Achilles achieved honor on the battlefield as depicted in The Iliad, which fueled his pride. “I tried to dissuade you, but you gave in to your pride and dishonored a great man whom the immortals esteem” (Homer 115). However, his pride was not the only thing the Achilles of The Iliad depicts; his quest for glory is also his motivation to fight. The last lines of Book XX describe Achilles desire for this glory, “But the son of Peleus pressed on to win him glory, flecking with gore his irresistible hands." In the movie Troy Achilles is first motivated by honor and pride, but then passion overtakes him when Agamemnon takes Briseis.
At the heart of it, Achilles was a solider and a leader. His actions in battle and his decisions during The Iliad give example on why he is a hero. He made hard choices that lead to him sacrificing himself for the sake of others even though he had no personal stock in the Trojan War. Achilles doesn’t fit the common idea of a hero but in the story he shows that he himself defines the heroic nature and shows that it takes a special type of person to make the decisions he made and take action like he did. In any Greek story, honor has been held at high importance.
They gave all they had, every ounce of strength, to make that dream a reality. They waged was against one of the most powerful empires of the time so that they could remain true to their ideals. Patrick Henry is one of the examples of patriotism in that time. His bold, fiery words, “Give me liberty or give me death”, stir feelings of pride and courage within me. I am proud to live in a country with such a glorious heritage.
Even with Hector outside the walls awaiting his own death, Priam begs for him to come back to safety. The Trojans also receive the help of Apollo while trying to retreat back into the gates of Troy. While Achilles chased the Trojans they would’ve faced their death, “if Apollo had not driven Prince Agenor at them, Antenor’s son, a courageous, rugged soldier” (Hom.il.21.628-629). Apollo disguised himself as Agenor and bought time for the Trojans. This was Apollo’s attempt to save the Hector and the Trojans from the wrath of Achilles.
Second, Creon abused his power by thinking that he can change or break the laws of the Gods and not allowing other people to break his laws. He did not want to burry Polyneices' body because he believe a traitor who fought against his home land doesn’t deserve the sane burial as a son who died defending his homeland , but one of the God's laws is that every
Improve An example of Homer contrasting Achilles' selfishness and Hector's nobility is when they have their discussion about their reasons for fighting in the war. Hector reveals his reasoning for fighting when he talks with his wife Andromache and states, "Wife, I too have thought upon all this, but with what face should I look upon the Trojans, men or women, if I shirked battle like a coward? I cannot do so: I know nothing save to fight bravely in the forefront of the Trojan host and win renown alike for my father and myself." This quote shows that Hector is fighting for respect for his family name, his city, and to protect his family from harm. This contrasts with Achilles who fights for fame and abundant wealth.
The chief elements of an epic include: a depiction of the societies values and what is important to the people concerning the epic such as the warlike behavior shown in both the Iliad and Beowulf; heroes such as Achilles and Beowulf that are unafraid of the opposition they face and have courage in front of impossible odds; mythical creatures like Grendel and impressive beings such as Apollo that provide a challenge to the hero; settings like the heavily protected Troy and haunted Herot that capture the mind’s eye; and tales of wars and the battles that encompass them. Stark and heavy dialogue, the starring role that war played, and the contrast among the gods, women, and the concept of “good vs. evil”, all play into the basic approach to both of the epics’ innate human characteristics. War comes into play as a central theme in both of these epics. Although they come from different backgrounds, both of the cultures shown in the Iliad and Beowulf display a lust for battle. Both of the epics show that men use almost any reason to go to war, whether it is over something like Helen in the Iliad in Achilles’ case or a dragon in Beowulf’s.
Unseamed him makes it sound like he ripped him like you rip a seam on clothes. He is also referred to as ‘Bellona’s Bridegroom’; so the husband of the goddess of war, so he is obviously a very good soldier. In Scene 3, Macbeth is told that he will be King. He then has a Soliloquy and he says that he is thinking about murdering King Duncan, but it shakes him up so much that he hardly knows who he is anymore, and he can’t act on his idea because of his thoughts and speculations. So he is thinking about killing the king to become king but his mind is telling him that it’s a bad idea so he is confused about what to do.
We see examples of dignity these in today’s world by government officials. They make decisions for the citizens of the United States and they feel that they have made great decisions and for some citizens it may be great decisions but not for every citizen of the United States. Achilles demonstrates pride best in The Iliad. Achilles shows so much pride because he knows that he is the best warrior, therefore, he decides to sit out on this war. He decides not to fight in an effort to show Agamemnon how important and pertinent it is to have him fight the war in order for the Greeks to win.
Often, Homer sets off the words "And Achilles strong, swift, and godlike..."(129;Book 1) from the rest of a stanza, conveying a sense of power and authority that the two heroes exert when they speak. Another example of Homer's use of meter to show that the heroes were well respected comes from when Achilles asks his friend Patroclus to go into battle in place of Achilles to help the failing Greek army. Homer writes, "He spoke, and Patroclus obeyed his beloved friend..."(357-358;Book 1). The word "obeyed" is set off from the line before it, emphasizing the fact that Achilles has a certain power over his friends and