Does Achilles emerge as a sympathetic character? Why or why not? Achilles is a Greek warrior who fights in the Trojan War. He is respected and revered as a hero among all of the Greek people and he is the most important character in the Iliad. Achilles is an unbelievable warrior who doesn’t get the thanks he deserves.
This heroic age is conveyed by one main character, Achilles. Achilles <br>represents the tragic Greek hero in The Iliad, tragic because he chose his own death. <br>Achilles knew (because of his mother Thetis), that he could either lead a long and <br>insignificant life, or die young but glorious. Achilles chose the latter. Throughout The <br>Iliad, Achilles went through some significant changes that affected himself, as well as the <br>Achaeans and Trojans.
In Homer's lyrical verses and in his use of detail, diction, and imagery, he paints his own portrait of a classic hero through the brave deeds as well as the human flaws of Hector and Achilles that eventually lead to the downfall of proud and powerful Hector. The first characteristic that is assigned to a classic hero by Homer is the fact that they are strong and brave, and may even have god-like qualities. To emphasize this, Homer deliberately and repeatedly adds adjectives that praise the two heroes before their names almost every time he refers to them. While Achilles is usually depicted as swift and godlike, Homer portrays Hector as bright, dazzling and dignified. Homer uses phrases like, "...noble bright-helmeted Hector..."(398;Book 22), "...man-killing Hector..." (149;Book 6), and "Resplendent Hector..."(146;Book 6) to describe the Trojan soldier, while he praises Hector's Greek opponent with such expressions as "Achilles, peer of the plume-waving war god..."(145;Book 22) and "...Achilles, swift of foot..."(182;Book 1).
In the two epics I am familiar with (Beowulf and Odysseus), both “heroes” were originally driven by their own hubris, ego, and self-admiration. Yet, as they progressed throughout the story, they found that they are no longer propelled by themselves and their ideals, rather, the values of the civilization or purer intentions all-together. The interesting thing about epics is the incorporation of the struggle between man and god. In Greek epics, some gods help the hero on his quest, for example, Athena aiding Odysseus on his journey home. Nevertheless, there always stands that one deity who someone just had to piss off.
Specifically, we would be looking at the famous Greek author Homer's work, the Iliad, and on how it shows the story of the mighty Achilles, a fearless warrior and hero of Greece, and his act of revenge towards Hector which leads to the doom of Troy. As I said, this research is made to show the Greeks violence and war like culture by showing the way Achilles acted his revenge on an enemy, ruining the dead body enough for the gods to have pity for the person. Greek Mythology has always been an interesting topic for a lot of people, especially me. The wars of Greece have caught the attention of people, some
Hector and Achilles are both excellent warriors; however they both fight for very different reasons. Achilles has menis, which means that he has a great deal of killing force. This superiority over all of his peers in battle translates into social statues and honor through respect. Through his accomplishments in battle, Achilles receives the Trojan girl Briseis which is a token of honor. (Homer).
The gods exercise absolute power over mortal actions in The Odyssey. In The Odyssey mortals are constantly making sacrifices to them. Offending the gods creates problems, as seen by the oxen of Helios and Poseidon's grudge against Odysseus for blinding his son Polyphemos. Athena is the most visible god in the poem. Only with her can Odysseus survive his dangerous adventures.
Homer’s exploration of Achilles’ struggle for eternal glory establishes the main element of the Hero in ancient Greek culture as the immortalisation of his life in song or epic poetry. Kleos, meaning ‘glory, fame, that which is heard’ refers to both the medium and the message, and is one of the driving forces for many of the warriors in the Illiad. For the heroes, and indeed Achilles, they fight not for their Kings or countries, but for the concept of kleos. In order to achieve this, they have to suffer through an ordeal, accomplish great deeds, show excellence in fighting, and ultimately, die in battle. According to Goldhill, “Poetry confers
This is how Homer “gained his fame.” Many other scholars also believe the idea that “Homer” could have meant any travelling scholar, as there were no written records back then. The two poems are talking about a period in Greek history during the Trojan War. The Iliad is a lengthy poem about the Trojan War, and its’ ending. The poem starts out with the Achaean army taking over the town of Chryse and continued to tell the story of a greedy leader in the Achaean army, Agamemnon, and how he makes enemies with one of his best fighters, Achillies. The story goes on to tell about how the gods toy around with the humans, and take sides over each other that other gods may not like.
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. Within the Iliad Achilles’s anger is triggered with an attack on his honor and pride. When Agamemnon takes Briseis, he responds with withdrawing from the Trojan war, and the Trojans use that opportunity to attack the Greeks with them vulnerable due to loss of Achilles in the frontline. His wrath climaxes when he gives up all laws of society and humanity and lets his hate for the Trojans take a new level after Patroklos is killed, when Achilles kills Hektor, were Achilles drags Hektors body around from his carriage and mutilates his body. Here the reader gets a