Why Did Achilles Want To Die

Bailee Gates
English 2332-881
Professor Brooks
21 November 2014
To Stay or to Go? When Achilles was first born, his fate was to die by Troy. He is the son of King Peleus, a nymph, Thetis. Achilles was brought up by Chiron, who taught him how to fight and become a great warrior. Achilles mother knew about his wretched fate. As a baby, it is said that she took the infant, Achilles, to the River of Styx in hopes that submerging him in the water would make him completely immortal so he could escape his fate. She submerged all but his heel, which would soon contribute to the fulfillment of his destiny. When Achilles got called to help the Greeks to get the princess, Helen, back from the Trojan Prince, Paris, he was then faced with a life changing dilemma. He had the option to either go fight and die and be known as a Great War Hero, or to stay behind and live.
Deciding whether or not to live is a huge life changing decision.
Achilles had always grown up as a fearless, war-minded, young man. Death in war did not scare him because he was raised knowing that war was in his blood. Being the prideful man that he is, Achilles chose to go to war. He could not pass up his opportunity to receive eternal glory. But the honest question is, was it the fates that chose his destiny, or Achilles? Achilles decision to fight for his own selfish benefits proves that he is personally responsible for how things ended. He did not try to escape his fate. The idea of becoming the greatest war hero of all time intrigued him even more to be involved in the Trojan War. He was not sincerely concerned about the welfare of the Greeks; he was only worried about what would be said of him after the war. Achilles had one mission— gain eternal glory. Achilles had too much pride to back down from war, even if it meant death. Therefore it is proven that because of his selfish lusts, Achilles holds responsibility for his
death. Achilles, being the great warrior that he is, has a social responsibility to the Greeks and to his poor mother, to die in battle. Being so consumed in the high life, Achilles forgets that he is destined to die at Troy. He becomes so war-minded, that he is too eager to enter the Trojan gates. Achilles’ over eagerness causes him to get shot through the heel and eventually die. Although the Greeks won the war, losing such an amazing warrior affected them. He was a huge reason the Greeks left the war with a victory. Achilles mother, Thetis, was also hurt by his death, because after all, she tried so hard to prevent his fate from being fulfilled. Based on the events that occur in the story of Achilles, his dilemma is somewhat justified. Yes he entered the war just to have eternal glory, but he did lead the Greeks to victory. He helped a city of people reach a goal while fulfilling his at the same time. At the beginning of the war he entered in to it selfishly, but towards the end, he found love and had a change of heart. Everything we do in life affects others. Our actions will always be remembered by those around us. Achilles’ actions had an elongated effect on not only the Greeks, but his name and stature for generations and generations to come. Works Cited

Homer. The Iliad. The Norton Anthology of Western Literature. vol. I 8th ed. Sarah Lawall, et al. New York: Norton, 2006. 107-205. Print.