Who Is Achilles A Hero

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“The hero is one who kindles a great light in the world, who sets up blazing torches in the dark streets of life for men to see by” (Adler), but there are many heroes in life that set up torches only to be overshadowed from the scene, and it is the same in many novels as well. The epic The Iliad is a classic example of having hidden heroes. Many readers would argue that the main character Achilles in The Iliad is the hero in this epic, but when compared to a real-life hero Tillman, the side character Patroclus presents himself more as a hero than Achilles. Many consider Achilles to be the hero in The Iliad, however when Achilles is compared to Pat Tillman, conclusions can be made that they were both obstinate in their beliefs and acted accordingly, …show more content…

In The Iliad, Agamemnon is “a king who gorges on his own people” (Homer 1.209), therefore Achilles decides to abandon Agamemnon to make this oppressor understand that there comes “a time, in distress, [he] lack [Achilles’] help, a time when Hector, that man-killer, destroys many warriors” (Homer 1.216-220). Achilles believes that Agamemnon is doing the unjust by taking other’s war prizes for himself, and he acted out against this tyrant without a second thought. However, his actions were rash and inconsiderate. Achilles’ burning rage to the dictatorship of Agamemnon led to Achilles not recognizing that his strife with Agamemnon puts his fellow warriors in a precipice against the greatest Trojan warrior Hector. In comparison, Pat Tillman is a former professional NFL player who gave up on his career to join the army. “These last few years, and especially after recent events,” the 911 attacks and terrorists activities, causes Tillman to join the military to make his life “fuller, richer, and more meaningful,” however he joined right before he and “Marie...are getting married” (Krakauer). Tillman chooses to fight the war on terror instead of continuing to live a life lit up by a bright future because he firmly believed that people needed to be protected

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