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The character of achilles in the iliad
The character of achilles in the iliad
The character of achilles in the iliad
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Misopeliades tell the men that he thinks it’s a bad idea for Achilles to go and fight in war because he never does anything right. Misopeliades feels Achilles will only make things worse than what they are already. Misopeliades thinks he is only thinking of going to the war because he wants to be seen as respected by his people. The whole war wouldn’t be as bad if Achilles didn’t become so enraged over such a little situation.
We as the have to come into agreement to our decision on the war. Or we can find a hero who can save us from this crisis. Later on Achilles prays to his mother, the sea-nymph Thetis, to ask Zeus,king of the gods,to punish the Achaeans. But the end of the plague on the Achaeans only marks the beginning of worse suffering. The war has still continued for Ten years we are losing men by the minute.
Achilles believes that even the meekest life exceeds the most honorable death. This encounter makes Odysseus realize he values his life over glory, making him more cautious and less likely to act out of pride. Though his experiences at sea chip away at his pride, Odysseus’ most distinct display of humility occurs after he arrives at Ithaca. Athena disguises Odysseus as an old beggar to safely let him reach his kingdom. “He resolved, however, to endure it and keep himself in check.”
In the beginning of book 2, Zeus sends a dream message to Agamemnon where he tells Agamemnon false information that gods are all united in seeing Troy fall and that Greeks should attack. Convinced by this message, Agamemnon calls for an assembly to convince the other leaders and the rest of the army to attack Troy. During the aftermath of this assembly, a very telling interaction between a great hero of this epic and the common soldiers happens when Odysseus is trying to rally the men back to fight after they were in the processes of leaving. Odysseus urges the men to fight by beating the common soldiers and yelling, “ You there, who do you think you are?Sit Still and listen to your betters. You’re a weakling, Unfit for combat, a nothing in
Furthermore, it would make him more confident and assertive, which will help him lead himself and others better. 2. Nestor tells Telemachus that the Trojan War was very long and tough and that his father, Odysseus, was very helpful in the war. Also, Nestor says that when they returned home, Menelaus and Agamemnon got into an argument of when they should embark. Menelaus suggested that they left as soon as possible, but Agamemnon wanted to stay longer so that they can give sacrifices to Athena.
Achilles’ anger has lead to him committing cruel behavior; a large majority of the horrific violence within Homer’s story, comes from Achilles’ relentless rage. But is his rage truly without proper cause and justification? King Agamemnon forced Achilles’ to hand over his beloved Briseis to him, which caused Achilles to withdraw his men from the Achaean army. Achilles’ closest
Patroclus tries to persuade Achilles by telling him to “at least send him out, let him lead a troop of Myrmidons” so that he can “light the way for their army” (Homer 16.43-44). Patroclus expresses that he loves the Greeks too much to just sit around at the camp. He feels very emotional for his friend, so he wants to take his place and fight this war for him. Patroclus still has a mindset that “If the Trojans think” he is Achilles then “they’ll back off and give the Greeks some breathing space” (Homer 16.44-46). Patroclus believes his cleverness can outdo the Trojans in battle.
After Patroclus's death Achilles does reenter battle. Thetis has Hephaestus forge Achilles another legendary suit of armor with which to fight in. He does so and Achilles goes on An absolutely insane murder spree unlike any other surge within the epic. He does so without any help from the gods as well unlike all of the other mortal's outbursts. He slays every main character on the Trojan side and then chases Hector four times around the city.
In the Iliad, Achilles is responding to Odysseus’s speech attempting to convince him to return to the war. Achilles’ main argument against returning is his incalculable rage against Agamemnon for “the prize of honor / The warlord Agamemnon gave me / And in his insulting arrogance took back” which is not only an insult to Achilles’ status, but also to his honor as a warrior (Il. 9.378-379). In addition to focusing on the main argument of Achilles’ speech, it is worth noting the contradictions present within his speech as well.
Agamemnon’s taking of Briseis enrages Achilles and spurs him to remove himself from the war, leading to a massive death toll in the Achaean forces. In stealing Briseis from Achilles, he is not only robbing of him of a material prize, but also a symbol of honor, his geras, in Greek culture. In retaliation, Achilles removes himself from the war and prays to his mother, Thetis, that she will ask Zeus to damage the Achaean forces. Achilles’ only goal is that “even mighty Atrides can see how mad he was to disgrace Achilles” (1.488-490). Despite having no true grievance against the Achaean army as a whole, Achilles’ rage blinds him from the potential harm that may befall his troops.
If I stay here and fight before the city of Troy, there will be no home- coming for me but my fame shall never die; if I go home to my native land, there will be no great fame for me, but I shall live long and not die an early death.” (Homer 110) This shows that he is selfishness and fearful at the same time of losing and dying in the war. In the very beginning of the Iliad, King Agamemnon and Achilles have an argument for a couple of different reasons. After, the Achians won a battle against a city that was allied with the Trojans each of them received a prize consisted of a young woman from the war.
We see this taking place when Achilles is trying to convince Agamemnon to give the girl back to her father. He says in line 150, “We Achaeans will pay you back…if Zeus will grant us the gift, somehow, someday, to raze Troy’s massive ramparts to the ground.” Achilles is offering to repay for his honor later on, when they conquer Troy. Agamemnon refuses again, however, this shows
Achilles is maddened and appeals to his goddess mother saying, “If I am to die soon, shouldn’t I have what I want?” Feeling only sorrow for her son, Thetis requests Zeus to cause to Greeks to lose until Achilles fights again. Slowly the Greeks are pushed back farther and Agamemnon pleads with Achilles, offering Briseis back. Achilles declines due to his pride and the Trojans come close to burn the Greek ships. Even when a ship was burning, Achilles refused to fight and instead sends out Patroclus.
(R 23-35). The Greeks hearing Achilles return, gain strength, will and perseverance to carry on the war. The responsibility that Achilles takes plays massive role, affecting the men 's actions throughout the
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.
