Iliad Essay
Greta Davis
Dr. Novak
Great Books Section 3
24 September 2012
What Makes a Hero The battlefield is the only home a warrior hero knows, his shield and spear the only instruments for achieving all aims. A hero is driven through suffering to earn the honor and glory of immortal status within a community from which he is inevitably detached. At the beginning of Homer’s The Iliad, Achilles embodies the “ideal” hero in his past accomplishments and renowned fame as the greatest of all Achaeans. What Achilles yet lacks, and what he struggles with throughout the epic, is the balance of wisdom to compliment his unmatched skills in battle. Achilles’ internal battle with rage, excessive pride, and self-righteousness causes him to appear far less heroic, if not merciless and cruel, in the eyes of his companions and some gods. Recognizing that these flaws bring enmity instead of fame, Achilles learns to gradually regain respect and admiration lost at the start of Book 1. Through a series of trials and error, starting with his decision to abandon the Achaean forces and ending with his final encounter with King Priam, Achilles finds a balance between his strengths and faults and ultimately discovers a path towards the glorious status of immortality by the end of the epic. In Book 1, Achilles’ rash decision to overstep Agamemnon’s authority in addressing the plague immediately leads to a cascade of rage-driven actions, starting with a near attempt to murder the king. “Just as he drew his huge blade from its sheath, / down from the vaulting heavens swept Athena” (1.228-229). Only the intervention of goddess Athena prevents Achilles from making a fatal mistake; he has not yet grown to seek wisdom before letting rage consume his decisions.
Achilles continues in his rage by pressuring his mother to “persuade him (Zeus), somehow, to help the Trojan cause… so even mighty Atrides can see how mad he was / to disgrace Achilles, the best of the Achaeans” (1. 485-490). For personal
Dr. Novak
Great Books Section 3
24 September 2012
What Makes a Hero The battlefield is the only home a warrior hero knows, his shield and spear the only instruments for achieving all aims. A hero is driven through suffering to earn the honor and glory of immortal status within a community from which he is inevitably detached. At the beginning of Homer’s The Iliad, Achilles embodies the “ideal” hero in his past accomplishments and renowned fame as the greatest of all Achaeans. What Achilles yet lacks, and what he struggles with throughout the epic, is the balance of wisdom to compliment his unmatched skills in battle. Achilles’ internal battle with rage, excessive pride, and self-righteousness causes him to appear far less heroic, if not merciless and cruel, in the eyes of his companions and some gods. Recognizing that these flaws bring enmity instead of fame, Achilles learns to gradually regain respect and admiration lost at the start of Book 1. Through a series of trials and error, starting with his decision to abandon the Achaean forces and ending with his final encounter with King Priam, Achilles finds a balance between his strengths and faults and ultimately discovers a path towards the glorious status of immortality by the end of the epic. In Book 1, Achilles’ rash decision to overstep Agamemnon’s authority in addressing the plague immediately leads to a cascade of rage-driven actions, starting with a near attempt to murder the king. “Just as he drew his huge blade from its sheath, / down from the vaulting heavens swept Athena” (1.228-229). Only the intervention of goddess Athena prevents Achilles from making a fatal mistake; he has not yet grown to seek wisdom before letting rage consume his decisions.
Achilles continues in his rage by pressuring his mother to “persuade him (Zeus), somehow, to help the Trojan cause… so even mighty Atrides can see how mad he was / to disgrace Achilles, the best of the Achaeans” (1. 485-490). For personal