In book three, after Paris’ responds to Hector’s criticisms, Paris offers to prove himself in a fight with Menelaus in order to settle the war. Hector announces this offer to the Achaeans as he moves forward in the Trojan ranks, into no man’s land. In doing so, Hector leaves himself vulnerable and open to Achaean attack. However, Agamemnon orders a cease fire, protecting Hector. It is significant to note that this first glimpse into the character of Hector demonstrates that he would rather try to prevent a war than go into combat.
From a modern perspective, Achilles ultimately fails to come across as a heroic figure in the Iliad; his actions are trite and petulant when compared to the deeds of the Great Ajax. The two characters are a dichotomy and serve a fundamental purpose of comparison within the text. Achilles is interested only in kleos, his personal glory, which he attains through the sacrifice of thousands of his comrades in arms. The Great Ajax, however, is consumed only with the safety and wellbeing of his fellow soldiers, and doesn’t hesitate to put himself in harms way in order to protect them. A character will fail to come across as heroic without self-sacrifice.
Homer effectively shows readers through praise how admirable Achilles is, making him the justified character. Achilles essentially thought that Agamemnon was a coward according to his quote: “With a dog’s eyes and a rabbit’s heart! You’ve never had the guts to buckle on armor in battle…Confiscating prizes from the Greeks who talks back, and bleeding your people dry” (Homer xvii). Achilles believes that Agamemnon
Pericles began his Funeral Oration with praise to the ancestors of Athens by briefly touching on the acquisition of the empire. Pericles criticizes the presence of the speech. He argues that “reputations of many brave men should not be imperiled in the mouth of a single individual.” Any speaker of an oration has nearly an impossible task of pleasing associates of the dead who want their accomplishments recognized. They also struggle to please spectators of the oration who might feel jealous or question exaggeration. Pericles skipped over the greater achievements of Athens’ past and indicated that it was a theme too well known by his listeners to dwell upon at that time of misfortune.
He had decided to kill Agamemnon but Athena came to him, sent by Hera, and told him to get his anger under control. With that he left in anger and stayed by his ships drowning in sorrow. Here was the fearsome warrior brought to his knees by the loss of a woman, a prize, a piece of property, taken from him by another. He did not fight in the war for a time due to his anger and humiliation but when his best friend Patroclus was slain by Hector he was driven by revenge and rejoined the fight. Hector was considered the warrior-champion for the Trojans, who had persuaded the Trojan warriors to leave Troy and the safety it provided while Achilles was not taking part in the battle.
Yet while Caesar may not be unduly power-hungry, he does possess his share of flaws. He is unable to separate his public life from his private life, and, seduced by the populace’s increasing idealization and idolization of his image, he ignores ill omens and threats against his life, believing himself as eternal as the North Star. Antony - A friend of Caesar. Antony claims allegiance to Brutus and the conspirators after Caesar’s death in order to save his own life. Later, however, when speaking a funeral oration over Caesar’s body, he spectacularly persuades the audience to withdraw its support of Brutus and instead condemn him as a traitor.
(Homer). When the commander of the Greek army, Agamemnon, takes Briseis from Achilles on the grounds of his inherited right, Achilles refuses to fight, even when he is offered other material gifts. This can be seen when Achilles’ says, “I don’t need that kind of honor, Phoenix, my honor comes from Zeus, and I will have it among these beaked ships as long as my breath still remains and my knees still move.”(Iliad, 103). Achilles’ motivation to fight can be seen in how he refuses to fight after Agamemnon insults him and strips him of his honor.
Before Achilles kills Agamemnon, Athena and Nestor calm the situation and prevent the duel. Achilles is humiliated and infuriated when Briseis is taken from him and given to Agamemnon. That was one of Achilles war prizes and for someone to take that away from him is wrong and shouldn’t be done to such a valuable warrior. Achilles is beyond enraged after all this and
The hero should have great deal of confidence and not to be insulted in any way do to the heroes pride which was the glory and within glory there was immortality. In the Iliad there is a counter hero, the contrast of Achilles, the great Hektor – whom contrasts Achilles in every way and finds himself not in the out front of the book like Achilles but still is as important as Achilles, Achilles being the personal hero striving for greatness and Hektor, the hero who follows the laws of external responsibility, family man with his allegiance to his city and duty. Is there need for Hektor in the Iliad? Did Achilles become more fierce do to the fact that Hektor the great Trojan is there is well? Achilles Achilles´s wrath is triggered by his pride and honor, the pride of being a Greek and his honor comes from his desire for greatness and immortality.
These are just two examples of illusion versus reality, which is a fundamental philosophical topic that dates back to the Pre-Socratics. Zeno, a student of Parmenides, believed that change is merely an illusion. He used paradoxes to prove his points, and to prove that change or motion is an illusion he used the paradox of Achilles and the tortoise. In this paradox Achilles is going to race a tortoise, but being so confident in his abilities he gives the tortoise a head start. Zeno then states that Achilles can never catch the tortoise, because every time Achilles covers half the distance the tortoise will have moved farther away.