The Iliad may be seen as an account of circumstances that really change the life of one man, Achilles, one of the greatest Achaeans warriors. The loyal war hero is the main character in the Iliad. It is his storyline that creates the essence of the epic war written by Homer. When the poem is first read it seems as though the main theme is about the dominance, gruesomeness, horror, and plain destruction of Troy, however this is not the main focus. We see Achilles transform from youth to adulthood and go through fundamental personality and character changes from a ferocious warrior in the beginning to a more reserved and hospitable man by the end of the poem. Nine years after the start of the Trojan War, the Achaeans attack Chryse, a small town …show more content…
This causes major problems for between them and almost actually pushes Achilles to take revenge however Achilles does not actually threaten to kill Agamemnon. Athena comes down from Olympus and stops him (Iliad). Now the story of Achilles’ love for Patroclus and everything he would do for …show more content…
Achilles, already regarded as one of the greatest fighters, speaks of Hector in a proper manner, respectful manner, taking into account his numerous heroic feats. Eventually, the two fight a magnificent battle, where Achilles’ Fury is too much for Hector, and he is killed. Ironically, Hectors brother, Paris, shoots him in the heel, killing him. There is plenty of evidence in this passage to show that Achilles’ ultimate goal in life was not to be wealthy, happy or famous but rather, to be heroic and glorious. Achilles proved that his principles rank higher than desire for fame on the battlefield. In the Iliad, Achilles fulfills a common convention within epic literature with his movement in perspective throughout the poem from an ignorant man of superficial thought to sensitive arbiter of divine will. By examining this path, leading to an understanding of our universe, with all of its twists and turns of glorious distraction, one can possibly gain insight into his or her own road of life and its multi-faceted approaches to spiritual fulfillment. For Achilles, this meant giving up his own humanity to perceive the individual needs of others. Through this pity, most notably for Priam, Achilles became less selfish and self-absorbed than he was in the past and finally discovered the possibilities within himself that lay beyond the Achilles’ heel that