ipl-logo

Achilles In Iliad

955 Words4 Pages

When studying epics like Homer’s “Iliad,” the question of why these stories are still relevant in today’s society, is often posed. The simple answer to this question is that Homer perfectly captures the human emotions through love and loss. One of the most relatable moments in this epic is Achilles refusal to return to the battlefield, as it shows the conflicting societal expectation and personal desire. In a society build on the glorification of personal achievement, it become tremendously difficult to dedicate oneself to anything else.
Achilles is historically thought of as a great warrior; however, it is often forgotten that behind his tough exterior and military accomplishments there is a sensitive young man being faced with difficult …show more content…

Achilles mentions, “The son of Atreus treated me like dirt in public, as if I were some worthless tramp” (page 177, line 670). Achilles brings this up because he was publicly stripped of the spoils of war, but Agamemnon is attempting to apologize out of the view of Achilles’ peers. He is separating himself from a situation that makes him unhappy, and is being criticised for being a coward after fighting for 9 years. Achilles has nothing to gain from a victory over Troy, and yet he fights for spoils he has no use for, but after having the few things he has gained in the course of the war taken away he lost faith in the warriors mindset. The people around you can have a huge impact on how you perform in a certain task, I have had teachers who believed that I could do know wrong and had wonderful experiences in those classes. However, the opposite is also true, if a leader does not think about the toll they exact on you, it becomes easier to step aside and no longer participate. I once had a theater teacher who would require a larger time commitment, which I agreed to, but when I was not allowed to be on the stage despite working tirelessly on everything that was asked of me, it became apparent that my teacher did not respect me or my time. In this situation, I had to take myself out of the class in order to spare my own feelings as well as leave a positive environment for the rest of the class. Achilles does the same thing in the “Iliad,” because if he had to continue fighting the trojans while enraged by his commanding office, he could have let his temper spread to the other Greek

Show More
Related
689 Words | 3 Pages

Asking For a Favor in The Iliad (Asking/ begging for a favor from another person) Asking for a favor can be a difficult thing, but when a loved one is at risk, most will stop at nothing to aid the one in need. In the Iliad, Thetis is faced with an opportunity to help her son Achilles, when his armor is taken by the Trojans. She goes to Hephaestus in her time of need, and informs him of the situation. Luckily, Hephaestus owes Thetis a favor.

Read More
362 Words | 2 Pages

Fritz Oehlschlaegar links the meaning of “The Lottery” to patriarchy. He suggests that the event was a depiction of the way the male dominated over women sexuality in the society. According to the author, women gave birth to many children to increase their survival probabilities during the “The Lottery”. He also discusses the conflict between male authority and women resistance. He suggests that the women did not support the event, felt it was unfair but could not however raise their opinions since they were submissive to their husbands, and were controlled by the men.

Read More
963 Words | 4 Pages

The Iliad is a mild representation of a very precise feeling of emotion that connects with the texts; Petersen’s Troy and Malouf’s novel Ransom. Imagery is visualised by having the characters assemble between the setting of the text to show a greater understanding to all readers and/or viewers. Through exploring the personal concepts of Homer’s Book XXIV of The Iliad; it could be argued that finalising the ‘glory of war’ is set upon ‘celebration’. It is of great power to have such awe in such a defined character mindset. “Imagine a king who fights his own battles.

Read More
751 Words | 4 Pages

Achilles, the main character of Homer’s epic The Iliad evolved throughout the epic in many ways. The story helps Achilles development as a person. In the beginning of the epic we see Achilles with many flaws and by the end of the epic we see him move past from his flaws and see him overcome them.

Read More
830 Words | 4 Pages

In similar fashion Achilles was called to action by Agamemnon when the Greeks went to war with the Trojans. Achilles accepts Agamemnon’s call half-heartedly due to the two of them not getting along the best. Achilles refuses to fight the Trojans until they reach the Greek ships. His attitude would soon change when he learns that his cousin has been killed by Hector. Learning this Achilles then challenges Hector to a duel that would leave Hector lifeless.

Read More
1162 Words | 5 Pages

The Iliad by Homer is perhaps one of the greatest literary works ever crafted. Having remained culturally relevant for thousands of years, the epic poem depicts life and death in the midst of war. However, Homer’s tale isn’t really about physical war. Instead, Homer expertly crafts a tale about the war each human fights when they determine his or her values. On one side of the war is Achilleus, self-centered and emotional, doing only what pleases him.

Read More
1002 Words | 5 Pages

Through the ages, grandiose tales of monsters and heroes have been told and retold either by oral tradition or written for future generations to learn from those who have come before them. To the Greek culture, these stories represent what it means to be a man, a patriarch, and the hero that can accomplish anything with a little help from the gods. In both, the Odyssey and Medea, the heroes have accomplished extraordinary feats that sets them on a path to a better future, not just for them, but for their children as well. In Homer’s Odyssey, Odysseus has taken a long journey to come home to his Greek wife, in contrast, in Euripides’ Medea, Jason takes a journey with his Colchian wife to settle in a new home in Greece. In the end, Odysseus is able to accomplish great feats of bravery and enjoy the remainder of his life, but Jason fails at his attempt to forge a life beyond his great feats of bravery.

Read More
1517 Words | 7 Pages

The Song of Achilles tells the story of a Greek hero, Achilles, whose name can easily be recognized as one of the great heroes of the mythical and legendary Trojan War. Yet a completely different picture is painted in Madeline Miller’s version of the story. While Achilles started out as the same familiar hero, Miller’s version was eventually overcome by the allure of fame and glory which were so important to the Greeks. Every action Achilles took was for to protect his own honor and glory, regardless of those being slaughtered around him as the war continued onwards. After the leader of the army made a foolish decision that leads to a disagreement with Achilles, Achilles and his army left the battle, and did not return even after the men beg, or after a women was raped, or even after the scales were tipped away from their favor through a deal Achilles’ goddess mother made with Zeus, king of the gods.

Read More
977 Words | 4 Pages

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.

Read More
995 Words | 4 Pages

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)”

Read More
1061 Words | 5 Pages

Those who breath with absolute ego are subject to the worst sins of all. Indeed, the Greeks believed that one of the greatest flaw a man can ever live with was hubris, extreme pride and arrogance which ultimately led to actions of self-harm. It is just intriguing how much emphasis is produced on the convention of hubris to convey the theme of pride and anger leading to suffering and even destruction in this two famous Greek literature, Homer’s The Iliad and Sophocles’ Oedipus the King. In many ways, the excessive pride of certain characters in both literature incites and triggers their own downfall and ruin, which express the author’s huge awareness to the theme.

Read More
1570 Words | 7 Pages

In the epic poem, the Iliad written by Homer, several characters taking part in the warfare between the Achaeans and the Trojans are portrayed as embodying the heroic code of courage, physical strength, leadership, arete of value of honour, and the acceptance of fate. The heroic code is illustrated by the actions of the Trojan prince, Hector and the Achaeans strongest warrior, Achilles. Both of these characters display the Greek’s image of a hero, and can also let the reader discern what the society admires, looks up to and aspires to in its heroes. There are also characters who fail to be heroic, such as the Trojan “vivid and beautiful” prince, Paris. These characters in the Iliad illustrate the qualities that Ancient Greek society values.

Read More
394 Words | 2 Pages

Hubris is one of the many themes that were brought up in the Iliad. Its definition is extreme pride and arrogance shown by a person that will bring downfall to that person or to others. The first time this theme is brought up is when Helen leaves with Paris. Agamemnon uses Helen as an excuse to rile up all the Greek kings. Agamemnon knew that if they beat Troy, then he would control a major passage of trade which would make him the undisputed ruler of all of Greece.

Read More
662 Words | 3 Pages

In Homer’s ancient work The Iliad, there are many forces of leadership at work, both strong models and poor examples. The two focal leaders in The Iliad are Agamemnon and Achilles. Both these characters exemplify leadership, but in drastically different ways. Agamemnon is immediately recognized as an authority because of his political standing; he is the leader in all technical meanings of the word. However, on Achilles part, it is his character and actions that earn him the recognition of a leader.

Read More
1512 Words | 7 Pages

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.

Read More

More about Achilles In Iliad

Related Topics

Open Document