Achilles in The Illiad is not a Hero Essay - 1009 Words

Achilles in The Illiad is not a Hero In the introduction of the Essential Illiad given by Sheila Murnaghan, Achilles is labeled as â€Å"the greatest of the Greek heroes†. In classic mythology a hero is a person of great strength and courage celebrated for bold exploits and is often the offspring of a mortal and a god. Achilles was the greatest fighter among the Greeks or Trojans and feared no man in battle. He was also the offspring of a mortal and a god so by classic mythology definition, Achilles was indeed a hero. A hero is defined by the present day Websters Dictionary as: â€Å"one who inspires through manners and actions; an individual who leads through personal example and accomplishments requiring bravery, skill, determination,†¦show more content†¦During that entire time, Achilles’ justification for wallowing in self-pity is that he has been â€Å"dishonored†. This argument becomes null and void when Agamemnon offers lavish compensation for the affront. In addition to returning B riseis, Agamemnon offers Achilles seven unfired tripods, ten gold bars, twenty burnished cauldrons, a dozen horses, seven beautiful women from Lesbos, twenty Trojan women, his daughters’ hand in marriage along with a rich dowry, and the ownership of seven populous cities. Any reasonable person would have taken the offer but not prideful, bitter Achilles. Instead he continues on with the same old rhetoric and refuses to fight. As if standing idly by while his countrymen were being killed was not enough, Achilles has his mother call in a favor to Zeus asking him to help the Trojans so that even more Greeks would die during his absence. Not only did he abandon his comrades, he actually prayed for them to die because his pride had been hurt. In addition to the previously mentioned character flaws, one could argue that Achilles was also a kidnapper, rapist and murderer. Briseis herself was a love-slave. She was taken as a spoil of war from one of the Greeks previous successful military campaigns. Even if she went willingly and made love to Achilles willingly, it would be absolutely ludicrous to think that all of his other love-slaves (he had many) had such a â€Å"good† time. No one likes to beShow MoreRelatedCharacteristics Of A Hero In The Illiad979 Words   |  4 Pagesthoughts on heroes. When it comes to The Illiad by Homer, one of the biggest things focused on is the image of the hero. Homer never directly gives the answer to the question â€Å"What makes a good hero?†, but he does write about many heroes, and through the writings it is easy to pick up what qualities make a good hero. It is also made clear what qualities can be the downfall of the hero. So what qualities are seen throughout the bo ok? Positive qualities of a hero would be that they are brave, and theyRead MoreThe Heroic Code1182 Words   |  5 Pagesdecisions often affect the lives of others as well. They need the heroic code to guide them in their decision making. In this essay, I will describe the heroic code and share its applications in the stories of Beowulf, Gilgamesh and Noah, and The Illiad, as well as my other personal experiences. I will start with the story of The Man of La Mancha, which is a play based on the story of Don Quixote. In this story, you have a rather deranged man on a quest to become a knight. In order to become aRead MoreAchilles, Aeneas, and Roland979 Words   |  4 Pagesinsecure days, people would tell oral stories of great heroes, like those of Achilles, Aeneas, and Roland. Achilles was a Greek war hero who fights in the Trojan War, a ten year long war between Greece and Troy (present day Turkey). Aeneas was an epic hero in ancient Roman folklore. He was a soldier who fought in the Trojan War and after surviving the destruction of Troy, he later founded the city of Rome. Roland was an epic hero of the Franks, a Germanic tribe in present day France. All three of theseRead MoreHeroes of the Ages1130 Words   |  5 PagesThroughout the ages, there have been many epic heroes in which we hear about through stories. However, there is a rather common question of what makes them an epic hero. No t only do humans look for the bravery and good deeds in a hero, but they go deeper than that. They wish to know what lies beneath the skin. Literally, what makes them act the way they do. Psychologically speaking, there is no sure way to tell why each person acts the way they do. However, what people can analyze is the actionsRead MoreAchilles : Achilles And Duryodhana Essay1294 Words   |  6 PagesWorld Literature 26 October 2016 Achilles and Duryodhana Analysis A quick comparison between the characters Achilles in the Iliad and Duryodhana in the Mahabharata suggests that they are extremely similar. Both characters are hard-headed, full of pride, and their eventual demises both occur because of a certain weakness in their invulnerability related to their mothers’ oversight. At closer glance, one notices that while they share many traits, the role Achilles plays is much different from Duryodhana’sRead MoreEssay about Heroic Code in the Iliad and the Odyssey979 Words   |  4 Pagesthe Iliad and the Odyssey In Websters Dictionary, a hero is defined as a person noted for courageous acts or nobility of purpose, especially if this individual has risked or sacrificed his life. In the Iliad and the Odyssey, the code which administers the conduct of the Homeric heroes is a straightforward idea. The aim of every hero is to achieve honor. Throughout the Iliad and the Odyssey, different characters take on the role of a hero. Honor is essential to the Homeric heroes, so much thatRead More Comparing the Hero in Epic of Gilgamesh and Homers Iliad Essay730 Words   |  3 PagesThe Hero in Epic of Gilgamesh and the Iliad    One and the same lot for the man who hangs back and the man who battles hard. The same honor waits for the coward and the brave. They both go down to Death, the fighter who shirks, the one who works to exhaustion. (IX,385-88) Thus muses Achilles, one of epic poetrys greatest heroes. Epic poetry, one of the earliest forms of literature, began as an oral narration describing a series of mythical or historic events. EventuallyRead MoreAchilles Heros Journey Essay1117 Words   |  5 PagesJanelle Fanelli Professor Probert ENGL 2800 September 7 2017 Achilles and Gilgamesh on a Journey The two Homeric epics, the Illiad and The Epic of Gilgamesh, both contain a Hero’s Journey. They show the readers a look into heroic life during the time of the Trojan War. Achilles and Gilgamesh’s Heroic Journeys are not identical, however the characteristics and qualities of them is what holds the similarities. The two characters have a compelling outlook on death, and immortality. They seek differentRead MoreThe Code Of Honor In The Iliad And The Odyssey1684 Words   |  7 PagesIn Webster’s Dictionary, a hero is defined as a person noted for courageous acts or nobility of purpose, especially if this individual has risked or sacrificed his life. In the Iliad and the Odyssey, the code which administers the conduct of the Homeric heroes is a straightforward idea. The aim of every hero is to achieve honor. Throughout the Iliad and the Odyssey, different characters take on the role of a hero. Honor is essential to the Homeric heroes, so much that life would be m eaningless withoutRead MoreThe Bronze And Iron Age Essay2093 Words   |  9 Pageswhich is weariness, and tin with it and valuable gold and silver and thereafter set forth upon its standard the great anvil, and gripped â€Å". The poems of Illiad depict the seige of the city of Ilion or Troy during the Trojan War. The word Illiad itself means something concerned with Ilion. Illion was the city based in the state of Troy. When Illiad was created, is arguable. Some scholars are adamant that it was written around the 8th - 9th century, while some debate it must have been written during