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Achilles

             Aristotle's statement that the man who has no need for others is no part of the community describes Achilles in The Iliad very well. As Aristotle would agree, Achilles" determination to rely on the aide of no one but himself is something that only a god could achieve successfully. Although Achilles is the greatest warrior in the Achaean army, his most harmful flaws are his excessive pride and anger and results in not only the harm of an entire army, but also the death of those who are closest to him. .
             We are introduced to the rage of Achilles in the very first book of the epic. Achilles is enraged when Agamemnon insists that he be repaid with Achilles" prize after Agamemnon's has to be returned. Achilles overreacts and announces that he is withdrawing his troops from the battle and returning to his country without even considering the harm that will be done to the Achaeans. Although Agamemnon's actions can be perceived as disrespect towards Achilles as a leader and warrior, Achilles still reacts with selfishness. .
             Achilles" pride gets in the way of the success of his army again in Book IX when Agamemnon tries to reconcile with Achilles by offering him gifts if he and his troops will return to the war. Achilles refuses by saying that he cannot be bought and that nothing can make up for the public insult that Agamemnon commited against him. Achilles" desire for revenge takes over and Achilles is no longer concerned with anyone but.
             himself and ultimately results in the death of Achilles" best friend Patroclus, himself, and the fall of Troy. .
             Achilles" childish rage results in the death of his most loyal friend, Patroclus, when Patroclus makes an unsuccessful attempt to convence Achilles to rejoin the war. Achilles wants to rejoin, however he cannot put aside his pride. Patroclus then takes matters into his own hands and joins in the battle on Achilles" behalf.


Essays Related to Achilles

1. Achilles

... this, we realize we have two powerful men, in two very different positions, which could provide lethal results. Agamemnon felt in his conflict with Achilles a need to humiliate Achilles to put him in his place, or, as he puts it, "so that you may know well how much mightier I am than you ... look elsewhere, restated the dangers of their position, and asserted that Hector no longer interested him. Yet where Odysseus" speech was organized and pointed, Achilles" speech came through with blunt, obsessive power. He left each topic only to return to it, as though his mind were prowling within ...

  • Word Count: 1906
  • Approx Pages: 8
  • Grade Level: High School

2. Homer's Sympathetic Hero - Achilles

... ;Let him bow down to me! I am the greater king, I am the elder born, I claim – the greater king" (256). Agamemnon's ill-mannered remarks portrays Achilles to look even better than he already does. Achilles does not know that Odysseus leaves out the spiteful comments, but the readers know he left it out. Homer uses other characters like Odysseus to help ... ground for soot and filth, he poured it over his head, fouled his handsome face and black ashes settled onto his fresh clean war-shirt" (468). Since these were Achilles' first emotions to the death of Patroclus, the readers know that...

  • Word Count: 1085
  • Approx Pages: 4
  • Has Bibliography
  • Grade Level: High School

3. Odysseus And Achilles

... warlord conquers many men and claims to Odysseus, "Twelve cities of men I've stormed and sacked from shipboard, eleven I claim by land" (139). Achilles" speed is also admired, for it gains him victory in battle. "The great runner," being as swift "as the wild mountain hawk, the quickest ... on wings," manages to frighten Hector, the foremost warrior of the Trojans, and sends him "fleeing along the walls of Troy" (180). Achilles" use of his physical ability displays to the Greeks how being mighty earns respect, and having enemies envy him builds self-worth. Odysseus, although ... not a...

  • Word Count: 1444
  • Approx Pages: 6
  • Grade Level: High School

4. Achilles

... this is simply the nature of the Homeric style. These two tales of divine inspiration are not the only sections of the Iliad from which Achilles is absent. There are hundreds of side descriptions of conversations, arguments, battles, and the inevitable deaths of multitudes of Achaeans and Trojans. The ... Diomedes and Patroclus becomes less awkward when their aristeias are major points on their own, as opposed to stepping-stones for the grand finale of Achilles" own shining moment. Though attractive, this labeling of the Iliad too has problems. The opening lines cannot be dismissed so ea...

  • Word Count: 1340
  • Approx Pages: 5
  • Grade Level: High School

5. Gilgamesh and Achilles

... hero there always comes differences, in the way they lived and the ideals they believed in. In this essay we are to compare Gilgamesh with Achilles as characters. Achilles, is known as the greatest and fastest hero on the Greek side during the Trojan War, and is also the subject of Homer's great ... 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. However, Achilles was well aware of his mortality. As a result of his friends death he chose that he didn't want to live a longer glorious life but a shortened happy ... sa...

  • Word Count: 1671
  • Approx Pages: 7
  • Has Bibliography
  • Grade Level: High School

6. Hector and Achilles - Literature's Great Warriors

... them from being anywhere near the same person. This is shown mostly in the way that Hector is more of a family man and cares for everyone while Achilles really only cares about the well being of himself. Throughout the epic both characters are fighting in a war against each other. The epic picks up 10 years ... into the war, so they have both been fighting for a very long time. Achilles is the greatest warrior on the Greek side and many people believe he is the greatest warrior to ever live. On the other hand Hector is the greatest ... warrior that the Trojans have ever seen. Both Hecto...

  • Word Count: 982
  • Approx Pages: 4
  • Has Bibliography
  • Grade Level: High School

7. Achilles

... recognition he did not receive from fighting the other battles or what recognition he might not receive for the battle that he refused to fight. However, Achilles is known to be the strongest and shows this in his battle against Hector. Also, a hero is to be born of high status, he ... honor he thought he deserves. Nevertheless, complains that he has not received his justice of honor and respect without continually showing how he deserved it. Achilles whole position in not fighting in the war was because he had not received that he thought was due to him from the other battles. ... When ...

  • Word Count: 1501
  • Approx Pages: 6
  • Grade Level: High School

8. achilles

... in a few ways, but mostly very different. According to the definition of a modern day hero that I present, it shows that Hector shall be the hero and Achilles not as so. A modern day hero is someone who is honest, loyal, and respectable. A hero is someone who puts others before himself. He is willing to ... best he can do is offer Phoenix a bed to sleep in and also gives him the offer to return back home with him the next day. Lastly Achilles proves himself to be no better than a savage. He proves himself to be a savage first when he refuses to return Hector's body to his parents, ... an...

  • Word Count: 1297
  • Approx Pages: 5
  • Grade Level: High School

9. Achilles vs. Roland

... The Iliad, written by Homer, and The Song of Roland, by Sir Thomas Mallory, both Roland and Achilles show traits of each other as history repeats itself. Both Achilles and Roland are great warriors but Achilles is more compassionate than Roland is. Roland and Achilles are fierce warriors. Achilles was a better warrior than Agamemnon, because he has had more combat time than Agamemnon has, "I have ... line, fighting for the Greeks while Agamemnon has laid back in the ranks and left the action to the warriors in front of him. Achilles was the one person who killed the Trojan's greatest an...

  • Word Count: 605
  • Approx Pages: 2
  • Grade Level: High School

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