Achilles's Rage In The Iliad

The Breaking Point Rage - weaving itself into the thread of humans daily lives, it often finds a way of creeping up without warning. Whether it comes from a snide comment from someone at work, or even a long line at the DMV, anger presents itself in even the most miniscule moments of everyday routines. A degree of anger in life is normal; in rare cases, though, the rage felt throughout daily lives builds up to a breaking point, more often than not precipitating deadly and permanent consequences. One of these rare cases, showcased in The Iliad, presents the story of a man who lets his rage get the best of him, affecting not only the people closest to him, but thousands of other men. Fueled by the insurmountable anger Agamemnon and Hector spark, Achilles’ intense wrath ultimately leads to the slaughter of thousands of Achaean fighters, and seals his own fate to die through his fight to avenge Patroclus’ death, thus highlighting the overarching, irreversible, and tragic effects of stubborn rage. A major, direct result of Achilles’ rage results in the death of countless Achaean soldiers, stressing the concept that intense rage leads to tragic outcomes both in the lives of its bearer and countless others close to them. Toward the

Throughout the course of the epic, deadly consequences stem from unchecked rage such as the slaughter of an entire people and even the doomed fate of Achilles himself. Along the timeline of modern American history, i.e The Civil War, or The American Revolution, the relevance of The Iliad and its thematic concept of rage and honor parallels the cause of many other if not all of these wars throughout the years of contemporary history. Rage and differences among men spark the irreversible and tragic acts of violence perpetuated throughout these wars, giving credence to the idea that rage is the great motivator behind all major historic events- arguably even into modern