He fought for his people and to protect others. () However, Achilles was indeed strong, but he was very selfish. () Both were great heroes, but in various ways.…
Achilles, although not as selfless a hero as Beowulf for most of The Iliad, is a hero. Achilles is of godly lineage, by being the son of the goddess Thetis. He by far the greatest warrior involved in the Trojan War. He is unstoppable on the battlefield, singlehandedly killing multitudes of men. His strength is unmatched by anyone else and is superior to any other warrior.…
In Homer’s book The Iliad, Homer tells the story of the Trojan War with Achilles, the best Greek warrior. However, Achilles does not like Agamemnon, the king of Mycenae, because he took Briseis (Briseis was a woman that Achilles had received as a war prize). This is the reason why Achilles was raged at Agamemnon. In a rage, Achilles wants to kill all of the Trojans, especially Hector, the best Trojan warrior. Patroclus, Achilles’ best friend goes out to the battle field as Achilles (wearing his armor), trying to kill Hector but instead Hector kills Patroclus thinking he has killed Achilles. When Achilles finds out about this, he is very mad and goes out to kill Hector himself. When he kills Hector, he is very arrogant about it. Only after this happens does Achilles get Briseis back from Agamemnon.…
Achilles shows various forms of commitment in the Iliad. This god does not appear as often as others do, but when he does he appears with a bang. He and Agamemnon have ongoing beef, and because of this he resides from the Achaen army. The Achaens need his help to defeat Troy but he is so committed to his hatred for Agamemnon that he refuses to help. “never again, he’ll never rob me blind with his twistsul words again. Once is enough for him. Die and be damned for all I care” (9, 455-457). The beef begins when Agamemnon steals Achilles’ wife from him, whom he cherished very dearly. In the text it is very clear that Achilles is committed to his love for this woman, which isn’t common for the gods to do. “…anguish gripped Achilles. The heart…
Literary heroes have been important to stories and poems throughout history. Each author develops his hero through a unique writing style, combining conscious use of detail, diction, tone and other narrative techniques to outline a hero's personality. Homer, in his epic poem The Iliad, develops two classic heroes who are distinctly different at first glance, but upon closer inspection are very similar in terms of their basic characteristics. Hector and Achilles both are courageous soldiers, relatively honorable men, and respected leaders, but they also both have human failings that eventually lead to tragedy. In Homer's lyrical verses and in his use of detail, diction, meter and imagery, he paints his own portrait of a classic hero through the brave deeds as well as the human flaws of Hector and Achilles that eventually lead to the downfall of proud and powerful Hector.…
Though this may seem like the actions of a man that had lost his mind but consider that he is a warrior and has been through ten years of war, he had seen thousands of deaths before this one. This death, specifically of his best friend, makes him act the way he does. Throughout all of The Illiad, not once is Achilles this upset or moved by anyone else’s death, this mean that Virgil had meant to specify and make sure that the reader understands how much Patroklos means to Achilles and how close of friends they are. With how severely depressed he gets that Antilochos thinks that he may kill himself is another hint that Achilles if actually a very emotional person. The way his actions are described clearly show that he is completely distraught because of the loss of his comrade. “Antilochos held Achilles’ hands as Achilles moaned / in his noble heard, and Antilochos feared that he would cut / his throat with a knife” (XVIII.32-33). The fear that Antilochos has that Achilles may cut his own throat also is another example of how much Patroklos meant to him and how emotional he was. Lastly, after the fighting had subsided and after the death of Hector and the funeral of Patroklos, Priam had…
Achilles is the greatest warrior in the Greek army, and like any exemplary hero, he is resolute and possesses incredible strength and toughness. Nevertheless, his numerous disagreeable traits overshadow his few agreeable ones. He is merciless, indignant, selfish, and vindictive. To…
Achilles is known as one of the strongest warriors in his time, half god and half human. "The son of Peleus in the line of Zeus" as "strong, swift, and godlike" (Homer 141, 132). His mother Thetis, had dipped him as a child in the River Styx making him to be immortal everywhere except the heel by which she held him. The only weakness was he’s heel, he was a strong fighter and no one was a match for him.…
Aristotle said that the man who is incapable of working in common, or who in his self-sufficiency has no need of others, is no part of the community, and is like a beast or a god. Discuss the character of Achilles in light of this statement. Use plenty of examples, details, references, and quotations in the response.…
The first characteristic of a tragic hero is that they must suffer more than deserved. This stands true for Achilles, Hector, Beowulf, and Hamlet. Achilles, son of King Peleus and Thetis, rightfully earned his title as one of the greatest heroes in the war between the Greeks and Trojans. Achilles was a special warrior because he could only be killed if he was wounded in his…
The main character focus in The Iliad is Achilles. Achilles is the son of Thetis, an immortal sea-nymph, and Peleus, the king of the Myrmidons. Because he was the son of Thetis, he was a demigod, which meant that he had one parent who was a God and another parent who was human. Demigods were much stronger than regular humans but did not have as much power as a God. Achilles was the greatest warrior in the Greek army, but that did not make him a hero. Achilles had many character flaws. He was a cry-baby. Whenever something did not go his way, he would cry to his mother about it like she could fix all of his problems. Sometimes she…
into a full retreat from the sight of him. It is apparent that Patroclus was…
He is willing to sacrifice everything else so that his name will be remembered. During his fight against Hector, Achilles refuses any aide from his comrades; afraid he would be second best. "And brilliant Achilles shook his head at the armies, never letting them hurl their sharp spears at Hector-someone might snatch the glory, Achilles come in second,"(2.245-217). Another case of Achilles infamy "Hector-surely you thought when you stripped Patroclus' armor that you, you would be safe! Never fear of me-far from fighting as I was-you fool! Left behind there, down by the beaked ships his great avenger waited, a greater man by far-that man was I, and I smashed your strength!"(2.390-345). Achilles' deep-seated character flaws constantly impede his ability to act with nobility and integrity. This trait is accountable for his sordid response to Hector's distorted plea of honoring his body when he's dead. "You unforgivable, you don't talk to me of pacts. There are no binding oaths between men and lions-wolves and lambs can enjoy no meeting of the minds-they are all bent on hating each other to the death. So with you and me, no love between us, no truce till one or the other falls or gluts with blood,"(2.309-314). The respect for a fallen enemy vanishes as bloodlust, vengeance, and rage run through Achilles' veins. Achilles ruthlessly impends and torments Hector as he breathes his last breathe. "Would to god my rage, my fury would drive me…
Can Achilles be considered selfish or self preserving? Yes he can, not only did he leave the Greeks to fend for themselves in the battle, he wouldn't return to fight with them even after his break from it, and he said that he would rather leave and go back to Pythia to live a long life than live a short glorious one in battle with them. He is also considered selfish to the Greeks and their soldiers, because they looked up to him and now, when they need him most, he is gone.…
This image describes and symbolizes a struggle between two opposing mythical warriors. Both from different worlds and ways of life, both attempting to conquer the other in battle. The first being in the image (the one on the right that is about to slay his enemy) is a great mythological warrior, the son of Peleus, named Achilles. Achilles is a famous Greek hero that many Greek citizens, at that time, could relate themselves too. He had characteristics that almost any Greek male wanted to imitate.…