In “The Iliad”, Homer portrays Achilles as a superhero of the Achaean army during the Trojan War. Achilles enjoyed a close relationship with the gods and possessed extraordinary strength although he was dominated by anger and rage. According to the poet, Achilles is a proud, merciless, and brutal warrior who eventually defeats Hector; Troy’s best warrior. The poet wrote the poem between the eighth and ninth Century B.C., several years after the actual Trojan war had taken place. The character of Achilles is real as it is presented in the poem although most of the powers that are portrayed through this character are mere fantasies.
Most researchers reckon that the City of Troy was not fictional. In addition, the Trojan War where Achilles is said to be the main warrior took place. Most of the characteristics that are portrayed in the poem about Achilles are realistic representations of any warrior. He is devoted and loyal towards the people who show him love but he is also brutal towards those who harm either him or his beloved ones. Achilles’ soft and emotional side is portrayed when his friend Patroclus (with whom Achiles had a true and deep friendship) was murdered. Achilles “mourned so bitterly to the extent that he did not accept food or dressing during the war” (Strachan 16).
Achilles’ character is determined to avenge the death of his friend. The main character is also consumed by his emotions. Although the story does not talk about his death, it ends on a positive note where Achilles changes his heart, his rage fades, and his immense anger at Agamemnon diminishes. All these developments are a testament to the reality of Achilles’ character. Additionally, even though Achilles and Priam remain enemies, their enmity becomes more respectful and noble. This latter situation portrays the main hero as a real character with real emotions hence the reality of Achilles in “The Iliad” is determinable.
Works Cited
Strachan, Ian. The Iliad, New York: Kingfisher, 1997. Print.
Homer’s The Iliad paints a spiteful, arrogant, and petty picture of Achilles right from the first chapters. The portrayal of Achilles as an ungrateful youngster becomes considerably starker as the tale continues. Nevertheless, Achilles starts to demonstrate traits that would be seen as heroic in modern culture. Achilles has a profound shift in personality with the death of his devoted and valued buddy Patroclus. Achilles sets aside his immature behavior when faced with the genuine horror of death and violence to do what is suitable for his comrade, fellow soldiers, and conscience. In this sense, Achilles’ character development might be compared to how people mature from childhood to adulthood regarding his moral ambiguity.
Homer attempts to contrast Achilles’ early childhood deeds with those of a young kid. Achilles begs his mother to approach Zeus and request that the deity punish the Greeks unless they accord him the respect he merits (Evzonas 2018). Thetis tells Zeus that her son will either have a brief, beautiful life or a lengthy, lifeless one when she visits him. It is hard to see Achilles settling for a longer lifespan without glory, even at this early stage of the epic. However, this is precisely what Achilles intended to accomplish later in the epic. Achilles responds to Agamemnon’s embassy sent to beg the fast runner (Homer, Book 9, line 500):
“…two fates bear me on to the day of death.
If I hold out here and lay siege to Troy,
My journey home is gone, but my glory never dies.
If I voyage back to the fatherland, I love,
My pride, my glory dies…
True, but the life that’s left me will be long,
The stroke of death will not come on me quickly.”
Achilles then urged the remainder of the Greeks to leave Troy and return home. This could suggest that Achilles has put his adolescent bravado behind him, but in the same passage, he blisters Agamemnon. Instead of his prior childishness, his inability to let go of his rage and worry about his future suggests a more teenage or young adult worldview.
Odysseus, Telamonian Ajax, and Phoenix, the three emissaries, all implore Achilles to let out his rage, meaning that they see him as a young man outraged by injustices in the outside world. Odysseus informs Achilles, “Now fail us? What suffering it will cause you in the coming years. When damage has already been done, there is no cure and no therapy” (Homer, Book 9). He adopts a paternal attitude toward Achilles when he recalls Peleus’ final words to him.
With the voice of authority, he forewarns him of the impending anguish. Phoenix adopts a similar tactic, but more overtly: “Great godlike Achilles – I made you my son, I tried, / so someday you would battle catastrophe off my back” (Homer, Book 9). Both of these requests are severely rejected by Achilles, as one might anticipate an adolescent rejecting his parents’ counsel. However, Ajax treats Achilles more like an adult than a child. “Past all the other men, all other Achilles comrades,/we wish to be your nearest, dearest friends,” he says to Achilles (Homer, Book 9). Achilles’ best response to this strategy is still a refusal, which he justifies by saying that Agamemnon’s fury still possesses him.
Several books later, when Patroclus implores Achilles, Achilles first exhibits evidence of having a sense of obligation towards the Greeks. The justification given by Achilles for his continued refusal to engage in the fight is that “Still, by God, I vowed I would not relax my rage, / not until the shouts and carnage reached my ships” (Homer, Book 16, 70). Achilles’ desire to fight is evident from this comment, but he refuses to accept that his first refusal to do so was incorrect. Achilles sends Patroclus, who is armored as a fast runner and in charge of the Myrmidons, in his place. Achilles is morally changing, starting to act responsibly toward his friends, but he still has a vengeful commitment to his rage.
When Patroclus passes away shortly after, Achilles is eventually persuaded to put aside his rage. In the epic’s final book, Achilles’ character undergoes its final development. According to Homer, the gods ordered Achilles to give Priam access to Hector’s body when the king arrived to fetch it. This might be seen as Achilles experiencing a change of mind and recognizing that his hatred toward Hector is equally futile as his fury toward Agamemnon. Therefore, Achilles respects Priam when he arrives to get Hector. Achilles also consents to allow Priam ample time to bury Hector properly (Worman 2017). Achilles is now acting in the epic’s most sympathetic manner.
His acts demonstrate that he finally confronts his anger and realizes it is harmful and futile. He is prepared to carry out his obligation to the Greeks, but he is also prepared to show consideration and respect to his adversaries since they are also people.
In conclusion, it is simple to see how Achilles’ development in The Iliad may be considered morally ambiguous to fairness and violence, but one is to expect that from a maturing child. Achilles’ growth reflects that of a typical person from childhood to adulthood, from the bitter wrath at the outset to the sympathetic regard at the close of the epic. The ideas that first matter to him—honor and glory—slowly give way to more sensible and mature notions of responsibility, respect, and compassion.
Achilles is one of the main heroic characters presented in Homer’s The Iliad, who is remarkable not only because of his feats but also because of his passionate nature. The character of Achilles is associated with such feelings and emotions as intense anger, deep love, great pride, and extreme grief (Konstan 12). Achilles’ passionate character and impulsive actions can be explained with references to the meaning of Achilles’ name.
Thus, Achilles’ name is “etymologically related to the concept of one who suffers pain or grief” because of including such components as ‘akhos’ and ‘laos’ that mean ‘grief’ and ‘fighting men’ (McCoy 19). In spite of the fact that there are debates on the etymological character of Achilles’ name, the role of the hero’s name is significant to predict his fate and behavior because the hero’s grief associated with the people’s destiny directs Achilles’ actions; and this connection can be demonstrated with references to the hero’s reactions to the death of Patroklos, to the threat of the defeat for the Greeks, and to Priam’s words.
While discussing the meaning of Achilles’ name and referring to such its components as ‘akhos’ and ‘laos’, researchers are inclined to translate and interpret the name as the ‘grief of the people.’ Thus, Achilles’ name is important to accentuate not only the hero’s personal grief but also his ability to understand the collective grief (King 54). Furthermore, some researchers choose to focus on the interpretation of ‘akhos’ as not only ‘grief’ but also as pain, sorrow, and despair (Zanker 22).
From this perspective, the epic hero represents a range of strong emotions associated with the period of war and the people’s desire for winning prosperity and emphasizing honor (Becker 139). The sorrow which is in Achilles’ heart is not his personal grief, but it is a pain and suffering for the fates of all the Greeks because of the necessity of the Trojan War (Homer 1.430-459). That is why it is possible to discuss Achilles as the representation of all the pain experienced by the Greeks, and moreover, as the representation of the hero who not only feels the pain of the people but also responds to it while acting and winning.
The death of Patroklos became a trigger that made Achilles feel acute pain and demonstrate all his grief and anger in the desire for revenge. In spite of the fact that Achilles suffered from the loss of his honor in the painful conflict with Agamemnon, the hero concentrated on the personal grief and turned it against the Trojans to reflect the grief of the Greek people. When the hero learned about the death of Patroklos, “a black cloud of grief came shrouding over Achilles” (Homer 18.25). It seemed that Achilles lost control, and he “lay there, fallen … tearing his hair, defiling it with his own hands” (Homer 18.30).
Finally, Achilles “loosed a terrible, wrenching cry” (Homer 18.39). This cry made the Trojans tremble because of its intensity. The death of Patroklos was the event that caused Achilles to act because of the desire for revenge and act for the sake of the Greeks (Homer 18.50-76; King 19; Yan 4). Thus, Achilles can be discussed as “emblematic of an individual who struggles with pain and grief, at times responding to that grief through withdrawal, at times with rage” (McCoy 19). The grief does not leave the hero, and Achilles’ reaction to that pain is anger. According to Allan, Patroklos’ death “forces Achilles to recognize the duty that a hero owes his friends” (Allan 44). From this perspective, the hero understands his duty to protect the Greeks in the war.
Achilles chose to demonstrate his grief through his anger while recognizing the threat of the defeat for the Greeks. The hero understood that now the other people depended on him, and he recognized himself as part of the social community. Achilles’ return to fight meant not only the increased hope for the Greeks’ victory but also the hero’s focus on the fates of people (Bell 35; Homer 19.42-48). Following Allan’s discussion of Achilles’ personality, it is important to note that the researcher mostly focused on the “excessiveness and selfishness of Achilles’ continual rage” (Allan 44).
However, receiving the perfect armor made by Hephaestus, Achilles began to act as the defender of the Greek people, and thousands of Trojans were killed because of Achilles’ intense anger and desire for revenge (Homer 19.400-420). On the one hand, Achilles’ grief is too personal and selfish. On the other hand, the hero’s grief makes him fight not only for his pride while referring to his conflict with Agamemnon, but also for the benefits of his nation. That is why Achilles’ anger is his specific demonstration of the ‘grief of the people.’
However, if Achilles plays the role of a heroin battles against the Trojans and represents the grief of all Greeks, his personal pain becomes revealed not only when Patroklos dies but also when Achilles talks with Priam about Hector’s corpse and Achilles’ father. Thus, drawing the hero’s attention to his words, Priam “prayed his heart out to Achilles: “Remember your own father, great godlike Achilles – as old as I am, past the threshold of deadly old age!” (Homer 24.569-572).
Priam’s words made Achilles grieve for his father, and his intense anger was reduced because of his sorrowful thoughts (King 24). According to McCoy, Achilles’ “final integration of his own pain in a virtuous manner takes place not primarily in his victory in battle, but rather in the meal he shares with Priam after his rage is exhausted” (McCoy 19-20). From this perspective, it is possible to speak about the completion of Achilles’ role in the Trojan War because the hero addressed his personal pain caused by the death of Patroklos, and he also responded to the ‘grief of the people’ while turning his anger against the Trojans.
Achilles’ heroic character is in his intentions and direct actions because of the hero’s impossibility to control his intense emotions. Moreover, Achilles is characterized by great pride; that is why this hero plays the role of a guardian who protects the Greeks’ honor and addresses their collective grief. Homer describes Achilles as not only a hero who can fight many Trojans at the battlefield but also as a person who won his selfishness and inability to control anger in order to demonstrate sympathy for the other people’s feelings (Becker 140; Osborn 55). Demonstrating the significance of moral values, Achilles acts as a sympathetic person while speaking to Priam and understanding his concerns (Homer 24.50-76; Zanker 56).
Allan claims that “in urging Priam to mourn and move on, Achilles shows that he has not only recognized the universality of suffering but has also learned from his own” (Allan 46). That is why it is possible to speak about the changes in the hero’s character, which are the result of his focus on grief and suffering. Such events as the death of the friend, the fight with Hector, and the conversation with Priam made Achilles think over moral values and sufferings close to each person in the world (Bell 35). As a result, Achilles’ grief reflected in his name can be discussed as the universal grief for every person around the globe.
Homer’s The Iliad presents the impressive background for discussing the role of moral values in the world. Thus, Achilles’ name means the ‘grief of the people’, and this meaning is significant to explain the nature of all the hero’s actions, which can be influenced by his personal pain. In this case, Achilles can be responsive to the collective grief of the Greeks as well as address the sufferings of Priam.
It is possible to conclude that the meaning of Achilles’ name accentuates the various sides of the hero’s character and his specific features. On the one hand, Achilles is a leader who protects the Greeks in order to respond to people’s grief. On the other hand, Achilles is a person who demonstrates much sensitivity while being focused on his own feelings and emotions. The character of Achilles is rather complex, and it is almost impossible to explain the hero’s actions only from one perspective, without exploring Achilles’ motives and intentions.
Works Cited
Allan, William. Homer: The Iliad. Oxford: A&C Black, 2012. Print.
Becker, Andrew Sprague. “The Shield of Achilles and the Poetics of Homeric Description”. American Journal of Philology 111.1 (1990): 139-153. Print.
Bell, Robert. “Homer’s Humor: Laughter in the Iliad”. Humanitas 20.1 (2007): 34-46. Print.
Homer. The Iliad. NewYork, NY: Penguin Classics, 1998. Print.
King, Katherine Callen. Achilles: Paradigms of the War Hero from Homer to the Middle Ages. Berkeley, CA: University of California Press, 1998. Print.
Konstan, David. The Emotions of the Ancient Greeks. Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 2006. Print.
McCoy, Marina. Wounded Heroes: Vulnerability as a Virtue in Ancient Greek Literature and Philosophy. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2013. Print.
Osborn, Ronald. “Geometries of Force in Homer’s Iliad: Two Readings”. Humanitas 21.2 (2008): 54-76. Print.
Yan, Hektor. “Morality and Virtue in Poetry and Philosophy: A Reading of Homer’s Iliad XXIV”. Humanitas 16.1 (2003): 1-12. Print.
Zanker, Graham. The Heart of Achilles: Characterization and Personal Ethics in the Iliad. NewYork, NY: University of Michigan Press, 1996. Print.
Achilles is one of the heroes of Homer’s great poem The Iliad. Achilles appears to the reader as an invincible, strong, and brave hero. He is also the divine son of the goddess Thetis, who granted him such extraordinary power. In the poem, Achilles is portrayed as the strongest and most invincible of all the warriors; he is a real hero. But despite his divine origin, tremendous strength, and power, he is still a person who is characterized by all human weaknesses. He is short-tempered and easily infuriated if his pride is hurt, but despite this, he has the qualities of a loyal friend. It is these human qualities, his strengths, and weaknesses, that make Achilles a human hero.
There is a certain duality in Achilles’s portrait, which may have come to him because of his semi-divine origin. He is temperamental, knows no mercy, and can be terribly cruel. The origin of Achilles provides him with extraordinary strength, speed, and endurance that are only available to the gods. Achilles does not appear immediately in the poem; instead, Homer shows a scene where the Muses sing a specific ode to Achilles. They sing of Achilles’ great wrath, which caused countless warriors to be thrown into the realm of Hades (Homer 5). This beginning demonstrates that Achilles has such unimaginable strength and fury that he can kill countless soldiers.
Despite how divinely strong and resilient Achilles appears, there are also human weaknesses in him. One of the qualities that distinguish Achilles from the heroes and make him a human is his quick temper and touchiness. That is why, being insulted by Agamemnon, Achilles refuses to participate in the Trojan war. But when the Trojan leader Hector kills Achilles’ friend Patroclus, he forgets his resentment and reconciles with Agamemnon. The mighty Achilles, protected by the goddess Athena, shows miracles of bravery on the battlefield and kills Hector in a duel, whose death marks the Trojans’ final defeat. In a fight with Hector, Achilles demonstrates superhuman qualities, such as incredible strength, power, and anger. He acts incredibly fast, analyzing all the weak points of his opponent, and deals Hector with a decisive blow.
It may seem that Achilles is driven by a thirst for revenge and his short temper. However, this immediate reaction of Achilles, his anger and rage, proves his loyalty to his beloved friend Patroclus (Homer 365). Achilles furiously grieves for his lost friend, sheds tears, and shows genuine human emotions. It is this moment that can be described as defining in the formation of Achilles’ human character. He is closest to a modern reader when he is most human, weeping and grieving, knowing that a person dear to him has died. Achilles bears the typical features of a mythological epic hero, a courageous warrior who values war above all. At the same time, he also has the same human weaknesses as pain, pity, and grief.
Thus, the semi-divine origin co-exists with Achilles’ human nature, rewarding him with qualities close to the modern reader. He is militant, brave, and fearless, but at the same time, he is loyal, compassionate, and quick-tempered. Like any human being, Achilles has his limits, which he cannot overcome in any way. He grieves like any of us, cries like any of us, and gets angry like any of us. By endowing Achilles with such qualities, Homer made him a genuinely human hero.
Works Cited
Homer. The Iliad of Homer. Translated by Richmond Lattimore, U of Chicago P, 2011.
The Iliad by Homer is one of the greatest literature pieces about Western civilization and its values are still similar to what people experience in the contemporary times. Hector and Achilles are both prominent warriors in their respective societies, but their values vary widely. The two characters are termed as great men and heroics, but the battle between them brings instigates the reexamination of one key issue represented in the Iliad.
The issue to consider is the values advanced by the two warriors, which reflect their motives on the battlefield. In the Homeric culture, the honor for all people is fundamental, but it means much to a hero, as his honor is preeminent. Hector is a warrior who represents the Trojans in the fight for his people and family’s honor. On the other hand, Achilles leads the Greek army, he is alienated, and in many ways, he lies beyond the reader’s imagination. In a bid to expound this topic, this paper will argue that although respect among societies is earned on the battlefield, the quest for individual honor fuels wars coupled with magnifying the differences between Hector and Achilles. Acquiring glory and pride is magnified to the extent that men prepare for either life or death on the battlefield.
The individual and society
The differences between Hector and Achilles as transcribed in the Iliad show how Homer evaluates the conflict arising from personal and societal values. Achilles comes out as a controversial character because just as other epic heroes he seems to be driven by passion and emotions rather than reason. As the poem begins, Achilles is not ready to take orders from Agamemnon, the king of the Greeks, and he is agitated at losing argument to the king.
On the other hand, Hector acts in a humanistic manner and he appears to demonstrate reason as opposed to passion. Despite being moved by his desire to protect his wife and son, Hector, the great Trojan hero, fights to protect his city, but he understands that the grounds for the conflicts are not justifiable of the amounting damage (Hall 25). Hector is cautious, backs off at the time of an attack, and even hesitates to plan the next attack.
Despite Hector upholding the norms of the society and presenting the values of many, he does not hesitate to go to war to fight for individual honor. For Hector, achieving individual honor represents the values he is intimately fighting for in life. Society is bound by the strong bonds of love and unity and Hector represents such ties on the battlefield. Even though Hector does not want to widow his wife, he understands that fleeing the battlefield damages the societal values and it is better to fight and lose or even die.
Achilles has less to worry about as he is only focused on the prize. Achilles responds to his personal feelings without considering how his acts affect the entire society. He plays his role with respect to what is important to the larger community. For instance, when he is about to give into Achilles’ mercy in return for gifts, he quickly realizes that this act will be detrimental to society, since he is to be held responsible for giving out the treasures of Troy.
Book 22 displays how Hector demonstrates pride and honor as he refuses to refrain from confronting the approaching Greeks even after his father, Priam, warns him to get behind the walls for safety (Dué 287). As the other warriors go hiding behind the walls, Hector fearlessly confronts Achilles. His motive is clearly understandable, as he knows that he has an obligation to protect his land and people. Hector should have listened to his wife Andromache to remain in the city with their son Astyanax, but he is aware of the significance of his role in the war.
His drive for reason and sense of obligation help him to outdo the feelings of fear and defeat. In contrast, Achilles is idiosyncratic as he fights for personal reasons and other people’s concerns are secondary to his motives. This conflict between Hector and Achilles demonstrates the differences between the idiosyncratic and societal values. In Iliad, Homer shows the need for both individual and societal values, but he argues that individual skills and honor should be applied to attain societal values (Hall 51).
Predominance of glory
This text recognizes the social bonds of love and peace that tie the Homeric family, but it also acknowledges the need to pursue glory. Andromache keeps on asking Hector to withdraw from any activity that threatens the future of their son, but he has a strong belief that military glory is highly reckoned over family life. Achilles longs to return home, but the desire to win by remaining in Troy and avenging Patroklos suppresses this urge. Although the two warriors value the significance of the glory to the extent that they voluntarily risk death, the values that influence their quest for glory vary significantly.
Achilles proves the mightiest warrior in the Achaean army, but his misguided values prevent him from acting with humility and integrity. In many instances, he fails to manage his pride or the consequences that follow when his emotions are triggered. For instance, Achilles withdrawals from confronting the Trojans and as a result Patroklos dies in the hands of Hector. Achilles comes out as independent and domineering as he compels people to act in a manner that pleases him. Going to war is a mark of maturity and responsibility, while withdrawing underscores indolence and irresponsibility. Hector is aware that devoting to his family over warfare is a misguided priority and he has to go out and prove his worth on the battlefront.
The individual and family
Hector has a family, which he has an obligation to take care of, but Achilles does not have any family-related responsibilities. Some of the values that Hector depicts include sympathy and love, but the Iliad does not ignore the truth about warfare. Warriors like Hector and Achilles expect cruel deaths and they are not afraid of this fate (Adams 5). Women serve as slaves and concubines alienated from their families. Diseases breakout in the military camps and destroy the army.
The two warriors have diverse ways in the manner they perceive these issues. In terms of family, Hector seems to take time and stay with his wife and son whilst ensuring that his honor does not get lost. In spite of his bonding and compassion for his family, Hector is aware that he is a defender of the Trojan and nothing can stop him from going to war. On the other hand, Achilles has only his mother and a friend, Patroklos, but he does not demonstrate substantial attachment to them. Achilles only goes back to his mother to grieve a condition, which is not going well for him. Unlike Hector, Achilles does not seem to have a good understanding of his role as a warrior, as seeking to revenge on Hector for killing Patroklos does not symbolize his concern for humanity, but his growing anger to avenge (Dué 283).
Civilization
The scene of the last confrontation of Hector with Achilles shows that Hector is highly civilized and human. This assertion holds because when Hector realizes that he has been purely left alone in the battle, his men have either died, or sought safety behind the walls, he quickly examines ways of evading the conflict. Hector decides to flee from Achilles and he is aware that he is betraying all he has lived for by defending the Trojans. This aspect illustrates that Hector has a notion of civilization since he has to weigh the consequences of the war. Hector decides to act from a humanistic perspective, and thus he flees from the battlefield.
Unfortunately, Athena, the goddess of the Achaean, disguises herself to appear as Hector’s friend. Hector thinks that he has the needed support and decides to fight Achilles and win his glory. Achilles is driven by the anger to avenge Patroklos by killing Hector. Before his last breath when Hector confronts Achilles, Hector appeals for an honorable burial from his community. This aspect shows the extent to which Hector is civilized as opposed to Achilles who objects this appeal and instead decides to torture the corpse, which depicts disrespect (Dué 280).
Conclusion
Hector demonstrates strong human side and he takes time to decide the best option for himself, family, and society. Although both Hector and Achilles demonstrate significant desires for pride and honor, their motives for fighting are different. As shown in the essay, both warriors are great symbols in their armies and they value pride as they seek respect from all. However, the differences between Hector and Achilles emerge in the way they value this glory. For Hector, as much as he gains much respect from society, it is a pleasure for him to protect his community. In contrast, Achilles’ motives are individualistic and the needs of the society are secondary to his motives.
Works Cited
Adams, Jeff. “Greek and Roman Perceptions of the Afterlife in Homer’s Iliad and Odyssey and Virgil’s Aeneid.” McNair Scholars Journal 11.1(2007): 5-11. Print.
Dué, Casey. “Agamemnon’s densely-Packed Sorrow in Iliad 10: A Hyper textual Reading of a Homeric Simile.” Trends in Classics 2.2 (2010): 277-299. Print.
Hall, Edith. The Return of Ulysses: A Cultural History of Homer’s Odyssey, Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press, 2008. Print.
Achilles is one of the major characters in “The Iliad”. Despite his prodigious might and his close affiliation with the gods, Achilles strikes most modern readers as less heroic warrior. In the texts of the Iliad Achilles is depicted as a great warrior possessing all the marks of a grand fighter by proving his might it the Achaean army.
Unfortunately, Achilles deep-rooted personality flaws relentlessly hinder his aptitude to act and carry himself with aristocracy and honor. Achilles is portrayed as a character who cannot take control of his ego and arrogance or the fury that gushes up when that ego is insulted or injured.
Achilles was so bitter for being slighted under his commandant supervision, this led Achilles to forsake his fellow warriors and even hope that their foes the Trojans will slaughter them in the battlefield.
Patroclus a close friend of Achilles puts him in a dilemma after his death. This happens when the Trojans push the Achaeans back to their ships. The Achaean warriors sit disheartened return to their base camp as failures. Agamemnon declares the war against the Trojans a total letdown.
As Agamemnon proposes to his troop that the only choice they had is to return to Greece Diomedes rises and insists that he will remain behind and fight even if all his other fellow warriors decided to leave.
Diomedes reminds his fellow fighters that Troy is doomed fall. Diomedes and Nestor advocate perseverance as well, and propose resolution with Achilles. Agamemnon decides to shower Achilles with gifts on a condition that to the Achean lines in the battlefield.
The king assembles his best spokesmen to commune his suggestion to Achilles.
Achilles is found playing the lyre with his close friend Patroclus by the kings delegation. They present the kings message which is met with great and direct rejection by Achilles. Achilles lets them know his intention of returning back to his homeland of Phthia where he hoped to live a peacefully life rather than a glorious one that he was to live if he remained in the battlefield.
Achilles longs and hopes to live an extensive, easy and peaceful life, but Achilles is certain that his individual providence forces him to choose between the two. He is seen as a character or warrior that is motivated primarily by a thirst for glory, might and power.
Eventually, Achilles develops a willingness to forgo everything else so that his name will be kept in mind by the current generation and generations to come.
In the interim, behind the warfront, Achilles notices an injured Machaon fly by in a chariot and propels his close friend Patroclus to go find out Machaon’s status. Patroclus learns from Nestor how much pain their foes the Trojans had inflicted upon the Achaean commandants.
Nestro pleads with Patroclus to beg his friend Achilles to rejoin and take control of the battle. Nestro further suggested if at all Achilles declined Patroclus could disguise himself as Achilles by putting on Achilles’ armor. Nestro knew that this would give the Achaeans the advantage of Achilles’ horrifying sensation.
Patroclus’ appeal to Achilles is turned down as well and as Nestro’s idea of returning to the battlefield dressed in Achilles’ armor takes course. Patroclus joins his fellow soldiers in the battlefield where he meets his death. Patroclus death puts Achilles in a dilemma of returning to the battlefield and avenge his friends death.
Similar to many Homeric characters, Achilles does not develop radically over the line of the grand. Patroclus death puts Achilles in a dilemma of reconciling with Agamemnon, but that does not assuage his fury, but in turn conveys it toward Hector.
In the novel “Things Fall Apart”, Chinua Achebe portrays a futuristic community. Definitely, the main character Okonkwo’s consciousness and his endeavor to grasp and comprehend the necessity of change have driven the plot of the novel. He engages in self-gratification behavior and is interested in fulfilling his own needs. Okonkwo is a direct opposite of his lazy father Unoka. In the book “The Iliad” by Homer, Achilles is presented as a courageous warrior with supernatural power.
In addition, the gods love him. However, his weird character is an impediment towards integrity and nobility in his quest to protect a blotted pride. Thus, this reflective treatise attempts to explicitly review the similarities and differences in the characters of Okonkwo and Achilles. Specifically, the paper analyzes their personality and contribution towards their downfall as illustrated by Chunia Achebe and Homer.
Respect is illustrated as intense across the novel “Things Fall Apart” and as the contributory factor of Okonkwo’s fame. In the series of elder meetings, respect is accorded to those with blotted household and stores of yams such as Okonkwo’s household.
Moreover, “Things Fall Apart” presents an atmosphere that is socially declining in a comical gesture. For instance, introduction of Christianity, which offers an abode to the outcasts, is initially thought as a harmless home of the busybodies. In a comical twist, Okonkwo loses his first son Unoka to the mission centre.
In the end, the modernity system which the elders spent days and years ridiculing sweeps the entire village. Okonkwo loses everything he believed in and dies like an outcast. In a satiric twist of events, the sacrilege taboo of commit suicide on the rope overcomes Okonkwo. In the first paragraph, the author states that “fame rested on solid personal achievements. As a young man of 18, he had brought honor to his village” (Achebe 3).
Okonkwo is painted as a very strong man who “had a slight stammer & whenever he was angry & could not get his words out quickly enough, he would use his fists” (Achebe 28).
Reflectively, Achebe foreshadows Okonkwo’s own downfall due to uncontrolled temper. In fact, “he was a wealthy farmer & had 2 barns full of yams, & had just married his 3rd wife. To crown it all he had taken 2 titles” (Achebe 32). Okonkwo’s temper controls his decision and he is unable to not only arrest the unbecoming temper, but also uses it to express authority in his household.
Sadly, this anger is seen on the traditional holiday called the Thanksgiving Day when he gives his wife a thorough beating against the traditions. In this case, he explodes over negligible things. In chapter five, the author states that “Okonkwo, who had been walking about aimlessly in his compound in suppressed anger, suddenly found an outlet. “Who killed this banana tree?”(Achebe 98).
Achilles resembles Okonkwo in anger mismanagement. Despite being blessed by the gods, Achilles does not follow the instructions and often commits hideous offense in defense of his blotted ego. Same as Okonkwo, Achilles’ driving force is thirst for glory and he is willing to sacrifice everything to be crowned a legend.
Despite the fact that Patroclus’ death pushes him to make peace with Agamemnon, Achilles does not arrest his rage. Instead, the uncontained rage is directed on Hector. It is apparent that blood rush, pride and wrath completely consume him.
Okonkwo is painted as a ruthless person who does not know how to display emotion. In fact, “Okonkwo never showed any emotion openly, unless it is the emotion of anger. To show affection was a sign of weakness, the only thing worth demonstrating was strength” (Achebe 98).
Despite this, Okonkwo is overcome by emotions and is unable to kill his adopted son. Same as Okonkwo, Achilles is overcome by emotions and is unable to slain Patroclus his surrogate son. However, both characters are party to the plot of killing their surrogate sons.
The main character Okonkwo is full of African gentleman pride which he loses at the end and hangs himself. Colonialism is depicted as having forced the rather peaceful society to embrace sudden change. As a result, those who would not cope up had to be swept away by the heavy forced change.
Reflectively, Chinua is moved by Okonkwo’s imaginative exploration of memory manipulation and how misused power can wreak havoc on humanity. Chinua tries to blend the high-concept vision of the world of tomorrow with his own stylized and highly dramatized language. He creates a very human story that combines stories of both self-discovery and love.
Chinua Achebe succeeds in convincingly mingling the ‘futuristic’ and the ‘realistic’ imaginations of the colonial power to create a world of exotic exploitation and mind control characterized by time variances, chauvinism, and societal imbalances (“Literature of the Non Western World” par. 7). Interestingly, the narrative genre presents an unending conflict between neocolonialism and total freedom which exist to present times. However, Achilles lacks the gentleman aspect and displays arrogance and oozing pride (Homer 32).
Homer paints a picture of a hero called Achilles who rejects the attitude of unthinking conformity that is prevalent in the contemporary society. Achilles develops his own original relationship with the world. Achilles was disappointed with spiritual insufficiency of the recognized religions.
Achilles advocated for transcendentalism that was against unkind and merciless authoritarian rule despite being accused of practicing the same. Different from Okonkwo, Achilles is not emotionally communicative, socially mindful and humanistic in his ways of coexisting. This aspect final got the best of his heroic personality and contributed to his own downfall in the end.
In the character of Okonkwo, nature is something complicated to man; people do not appreciate the beauty of nature, even though nature provides everything to human being.
Human beings get distracted by natural events around them and they do not ripe favors from nature. Nature is perfectly appropriate for people’s need which is not a distractive element to them. Okonkwo has failed to build understanding of the holistic natural beauty. Same as Achilles, Okonkwo lacks personal reflection is an approach that enables human being to understand what nature holds.
Society’s activities are distractive that can ruin the holistic nature of human being. Achilles and Okonkwo fail to realize that human being and nature must build a reciprocal relation since nature is the only being that people can depend on. It is a divine aid that nourishes human being. Nature is the spiritual and universal being that people must appreciate and a divine being that human being must be dedicated to serve.
Reflectively, human soul acquires great experience and remains unhurt in the experience of maturity in expression and emotional display. Human intellection is healthier when people lead the “life of nature” and are not troubled with societal challenges which in the real sense do not exist (Homer 23).
Besides that, when people persistently build original intention, without conforming to recognized culture, they would never be confused in speculation. Instead, their intellection would have achieved significant reality that other individuals would learn from them. As a matter of fact, these events indicate that the toe heroes of the traditional African and Greek societies had themselves to blame for their unfortunate downfall.
Reflectively, Okonkwo bears the most responsibility in his downfall since he had control to follow the ways of the other elders who gave way for change. Besides, he is unable to arrest his anger and uses fists to solve even minor family feuds (Achebe 78). Unlike Achilles who was a soldier, Okonkwo lives in a free world and was in a position to manage his actions with little effort.
He lacks self control and uses emotions to make judgment. Though his judgment might have been right, he had no control over his son’s decision to join the missionary school. Besides, he was in a position to a void killing the messenger with a machete.
Conclusively, literary works are normally composed in an indirect and tricky manner in order for readers to think deeply for implied meanings. These stories share same connection in understanding the position of the society as dynamics of existence shifts from a friendlier parameter to a harsher reality. Okonkwo and Achilles shared same characteristics on anger management, rage, and irrationality in their respective societies. Unfortunately, these traits led to their own downfall.
Works Cited
Achebe, Chinua. Things Fall Apart: Classics in Context. New York: Heinemann, 1996. Print.
Homer, Pope. The Iliad. Alabama: Rivington, 1760. Print.
Achilles’s armor is considered as one of the best and the most powerful, that is why it is not a surprise that Ajax and Odysseus wanted to have it after Achilles’s death. However, to make sure that the Achilles’s armor is given to the most deserving of them, Ajax and Odysseus were offered to prepare speeches to convince the meeting that particularly he deserves attention and should be give Achilles’s armor.
Therefore, each of the parties presented many arguments. Ajax and Odysseus presented their personal consideration about why Achilles’s armor should belong to one of them.
Ajax has provided many arguments, however these three are considered as the most powerful and convincing. First, Ajax pointed that he saved the Greek ships from Hector’s torches and he was the one who threw a boulder at Hector. Second, Ajax saved Odysseus in battle and he considered it as the stress on Odysseus’s helplessness. Finally, Ajax’s shield is full of holes which were made during the previous battling, that is why he needs a new shield, while Odysseus’s one is new.
Odysseus’s arguments were much stronger that is why the Achilles’s armor was given to him. Thus, Odysseus claimed that it was he who brought Achilles out of hiding on Scyros to join the Greeks. That is why this action may be considered as his indirect slew of Hector. Next.
Odysseus killed Dolon the Trojan spy and got many wounds in the fight that tells about his bravery while Ajax was never wounded. Finally, Ajax does not deserve to have the Achilles’s armor as he was about to leave Troy and Odysseus did all possible to convince Agamemnon not to stop fighting and to return Ajax at the field of battle, otherwise, he could leave and never return.
Odysseus’s speech is believed to be more compelling as having presented just several arguments in this paper, his speech was full of objective and argumentative reasons based on the Odysseus’s achievements during the war, while Odysseus’s arguments mostly looked like the desire of a child to convince others to give him the armor just because he is good and long.
It was inadmissible to point at the family relationships with Achilles as the reason to give the armor to him. Moreover, all Odysseus’s reasons are based on the battle destinations, the intentions to help and his participation in the events which impacted the war outcomes.
Reading the debate speeches of each men, it is possible to create an opinion about each of them. The speech of Odysseus characterizes him as a powerful man, a wise leader and a person who got used to prove in action that he deserves respect. Listening to all his arguments, it is possible to notice that he fairly accesses his place in the fight. He does not exaggerate his achievements and offers only the facts which are useful in considering the case.
Ajax’s speech is absolutely different as being a person who had done absolutely nothing, he tries to exaggerate his achievements by means of the achievements of others. Having nothing to present about the war achievements, Ajax begins to point at the features which have nothing is common with the subject (like the family relationships with Achilles and the absence of the new shield). It characterizes Ajax as a weak, powerless and ambitionless person without any principles and objective and fair thinking.
People praise the Greeks for having great leaders who are competent and take full responsibility for their actions. Achilles is a brave soldier who people recognize for his heroism, desire for honor, and pride. He explicitly fights in battles and takes responsibilities with full preparedness while risking his life. The character traits of Achilles reveal how the Greeks view heroism and outline their values such as fearlessness and fame.
Achilles, The Brave Soldier
Achilles is full of pride as he tells Patroclus that there is no significant reason to grieve, claiming that Agamemnon’s people repaid for their misdeeds. However, Achilles is courageous since Priam warns Hector that, “…you can’t fight Achilles alone like that, without any support…” (“The Iliad chapter 21-22 From the Essential Homer – Stanley Lombardo Translation”). Honor is also a fundamental trait of Achilles; for instance, in Patroclus’s words to the Myrmidons, “Remember whose men you are fighting and for whose honor” (“The Iliad Chapter 16 Lombardo”). Achilles is extremely sensitive to honor and reputation.
The characteristics of Achilles are clear implications of Greeks and their values. They term heroism and military service as desirable and appreciate individuals who possess such characters (The Essential Homer Introduction (Edited)). The Greeks acknowledged their desire for fame and honor, just like Achilles, who the Myrmidons and Patroclus fight for his glory. They remember extraordinary individuals for performing excellent and glorious deeds and grant them special privileges.
The motivations and performances of Achilles outline great lessons on the Greeks’ sense of heroism and authority. The Greeks view bravery as depending on the intensity of exploits on battlefields (“Janux” 0:00 – 0: 48). Achilles is a fearless soldier, indicated by his strength as he publicly humiliates and defiles Hector’s corpse. Moreover, his actions mean the Greek recognize courageousness after an individual takes responsibilities even in challenging times. Achilles deals with grief after the death of Patroclus while vowing to execute Hector, and through this action, he risks his life. For instance, Hector says, “…and I will have my vengeance on that day when Paris and Apollo destroy you…” (“The Iliad chapter 21-22 From the Essential Homer – Stanley Lombardo Translation”). The Greeks view people like Achilles as brave and heroes.
Conclusion
The personality traits of Achilles are essential in identifying the values of the Greeks and their perception towards heroism and authority. Achilles is brave, desires honor, and has other undesirable qualities such as pride and temper. The Greeks view heroism based on battle performances and challenges experience while seeking justice for fallen heroes, such as risking their lives, and Achilles’ actions are clear indications of their view.
Works Cited
“Law and Justice – Justice and Vengeance: Homer – 3.2 Iliad and Justice” YouTube,
The Essential Homer Introduction (Edited).pdf
The Iliad Chapter 16 Lombardo.
The Iliad chapter 21-22 From the Essential Homer – Stanley Lombardo Translation.pdf
Under classical mythology, one can define a hero as a courageous individual with great strength, widely known and celebrated by his society for his actions which portray exceptional boldness.
In literature, a hero simply means a person with a character that people need to admire or emulate. S/he therefore possesses all the ideals celebrated, valued and articulated by his/her culture. Heroes exist in all fields; for example, in politics, sports, and struggle for freedom among others. Be it in classical mythology, ordinary literature, or any other field, a hero must possess ordinary characteristics that no other person possesses.
Since the judgment of heroic deeds lies in the culture that shapes an individual, different cultures value different traits in their heroes. In literature circles, heroism emanates from both the culture of the author and the culture to which the hero belongs. Heroism not only focuses on the actions of an individual, but also the reasons behind their actions.
According to the Greek culture, a hero must be a man with exceptional warrior characteristics; he should stand above other warriors in the society in all aspects; he must not only show warrior characteristics, but should also be intelligent and good in speech; he should endeavor to shun anything that intends to spoil his repute as a good warrior and finally he should have greater strength and courage than his fellow warriors who should freely acknowledge that he is the best warrior amongst them. These exceptional qualities make him legible for crowning as a leader.
In the Greek history, a story is told of a man, Achilles, who possessed characteristics that the Greek culture reserved to heroes. A study of the Greek culture and its comparison to Achilles gives an important revelation: Achilles is a classical hero. This essay focuses on Achilles’ deeds and how they contributed towards his heroism.
Achilles Heroic Characteristics
Achilles is a swift runner. According to Lowrey, this character of swiftness comes out when “epithets referred to him as a man who was swift footed” (2). Swiftness is an important characteristic for individuals with the desire to excel in war or any other form of physical confrontation.
With swiftness, one is able to easily capture or flee from an enemy during war. Besides, such people are able to perform better during competitions aimed at searching for true heroes of a given society. As a result, warriors all over the world cherish this trait and it is through it that Achilles gets crowned as a hero.
Besides swiftness, Achilles possesses the characteristics of courage. Courage, as a trait enables an individual to do what the ordinary person cannot do on the grounds that, it has negative possible consequences or evokes fear of injury or death (Anderson, 12). As a result, one can take up any challenge regardless of any negative impeding consequences of such actions.
The spirit of courageousness enabled Achilles to fight his enemies without fear of possible injury or death. This character trait as a courageous man also enabled him to storm out twelve cities of men both by sea through his ships and by land. Honestly, this is not an easy task! No wonder some of his people describe him as a lion-hearted man.
According to Redfield, it is Achilles’ courage “that made him face any body in battle without fear” (39). In some instances, it is evident that people knew him as a man who ruthlessly and courageously tore his opponents in battle. This task cannot be possible for a timid individual; therefore, because of his courageous nature, Achilles passes for a hero.
Achilles’ heroic deeds made people revere him so much that they gave him godly characteristics. They regarded him as a man who commanded fear all over because his actions evoked feelings of fear and terror (Jaeger, 35). This attitude of people towards Achilles portrays him as a special man deserving a special kind of treatment.
His ability to break his opponents when at war and his physical superiority over all other warriors paints a picture of someone who elicits fear at his appearance. The fact that all other warriors fear and consider him as the best warrior explains why the society treats him with much reverence; he is a classical hero.
Besides the reverence that people have towards him, Achilles has always been a source of fear before his enemies. This trait has always made him scary before his opponents. One of the goddesses in the Greek culture, goddess Hera reveals that the Trojans, who are rivals to Achilles’ community, tremble at the mention of Achilles. In yet another instance Patrocus refers to Achilles as a man “who is by far greater than the Achileans” (Lowrey, 2).
As such, Patrocus says that none of the Achileans can surmount any kind of physical challenge to him. Such a statement not only cements the godly character of Achilles, but also confirms people’s belief in him as a man with significant superiority over his peers and opponents where it really matters. Based on these two instances it is quite clear that Achilles is a hero.
The experience that Achilles undergoes while in Combat clearly brings out his heroic characteristics. As Achilles describes his combat experiences, the audience feels how he was “devoted to his people, fighting on their behalf to ensure that they enjoy their lives” (Lowrey, 3).
In his explanation, it is evident that Achilles spent so many sleepless nights throughout the time of war. He even loses his own blood during the war on behalf of his people; however, this damaging event or his weariness could not discourage him from fighting for the wellbeing of his people; a true character of a hero. He instead, continues to fight on without any fear of injury or death till the end of the war. From these actions, it is vivid that Achilles was a man with exceptional character and deserved to be honored as a hero.
While in Combat, Achilles also reveals that all his selflessness and determination in war have seen him through difficulties. Selfness as a character trait refers to the ability of an individual to care not only about his own welfare, but also the welfare of others who are bound to benefit from his/her efforts no matter how small they may be.
From the way Achilles describes his life during the war, one can tell that he possessed a selfless character. This selfless character clearly comes out during the war period. Referring to this period, Achilles says that he put “everything aside and struggled with other warriors during the battle only for the sake of the women of his fellow men” (Seamus, 1883).
The move by Achilles to consider the wellbeing of women belonging to other men exposes him as somebody who does not think of self gain out of his struggle. In addition, the fact that he is not married at the time of battle further proves that indeed, he is a selfless character. According to the Greek culture, selflessness is a trait of heroes; therefore, Achilles’ selflessness qualifies him to be a classical hero.
Besides selflessness, Achilles possesses an enduring character. Endurance refers to the ability of an individual to persevere pain or suffering with the hope of achieving success in the end of the struggle. Achilles’ ability to endure comes out when he talks about the experience he had in Combat during the war time.
During this trying period, he says that he spent sleepless nights for many days. This was because of his alertness against potential attack by their opponents and only endurance can help an individual to ward off sleep. Besides his sleeplessness, Achilles lost his own blood, not mentioning the pain he underwent through when he sustained the bloody injuries.
Despite these sufferings in sleeplessness and loss of blood through injury, Achilles continued to fight on for the welfare of his people and in the end, he won the battle. It is this relentless spirit that enabled Achilles to emerge victorious in many wars against their enemies and therefore, his perseverance during war portrays him as a classical hero.
Finally, the case of Achilles and Agamemnon also proves Achilles’ heroic characteristics. Achilles’ acts of heroism had earlier won him a much coveted prize. It however emerges that Agamemnon tried to take this prize away from Achilles in exchange of expensive gifts; seven strongholds and a daughter of as wife.
Conventionally, these attractive offers by Agamemnon would obviously compel Achilles to consider taking the gifts in lieu of the coveted prize. However, to the surprise of many, Achilles handles this situation in the most rational manner; using his intelligence, he discovers that accepting these gifts would serve to show his acceptance of Agamemnon’s superior status; therefore, he refuses to take the gifts and the bride offer and instead decides to protect his higher status of heroism.
To Achilles, heroism consists not in the abundance of material things or wives per se, but in character; enduring character. Very few people can readily make such an informed decision. This intelligent move by Achilles is in line with what the Greece culture expects from heroes like him. Consequently, these adherences to the Greek cultural values that govern heroism help bring out Achilles status as a genuine hero.
Conclusion
Heroism is a highly coveted trait in all the cultures across the continents. Before the relevant authorities crown an individual as a hero, they consider his/her achievements which should be extraordinary.
In one such culture, the Greek, heroism is a function of an individual’s intelligence, physical appearances, physical capability and his contribution as a warrior in the battlefield. The Greek culture also requires that as a hero, one should always be ready to guard his superior status no matter the consequences or benefits that one would gain by conceding his superiority.
Achilles is a classical hero according to the Greek culture mainly because he possesses all the characteristics needed to qualify an individual as a true hero. Achilles has physical superiority, has outstanding warrior characteristics that his fellow warriors readily acknowledge and he is not ready to relinquish his superior status; not even with a promise of expensive gifts and a bewitching bride.
Works Cited
Anderson, William S. The Art of the Aeneid. Englewood Cliffs, N.J.: Prentice-Hall Inc., 1969.
Jaeger, Werner. Paideia: The Ideals of Greek Culture. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1939.
Lowrey, Belen. “The Hero as a Reflection of Culture.” Journal of Ancient Spartan and Greek History 23.9 (2005): 1-12.
Redfield, James. Nature and Culture in the Iliad. Chicago: The University of Chicago Press, 1975.
Seamus, Heaney. The Norton Anthology of Western Literature. New York: W. W. Norton and Company, 2006. 1880- 1903.