Who Is Achilles In The Iliad

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In The Iliad, cultural surroundings such as love of honor and glory, influence of gods and goddesses, and predestination shape the psychological and moral traits of Achilles and the overall piece. The piece itself focuses more on the growth and development of an individual character, that being Achilles, than on the Trojan war itself. The immortals affect his fate and the outcomes of different events. Throughout the story, his glory and rage also influences the fates of many.

The Greeks love of glory is a cultural influence and is portrayed as an essential ingredient in life - but only in moderation. Major battles were a way for some to find opportunities in gaining glory and honor. With Achilles possessing hubris, this is what he chose …show more content…

The gods controlled a large part of the everyday life lived by humans. They decided everything from picking who wins the battles, to picking the fate of the humans who are fighting it. An example of this is when Athena tricks Hector into fighting, giving Achilles the advantage of winning. Achilles listens to the gods and goddesses and thinks of them highly, even after Apollo tricks him while chasing Hector. He trusts them and does what they think best, even when he does not think it is the best decision. He believes in the faith and power of them and this motivates him. With the gods also having done some favors and helping Achilles out, this exalts Achilles as a great hero. He is part demi-god, so this makes him standout with his physical strength and also his fighting abilities. With this recognition of his skills, also comes the recognition of his flaws. He is too proud, is quick to react, and has an enormous amount of rage. Even though the gods might realize that their support for Achilles is possibly not the best choice, they remain with him. In a cultural perspective, this shows that the Greek society did not believe in the overall righteousness of their gods in this time

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