Agamemnon And Achilles's Emotions In The Iliad

The Iliad is a riveting tale of violence and rage amongst heartbreak and tragedy, where a range of emotions are evoked through various events and decisions made by the characters throughout. Some of these characters act on impulse, while others think over with others and themselves to find the best course of action and do what they feel would be the best, be it for their families or their people, or for themselves alone. Through such feelings, certain events play out that either work out to the favor of the characters, or the exact opposite. Characters like Achilles and Agamemnon act on their anger, often going beyond what would be deemed reasonable and even affecting the events following. Achilles’ anger was triggered by Agamemnon’s arrogance

82-97, pg 232). This had caused Agamemnon to get mad, regardless of the fact it was thanks to his very doing that this happened; Calchas was merely informing them of the god’s actions. Agamemnon angrily states that Calchas has never given him a “good omen yet” and that “nothing good ever happens” (I, 11. 113-16, pg. 232-233). He admits, though, that it is true that he did decide to keep Chryses’ daughter because he likes her better than his own wife, his selfish nature apparent. He so graciously agrees to give up the girl to cease the raining of arrows, but he expects another gift ready for himself right away that he deems fair enough for someone of his importance. Agamemnon decides to take away Achilles’ prize of Briseis, a captured woman (I, 11. 195-97, pg. 234). He makes this decision just to show how much of a stronger man he deems himself as in comparison to Achilles, on top of using it as a punishment for Achilles for leaving to Phitia and not assisting him with returning Chryseis, as well as insulting him. Later on though, this original sense of arrogance simmers down and he is instead offering bountiful gifts to Achilles in an attempt to make amends and have Achilles “give up his grudge” (Book IX, 11. 120-61 pg.

Hector is shown to be devoted to this war between the Trojans and Greeks, and shows this when he refuses wine from his mother Hecuba when he first returns to Priam’s palace, telling her that it will only make him weak, and that instead she should go to the temple of Athena and pray that she pity Troy and its people (Book VI, 11. 275-88, pg. 249). Returning back home and making his way to his brother Paris’ house, Hector is completely ready to chastise him, showing his anger towards him as needed for not being out there and fighting in the war he himself caused (VI, 11. 342-47, pg. 251) but rather sitting in his house with his armor and weapons surrounding him. Hector is also given the opportunity to lay with Helen and relax, but instead says “my heart is out there with our fighting men” (VI, 11. 380, pg. 252). This makes it evident that he is a noble man and that his only purpose now is to fight with the Trojans, seeing himself as “One of the best, to fight in Troy’s ranks” (VI, 11. 467, pg. 254). He says that he must go seek out his wife Andromache and his infant son Astyanax, because he knows there is a chance that in the midst of the war he might perish. This