To What Extent Are the Character in the Iliad Able to Exercise Free Will

To what extent are the characters in the Iliad able to exercise free-will? What are the consequences of their attempts to do so? Refer to several characters in your answer.

Throughout the Iliad by Homer there are numerous characters that try to exercise free-will. There are many consequences that come when doing so. Some of these consequences can be fatal and life threatening. However, these characters are often forced by laws, cultures, morals and gender that stop them from being as free as they would like to be. The main characters that try to express this free-will are Achilles, Paris, Helen and Hector. They all illustrate this dilemma but it is deciding so that Homer lets the reader decide what is truly right.

Achilles is the hero of the Trojan War and a great warrior of Greece. He his faced with many choices that shape who he is. Achilles wishes to live a long life without glory than a shorter, more glorious life. Not only does Achilles wish for this he soon visits his mother who faces him with the choice of going to war with Troy and dying there or staying in Greece and have a family and live a long life. Odysseus, King of Ithaca, also Achilles's friend persuades him to go to Troy as Greeks greatest warrior. The consequences that come with Achilles decision to go to Troy is that he won't return. When Achilles is at Troy he chooses not to fight because Agamemnon, King of Mycenae, takes away his girl Briseis. Out of Achilles own free-will he chooses not to fight so that Greece can fall and give back his girl when they realise how much they need him. Although there is the consequence that Greece lose many men before Achilles fights again. Achilles chooses to go against the laws and cultures of ancient Greece because he chooses to be different and ants to be remembered. Achilles is constrained by his morals and the duty to his country.

Paris is a very different character to Achilles, Paris has a responsibility of running a kingdom and people see him as a coward when he chooses to take Helen back to Troy with him. This free- will choice causes the significant Trojan War and the fall of Troy. Paris decides to take on the heroic code by fighting Helen's husband in the hope that if he won he would get to keep Helen and the Greeks would leave Troy alone. Of course this is not the case, Paris bails and his brother Hector saves him. This has the consequence of the Greeks taking a second attack on Troy.

Helen has to role of Queen to Sparta and to her husband Menelaus. She chooses in her own free-will to neglect he husband and her country. On the other hand this also lead to the defeat of Troy. Helen doesn't get as much free-will as she would like to due to the fact she is a women and by law has to stand by her husband. As a woman the men in Greece get the right of the way. It is a big deal when she runs away with Paris back to Troy as she knows that I they get caught they would be killed. After the Trojan War Helen was reclaimed by her husband who was going to kill her but fell in love with her again.

Hector has many responsibilities in his family, for Troy and for himself. He tries to be the best for his family but the heroic code makes him fight in the Trojan War. Hector choose to fight against what he thought was Achilles but was his cousin instead. When Hector killed Achilles cousin, Achilles goes after Hector. This puts Hector in a position to fight or stay in the kingdom. For his family he wants to stay and watch his son grow up but in the end he chooses to fight Achilles. This results in Hector dying. Hector as a man and leader of Troy has more free will than most people in the village. The consequences that come with his decisions can only result in death.

It would seem that there are many characters that have tried to exercise free-will and there attempts to have caused great consequences some to the extent of the Trojan War. Laws, morals, cultures and gender influence the following characters; these guidelines stop them from expressing as much free-will as they want to. Illustrating the different characters such as Achilles, Helen, Paris and Hector and showing how each one expresses free-will. It is homer that leaves the audience to decide on the right choices.