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Achilles Legacy Essay

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A legacy in death is the influence that a person leaves behind after they pass away, affected by many factors and everchanging. It implies that one's life should be lived with the intention of having a significant and good influence on society that will be remembered and carried on after death. The idea of legacy in death is commonly illustrated in literature by characters who, whether on design or not, strive to leave a lasting imprint by their life work, relationships or actions. Furthermore, this character's eventual death frequently symbolizes a larger legacy that they may not have been aware of. Intentional or not, incorporating legacies in literature, especially in death, often develop into a larger social context that is observed over …show more content…

Based on Homer’s epic poem, Iliad, Achilles is a brave and loyal warrior with a tragic element, setting his tragic and complex legacy of bravery and honour. Despite his legacy in Iliad, Troilus and Cressida approach his character differently to fit the set satirical tone of the play. It portrays Achilles in a more prideful nature that is observed throughout the play by his own words and the observations of others. For example: “The great Achilles, whom opinion crowns the sinew and the forehand of our host, having his ear full of his airy fame, grows dainty of his worth” (Shakespeare 1.3), similarly, “My sweet Patroclus, I am thwarted quite from my great purpose in tomorrow’s battle” (5.1). Therefore, both Iliad and Troilus and Cressida’s characterization of Achilles differ significantly, changing the tone of the legacy to fit the story being …show more content…

However, Sejanus does differ from Achilles in the sense that Sejanus is prideful in all versions of his story, and it is his only legacy, while Achilles’ prideful legacy was adapted and interpreted just for that play. As a Roman soldier, and close ally of the Roman Emperor, Tiberius, Sejanus feels entitled to power and is blind to the dangers it puts him in. Eventually, "his pride, and thirst of greatness, / Made him neglect those friends, that might have been / His helps, and sought out mine, that could be none, / But in his ruin." (Jonson 1.1). Therefore, Sejanus: His Fall becomes a cautionary tale, warning readers of the dangers of pride. His legacy begins as that of strength and loyalty, but quickly becomes a legacy of betrayal and deceit, explaining how his malicious actions and betrayal led to his execution. Similarly to Achilles, Sejanus has let his pride take over his actions and as a result, "he that's once bitten with ambition's pest, / All other passions, in that only, dies. (5.8), and both Achilles and Sejanus become symbols of how pride destroys humanity, taking over all other emotions. Overall, Achilles and Sejanus’ legacies in death transform from legacies of bravery and strength, to that of pride and danger, enhancing a larger message within both plays – a warning against

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Achilles vs Hektor The Iliad, an epic poem by Homer, takes place in the tenth year of the Trojan War. Recalling important events that take place bringing the war to an end the poem uses figurative language and literary devices to enhance its characters, presenting similarities and differences between how the characters handle specific situations and how they deal with the concept of masculinity. For example Homer uses the method of literary foils. A foil is a character that depicts traits that differ with the traits of another character. In The Iliad, Achilles and Hektor are foil characters.

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He becomes a whole different person at the end of the poem in order to respect the wishes of his dead friend, Patroclus. When approached by Antilochus the news of his beloved friend passing, Achilles dishonors himself and completely takes the blame for it. Even though Hector was the one who took down Patroclus, Achilles feels that it was his fault for not defending him in the first place. This changes Achilles' character because he is known to be egocentric and selfish, however, in this situation he almost became human and took fault for what had happened. Achilles had become obsessive over the glory that he was favored with but, now he wishes only to die and regrets that his mother even gave birth to him.

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When Patraclous is killed Achilles returns to the battle after he said we will not be fighting for the Achaeans because of the insult that it was made to his honor. He decided to go back and kill Hector for killing his best friend and most loved person, and to get the body which illustrate the idea of the glory after life. The idea of family honor adds a new level of understanding how important is pride is in ancient Greek literature. Another Example of this can be shown when Achilles kills hector, The reaction of Priam Hector’s father. Priam says “I have gone through what no other mortal on earth has gone through; I put my lips to the hands of the man who has killed my children (Homer, Iliad 24.505)”

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Achilles is seen to be full of wrath in the beginning of the book. This wrath is not caused only because Agamemnon takes his prize of war. He is angry at the system which allows Agamemnon to play around with other people’s honors and the system which allows him to decide who gets how much honor. In other words, Achilles does not like the idea that someone else can decide what happens to his honor, despite him deserving most of the honor in relation to how much he contributes in war. As the story proceeds, Achilles seems to contradict himself a lot, and the concept of honor helps us understand this better.

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Iliad is recognized as one of the most famous ancient monuments of literature. The full understanding of this epic poem is hardly possible without thorough analysis of its main characters. Among all the episodes of the Trojan War, Homer chooses the moment of Achilles’ wrath and thus creates a poem in which he becomes the central figure. From the Ancient Greeks’ point of view, Achilles represents the ideal of manliness and pure heroism, for he is brave and fights for heroics, not profits. Today, one can agree with this interpretation, yet Achilles is probably the most controversial character because he combines various personality traits and acts in accordance with his ambiguous nature.

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