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Achilles Rage In The Iliad

669 Words3 Pages

Book one of The Iliad opens with a very powerful phrase that essentially sets up many of the essential themes that will be discussed throughout the Iliad. It reads, "Rage — Goddess, sing the rage of Peleus' son Achilles" (77). Homer brilliantly sets up the important idea that will be discussed throughout Book one of The Iliad which discusses Achilles’ rage. Throughout the beginning of Homer’s The Iliad, Achilles is seen as a man who is very one minded in his ways. He always wants to get his way and is often portrayed as stubborn, harsh, and impatient. The poem opens with Achilles being the center of attention. We learn that Achilles’ rage has caused the death of many of his soldiers and friends. Patroclus was unfortunately one of the members …show more content…

He wants to be recognized as the most superior warrior among the Achaeans and feels he is not gaining the proper respect. This is only one of the many things that sets Achilles off. When Briseis is taken away by Agamemnon, this only makes Achilles more frustrated. He is not upset because he had a romantic relationship with her, he is upset because she was given as a prize by Agamemnon for valor. When Achilles finds out that Briseis is going to be taken by Agamemnon it only further aggravates him. This also completely devalues Achilles contribution as a warrior. This can be seen when Agamemnon says, “But I, I will be there in person at your tents to take Briseis in all her beauty your own prize—so you can learn just how much greater I am than you and the next man may shrink from matching words with me" …show more content…

Apollo spreads a plague among the Archean army, killing many. “Incensed at the king he swept a fatal plague through the army—men we dying and all because Agamemnon spurned Apollo’s priest” (77). We can also see the influence of the gods during the fight between Agamemnon and Achilles. Athena, the goddess of wisdom, completely persuades him to fight Agamemnon with his words rather than killing him with a sword. The most dominant theme however is the idea of honor. Both Achilles and Agamemnon want to bring honor to their troops and most importantly to the gods. It is almost like they are fighting for attention and one is trying to kick the other one off of the throne. Both Agamemnon and Achilles can be seen as selfish as both prioritize their individual honor as opposed to the well-being of the Achaean forces. This ultimately ends up distracting them from fighting the

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