Facing A Human Character In Homer's The Iliad

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In Book I of The Iliad we see various instances in which a god or goddess interferes in influencing a particular choice facing a human character. For instance, when Achilles and Agamemnon are having a dispute over Agamemnon wanting to take Achilles’ war prize “Briseis,” goddess of wisdom Athena, sent by Hera her mother, appears to Achilles right when he is about to snap and kill Agamemnon. Athena persuades him to standoff and give Agamemnon what he wants. She promises Achilles that in doing so more will be given to him. Goddess Athena uses a clever method of persuasion with Achilles by appealing to one of his weakness which is the great desire that Achilles has to be appreciated and honored with prizes for his magnificent skills of great warrior. …show more content…

Achilles complains due to that now that he has finally been given a “good” prize Agamemnon wants to take it from him. Achilles himself states “And now you’re threatening to take away the prize that I sweated for...I never get a prize equal to yours...No, I do all the dirty work with my own hands, And when the battle’s over...You get the lion’s share and I go back to my ships With some pitiful little thing, so worn out from fighting I don’t have the strength left even to complain...Far better To head home...than stay here, Unhonored myself and piling up a fortune for you” (Homer, 133 172-178). Achilles’ argument not only shows his rageous hatred and anger towards Agamemnon, but it also shows that he feels unhonored for his work by mentioning that Agamemnon always takes the best of the victories and just gives him the remainings of what he did not want when Achilles is the one that does all the

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