A complex character is a character that is believable . Homer made Achilles complex , in order to make him realistic . This results in multiple or conflicting motivations . This makes the character realistic because they often portrayed negative or positives reasons . This is the case in Homer’s Iliad When Achilles went from Disrespectful to respectful . For example in the poem hector begged achilles to give his body to be returned to his parents so they could cremate and bury it . Quoted from the poem it says “ I beg you by your soul and by your parents , do not let the dogs feed on me in your encampment by the ships . Accept the bronze and gold my…
Achilles is the greatest warrior in the Greek army, and like any exemplary hero, he is resolute and possesses incredible strength and toughness. Nevertheless, his numerous disagreeable traits overshadow his few agreeable ones. He is merciless, indignant, selfish, and vindictive. To…
Achilles was a warrior in the epic poem The Iliad written by Homer and Gilgamesh was a king in “The Epic of Gilgamesh” both characters are part man and part god. Achilles is the son of Peleus- the king of Thessay and Thetis- Goddess of the sea. Gilgamesh is called the son of Lugalbanda, king of Uruk, and the goddess Ninsun, Both of the main heroes share many similar characteristics, including a dynamic outlook on life and death, centered on the death of their closest friends. For Achilles he loses his cousin and closest friend Patroclus in a battle with Hector and Gilgamesh loses Endiku. They both chase fame and both go into battle against their perceived enemy.…
When Achilles returned to Troy to seek further revenge for Patroclus’ death. The god Apollo, warned Hector’s brother Paris that Achilles was returning. A cowardly warrior Pairs hid by the gates and when Achilles entered Pairs shot an arrow guided by Apollo into his heel, which is his only vulnerable spot. Achilles died…
In the Iliad on page 81, lines 205-208 it states, “Think a bit, though: this may be a thing the gods in anger hold against you on that day when Paris and Apollo destroy you at the gates, great as you are.” In those lines it tells that Achilles knew that going to fight, he would most likely die. Being an epic hero means sacrifices. Achilles made a huge scarifies by going into a battle knowing he may not come out alive but still going.…
In the Iliad, the characters of Hector and Achilles carry similar traits, although a deeper investigation into each character will show some stark contrasts between the two. Victory and defeat is not the most telling sign as to which is the greater hero of the two. There are flaws within each character and each one fights to overcome them throughout the story. By the end, it is clear which one emerges as the most appropriate symbol of a hero. The character of Achilles is greater than the character of Hector because he was able to overcome more of his character flaws to become a more realistic portrayal of what a heroic character should be.…
In Homer’s book The Iliad, Homer tells the story of the Trojan War with Achilles, the best Greek warrior. However, Achilles does not like Agamemnon, the king of Mycenae, because he took Briseis (Briseis was a woman that Achilles had received as a war prize). This is the reason why Achilles was raged at Agamemnon. In a rage, Achilles wants to kill all of the Trojans, especially Hector, the best Trojan warrior. Patroclus, Achilles’ best friend goes out to the battle field as Achilles (wearing his armor), trying to kill Hector but instead Hector kills Patroclus thinking he has killed Achilles. When Achilles finds out about this, he is very mad and goes out to kill Hector himself. When he kills Hector, he is very arrogant about it. Only after this happens does Achilles get Briseis back from Agamemnon.…
Achilles knew how Priam felt because he had just lost Patroklos and was still mourning him at this time, so he was able to relate to the sadness and depressed state that Priam was in. He was also able to relate to Priam because he spoke of Achilles’ father as well as offered ransom and the mourn of the fallen. These incidents of passion to take down Hector, his depressed state and his ability to sympathize with Priam all show his emotion for the people and humans in general, instead of just seeing them all as another person dying. Their lives actually meant something to…
He is willing to sacrifice everything else so that his name will be remembered. During his fight against Hector, Achilles refuses any aide from his comrades; afraid he would be second best. "And brilliant Achilles shook his head at the armies, never letting them hurl their sharp spears at Hector-someone might snatch the glory, Achilles come in second,"(2.245-217). Another case of Achilles infamy "Hector-surely you thought when you stripped Patroclus' armor that you, you would be safe! Never fear of me-far from fighting as I was-you fool! Left behind there, down by the beaked ships his great avenger waited, a greater man by far-that man was I, and I smashed your strength!"(2.390-345). Achilles' deep-seated character flaws constantly impede his ability to act with nobility and integrity. This trait is accountable for his sordid response to Hector's distorted plea of honoring his body when he's dead. "You unforgivable, you don't talk to me of pacts. There are no binding oaths between men and lions-wolves and lambs can enjoy no meeting of the minds-they are all bent on hating each other to the death. So with you and me, no love between us, no truce till one or the other falls or gluts with blood,"(2.309-314). The respect for a fallen enemy vanishes as bloodlust, vengeance, and rage run through Achilles' veins. Achilles ruthlessly impends and torments Hector as he breathes his last breathe. "Would to god my rage, my fury would drive me…
This is important because it reminds us that heroism is not only glory and victory, but that good leadership is extremely important, because if a hero sends his men into battle without giving good counsel beforehand, then he will look bad if they end up getting killed. When Aias and Odysseus are sent by Agamemnon to implore with Achilles' to fight for the Greeks, Achilles disagrees with them, saying "There was no gratitude given for fighting continuously against your enemies”. At this point in his life Achilles wants peace and not have to fight battles that aren’t worth fighting, especially putting the lives of others in danger. It wasn’t until he lost Patroclus, his closest friend the strongest relationship that his ever had with anyone that he was ready to go to battle for. Patroclus becomes the prime motivation for Achilles to return to battle. The death of his friend reinforces a great deal of Achilles' actions and emotions about the Trojan War. His death stirred a lot of different emotions within Achilles, and made him reevaluate his life and believes. He didn’t want to have to bury his best friend, he couldn’t bare the loss and not being able to see him…
Aristotle said that the man who is incapable of working in common, or who in his self-sufficiency has no need of others, is no part of the community, and is like a beast or a god. Discuss the character of Achilles in light of this statement. Use plenty of examples, details, references, and quotations in the response.…
Homer portrays Achilles as a man with great strength and a true passion for fighting. Both Achilles and Odysseus represent the Greek ideals of what makes an epic hero. Their sense of duty, courage, and bravery is what allows them to be heroic leaders in their respective journeys and battles. They both encounter personal struggles and tests, but both have come out stronger. For example, Odysseus endures constant trials along his journey to return to Ithaca. He encounters turbulent weather, the loss of his men, and the continual wrath of Poseidon. Likewise, Achilles’ entire existence is a mixture of war, hardships, and trying to establish himself as an immortal Greek hero. Although they both follow different paths, the countless trials that they face led them both to become great leaders and solidify their status in Greek history. Though they share several similarities, their differences are both interesting and varied. One example is Achilles, who is an honorable man in the beginning of his journey but after the death of Patroclus, he becomes completely irrational and only desires to destroy his enemies. Odysseus is far more level-headed and truly desires to return to his home and his family. As a warrior, Achilles is known for being impulsive and revengeful. He is completely focused on demolishing his opponents and often lacks the human emotion to care for those around him.” In the…
As I stated earlier, Achilles mostly fought for collective position and power, and the passing of his best friend Patroclus, did not make Achilles more deliberative or self-reflective, rage, arrogance, and bloodlust still consumed him. Achilles would also sacrifice everything just so that his name would be reminisced; which shows that the only person that he mostly cares about was himself and what people thought of him.…
Achilles was a man of anger and with this anger he dishonored Agamemnon, the commander of the Achaean forces. This forced Achilles to withdraw from the battle. After Agamemnon took Chrysies the daughter of a priest of Apollo, Achilles saw a way of returning to his rein in the war. He followed Agamemnon instruction in protecting the prophet with the key to saving Greece from the plague that was forced upon them in order to free Chrysies. At the same time sweltering with wrath Achilles prayed to Thetis to convince Zeus to the Trojans gain ground in the war. He then would regain is honor in the Trojan War, the honor that he lost when dishonoring Agamemnon. After saving Greece from the plague Achilles refused to fight the war. He believed that they were fighting for the wrong purpose.…
Achilles is one of the greatest warriors and hero of his time. Achilles, was a Greek warrior in the…