in anger and begging his mother to fix the problem, not as a heroic commander of the Greek army. While it is understandable that Apollo would want his share of war prizes, it is extreme to abandon the crusade while knowing that he is the greatest fighter and a key member in the Achaean success. Without Achilles gone, so too are his men. Furthermore, to plead to his immortal mother, Thetis, to convince Zeus to allow the Trojans to gain ground, is erroneous and outrageous. Being upset with Agamemnon does not justify the loss of Ac...
The driving force toward facing their enemies is ignited by anger. On learning the death of Patroclus, Achilles is mad with grief and vows to take revenge on Hector (Jonathan, pp 56). When Achilles slays Hector he does it with anger; Hector pleads with Achilles to return his body for a proper buri...
Homer's Iliad is commonly understood as an epic about the Trojan War, but its meaning goes deeper than that. The Iliad is not only a story of the evolution of Achilleus' persona, but at times it is an anti-war epic as well. The final book proposes many questions to the reader. Why not end with the killing of Hektor? Most stories of war conclude with the triumphant victory of good over evil, but in the Iliad, the final thoughts are inclined to the mourning of the defeated Hektor, which accentuates the fact that good has not triumphed over evil, but simply Achilleus triumphed over Hektor. Ending with the mourning of Hektor also brings to center stage for the first time the human side of war and the harsh aftermath of it. We see that war not only brings great glory, but also much suffering and anguish. Homer puts his anti-war views on display.
The men of the Iliad are very emotional and prideful. Achilles and Agamemnon jealously feud over Briseis, a war prize that neither man particularly values. Even though Briseis is seen as a possession she plays a key part in the battle for Troy. Perhaps the war would have ended much sooner if Achilles and Agamemnon could have settled their differences instead of fighting. Not only is Briseis viewed as a prize of war, but the real issue dividing Agamemnon and Achilles is petty jealousy and pride. Achilles is willing to risk the lives of his compatriots and eventually f...
A hero is one who willingly and eagerly confronts death, and three Greek words embody the heroic code: aristos, arete, and aristeia. Aristos is being the best at whatever is called for by the situation: in wartime, killing; in peacetime, husbandry; in seamanship, steering. To be known as the best requires aristeia--exploits which gain for the warrior the prestige of having comrades consider him possessed of arete, merit. Arete can only be bestowed by others, not by self. In the world of the Iliad what the world thinks of you is far more important than what you think of yourself. Indeed, it is what you think of yourself. Fame and glroy, kleos, can only be achieved through action. This is why the withdrawal of Achilleus from the battle is such a devastating decision: without exploits he has no identity and can only sit in his shelter singing about fame and glory instead of achieving it. Achilleus is no longer aristos, the best of the Achaians, when Agamemnon succeeds in depriving ...