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Self-Preservation Of Achilles In The Iliad

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Achilles was a Greek warrior in the Trojan war. He was a self-preserving person and it showed through his actions, temper, and pride. Achilles did not care about anyone else but himself. Achilles' actions can be seen in many different ways, but some can definitely prove that he is self-preserving. In Book Sixteen of the Iliad, line 2, Patroclus is upset because the war is not going well for the Greeks, so he cries to Achilles for comfort, but all he does is tell to grow up and stop crying (Homer). Patroclus was always his best friend, but he still manages to only care about himself. Book Sixteen in the Iliad, line 166 shows that instead of being in the war, Achilles is standing on the sides cheering them on to kill each other (Homer). Achilles could have used his mighty power to help save people, but he only cared about how he survived. The actions of Achilles were not the selfless kind. …show more content…

Before the war Agamemnon and he had an argument as shown Book Two of the Iliad, line 377. It said "For I and Achilles fought together for a girl's sake in words' violent encounter" (Homer). Agamemnon was going to give him Briseus back, but Achilles knew that it was exactly like what happened between Helen, Paris, and Menelaus, so they fought for many days. During the fight with Agamemnon he said to him, "O wrapped in shamelessness, with your mind forever on profit, how shall any one of the Achaians readily obey you either to go on a journey or to fight men strongly in battle?"(Homer) It can be seen in Book One of the Iliad, line 49. Achilles is saying that with Agamemnon's focus on the prize for himself that no one will want to follow him. Sometimes Achilles does not hold his tongue like he

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In the epic poem, the Illiad by Homer, Achilles is the most courageous character. For example, Achilles avenges his best friend Patroclus death by battling Hector for revenge. After Achilles is informed about Patroclus death he says, "if Hector does not feel my battering spear tear the life out of him, making him pay in his own blood for the slaughter of Patroclus!" (ln 28-30). His bravery shines through this act because he puts himself out there to avenge his friends death.

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The tension between Greeks and Trojans in the story of Iliad changes several times. Nowhere is this more obvious than the character of Achilles in response to Patroclus’ death in particular. This quoted passage is from Book Twenty-One when Achilles gives a speech to Trojan prince Lycaon rejecting Lycaon’s plea for pity after Achilles returns to the battlefield and captures Lycaon. In this excerpt, Achilles contrasts the former and the present way he treats the Trojans, changing from saving their lives to killing them all.

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Achilles throughout this story showed a different kind of hero. He didn’t have the most selfless attitude or the most kind personality, but he was able to help the achaeans and let Priam and the Trojan people mourn

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In Book Nine of The Iliad, the focus is of the story is on the character of Achilles, the desperation the Achaeans suffer in their need for this great warrior as well as his refusal to return into the fighting to assist his comrades, due to his rage with Agamemnon. In particular, one of the most important scenes of Book Nine is from approximately line 443 through line 473, in which Achilles bluntly refuses the gifts offered to him by Agamemnon in recompense for stealing away Achilles’ war-prize Briseis. This passage demonstrates the depth of the rage of Achilles as well as his sense of pride, as he chooses to remain absent from the fighting, even in the Achaeans’ moment of sheer desperation, due to his deep hatred for Agamemnon. As

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Achilles faced some obstacles along way mentally and physically when he hears the news that his bestest friend has been killed by hector and he returns to war ,Achilles faced some difficult time grieving for the death

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How can he take time to nurture his relationships when the only bond he nurtures is with the slot machine? Similarly, the warriors in “The Iliad” believe, in the defiance of the odds, that they may be the next to slaughter a mighty Achaean or Trojan warrior. We see this reflected in Achilles’ in his utterance on Aeneas, “Never, never again will he have the nerve to test my fighting power—even now he was glad to save himself from death.” These men take the opinions and appraisals of their fellow men more seriously than the plaintive requests of their families. Those who do not love them, the fellow members of their army, possess the leverage and power to criticize their character and render judgments that weigh more heavily on their-self worth.

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In Homer’s The Iliad, epic hero Achilles serves as an example of how rage, when unchecked, leads to disastrous repercussions. Achilles, though nearly superhuman in his physical abilities, struggles repeatedly to contain his anger. Throughout The Iliad, as Achilles’ fury compounds, the consequences of his actions become catastrophic, eventually leading to the death of his best friend, Patroclus. Although Achilles ultimately chooses to avenge Patroclus’ death and achieve his own kleos, or honor, his rage-driven actions lead to the death of many Achaean soldiers, and change the course of his fate.

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