Agamemnon Rites Of Passage Analysis

In western storytelling any hero worth the title of hero must go through some kind of rites of passage. In Homer’s The Iliad, the greek leader Agamemnon exemplifies all three stages of the rites of passage. The first stage of the rites, is separation. Separation is the stage in which the hero has a detachment from their duties or expectations. To understand what Agamemnon has been separated from, we must first explore what is expected of him. Agamemnon is a Basileus, greek for Chieftain. A Basileus is leader that rules only because his people allow him to. He is expected to have great rhetorical skills, be a skilled warrior, and the point that causes Agamemnon’s separation, a Basileus must be fair. In this specific instance, Agamemnon is ugly and unfair by refusing to accept a legitimate ransom from Chryseis, for the priest’s daughter. He not only refuses, but he taunts the old man

The basileus finds himself entirely humbled by his misadventure of a speech. Agamemnon is drowning here and does what good leaders do, uses his teammates’ strengths. His commander Odysseus is known for his silver tongue. With the help of Agamemnon’s scepter, Odysseus is able to get the men to return, and list to their leader once more. By putting his pride aside for a moment to allow Odysseus to help him Agamemnon does what’s best for his community. In the eyes of the ancient Greeks, his action is one of the most beautiful things a person can do. By accepting help Agamemnon is able to understand and admit his own flaws; he tells his men “Achilles and I are quarrelling about this girl, in which matter I was the first to offend”(Gutenberg). In showing his humility, and being able to speak so soundly he gains a “roar of applause” from the men who just deserted him shows that Agamemnon has once again returned to his full glory as a Basileus