Achilles vs. Agamemnon In the epic poem, The Iliad, Homer describes the social collision of Achilles and Agamemnon who fight over pride and anger. While both men are prominent figures in the poem only one man is justified in his actions. Achilles has the vindicated point of view because he is the greater warrior. He thrived in every area for success and succeeded his great reputation every chance. He fought nobly in all battles and believed in tradition when called upon.
<br>Achilles, the great warrior, allowed his wrath to infest his desire to help his own comrades <br>in the battle against the Trojans. It was his determination to maintain his pride
Me and my classmates were fed all those great examples of people fighting during Second World War sacrificing their lives and not even dare to look for any kind of reward other then admitting them into “hero ranks” of their “great” country. Fighting for reward was not hero like behavior. I realize though that this understanding of hero was more due to the norms and obligations of certain time and society. In “The Iliad” hero is noted for his courage and strength and desire to fight especially if they risk their life or put it in any kind of danger. But at the same time Homer also pays great attention to rewards, heroes get for their fighting.
Achilles is an unbelievable warrior who doesn’t get the thanks he deserves. He also got his war prize taken away from him and still basically wins the war for the Greeks. Finally, Achilles has characteristics and traits that people can connect with and understand his feelings. Achilles is viewed as a hero, though he isn’t treated great and complains for a while, he still wins the war and emerges as the sympathetic character in the Illiad. Right from the beginning of the Illiad, the reader finds out a lot about Achilles.
Claiming The Hero, Strife For Greatness – The First Modern Hero of Western Literature? (Hektor versus Achilles) In the beginning of the poem Iliad, Homer talks about the “wrath of Achilles”. With this Homer sets up a hero for the poem, they praise the mighty warrior Achilles and the wrath he provoked within himself being who he was, being discord, this sets up a heroic honor. The hero’s role in the Homeric poem is important. 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.
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
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.
His cockiness of being so “strong, swift, and godlike” (Norton’s page 110) results from many reasons. Achilles’ evident strength makes him the most fierce and best fighter of the Greek army. Showing Achilles feels he is so good, the Greek army with be nothing without him, he swears by his scepter to Agamemnon, “When every last Greek desperately misses Achilles, your remorse won’t do any good then, when Hector the man-killer swats you down like flies, and you will your heart out because you have failed to honor the best Greek of all.” (Norton’s page 113) As mentioned, Achilles holds a scepter made from the mountains of Olympus. It is said, “A scepter-holding king has honor beyond the rest of men, power and glory given by Zeus himself.” (Norton’s page 114) The greatest factor of all which allows Achilles to have such a high conception of his position is how he is linked to the gods. Although Achilles’ father, Peleus, is a mortal, his mother is not.
He worked hard to gain his reputation, so he could be regarded as equal to the white people that surround him. For example Othello is a general in the armies of Venice, his victories at war have gained him a status as a hero among the people that surround him he is highly respected because of the battles he has fought. He is unable to believe his good fortune that Desdemona would fall in love with him, and that helps Iago make him believe that
Achilles was willing to fight for his town, but not for his wife which makes no sense. I think Achilles needs to respect him more and the one’s he loves instead of letting Agamemnon walk all over him. Book VI Hector is a well-known, dedicated and true leader of the city of Troy. He is Troy’s toughest warrior and the definition of a true man. He respects his city, family and the gods.