In reading The Iliad by Homer, we were introduced to the many conflicting character traits of one of the epic's major heroic characters, Akhilleus. Although The Iliad portrays Akhilleus as a great warrior and a noble hero, his irrational and horrific actions can at times tarnish the image of this great character. Akhilleus possesses all the marks of a great hero, and throughout the story proves to us that he is, if not the mightiest, one of the mightiest military warriors amongst both the Achaean and Trojan armies. .
At the beginning of Homer's tale Akhilleus" confrontation with Agamemnon shows us the nobility and integrity of a soldier although high up in the ranks of a great army, he stands up against his commander in chief so to speak because he felt that he was the only one with enough courage and military worth to be able to speak up and question Agamemnon's actions. This display of courage and nobility almost instantaneously makes you admire the character and the kind of man that he is. You gain a sense of respect for Akhilleus because of all the men in the Achaean army it was he who looked out for the good of the army and begged Agamemnon to give Khryses back his daughter Khryseis. , so that Apollo would lift the plague that Khryses had asked him to place on the Achaean army after Agamemnon's refusal in returning his daughter back to him. He even went as far as to insult and question Agamemnon's leadership when at first he refused to return the girl to her father. Although Agamemnon eventually did return the girl after a very heated confrontation between himself and Akhilleus he makes a rather irrational decision in crossing Akhilleus. Agamemnon's insulting demand that Akhilleus relinquish his war prize, Briseis, seemed to unleash a rather dark side in Akhilleus, he cannot control his pride or the rage that surges up when his pride is injured. This attribute of pride so poisons him that he abandons the Achaean army and even prays to the gods that the Trojans will slaughter them, all because he was betrayed by his commander; Agamemnon.
