Importance Of Achilles In The Iliad

The correlation between Homeric rhetoric and judgment of character and ethos is not a complex concept. According to Todd Frobish, one’s character is based on one’s actions and ability. If a man is old and not as strong or capable as the young, one of his only useful actions is in the counseling of kings and the building of morale; both obviously actions and talents of language, not brawn (pg. 22-23). If a man is young, he is expected to fight with strength and bravery (pg. 23-24). There are those who hold both sets of skills, but common men, and even uncommon heroes, are not expected to be exceptional at both. However, though this system works for many, it does not always work for unfamiliar motives for actions. So, we see that the embassy

What is required of Achilles is that he carry out his role of hero and finish the war for his countrymen. His character is, therefore, mostly tentative throughout the Iliad. The quality of his character, which is ambiguous throughout the Iliad, is ambiguous because Achilles was unwilling to fight in the war. In the end, of course, after the fall of his best friend, Patroclus, Achilles fulfilled his prophetic role and won the war”().

Achilles’ character is tempered by his actions, specifically his actions in battle. The warrior is expected to be brave, daring, and strong, and these character traits are best shown and strengthened on the slaughter-fields before

Frobish writes “[i]t seems reasonable, then, that a man who possesses both sets of attributes [eloquence and strength] will likely be seen as exceptional in character, perhaps godlike. However, for most of the poem, we must judge Achilles on his inaction, not on his action. Frobish says earlier that “[o]ne’s character, then, rests entirely upon one’s actions as reasonable and expected responses to the situation at hand” (pg. 19). Again, we must judge character based on reasonable action. Achilles to this point has only shown that he can talk and not that he is a good fighter. But, he has shown how prideful and self-absorbed he is. The gods show through their actions over and over again both their godly pride and their eloquence and strength. Achilles, however, does not act, nor does he act as the embassy and his society expected. There for, he cannot be considered god-like because of his actions, because he didn’t