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This blog is intended to serve as a online journal for the Step-Ahead class of World Literature.
17 comments:
One part of the story in which Achilles is not directly involved, yet the scene results from his anger is Zeus choosing to side with the Trojans. This ultimately begins to pit the gods against one another. Hera fights with Hera because she favors the Greeks and Zeus is convinced to favor the Trojans by Achilles’ mother in order to force the Greeks hand and ultimately fulfill Achilles’ own sense of pride. The story also shows the god of the sun and plagues, Apollo choosing his side from the beginning and he too persuades other gods, such as Ares to join his efforts to help the Trojans. Other gods, like Hephaestus, originally try to keep a neutral stance but eventually choosing one side or the other. Achilles’ anger, even if not in the form of the direct action by himself, shapes the war to being not just about a supposed kidnapping between mortals, but a battle between the gods. If the story is about Achilles’ anger, which we see makes him a violent and vengeful individual, then these key parts in which Achilles’ anger is almost a character in itself, play a significant role in propelling the story. His anger at Agamemnon for taking away his war prize, Briseis, instigates him refusing to fight the war with Agamemnon and the Greeks anymore. The death of his closest friend and most respected solider, Patroclus fuels his hatred of the Trojans which ultimately leads him to drag the dead body of Hector by chariot for days, only to postpone the descent of his soul to the Underworld. Like the women in Gilgamesh, not much attention is given to Achilles’ anger at first glance. However, the story would not go on without it. Achilles wrath is inherently tied to his sense of honor, which he feels defines his fame as a great hero. Even though he initially decides against fighting the war for the Greeks, he also comes to realize his own mortality. That both men who do nothing and men who do everything cannot escape their own fateful death. Despite the fact that Achilles’ anger is a response to him feeling dishonored by the actions of Agamemnon, it also reveals a sense of pride in Achilles. His anger is a direct result of him feeling like his pride has been hurt. His anger does not stop at harsh words or impulsive decisions, he chooses to take his anger out on people, which ultimately turns his legacy of fame and honor into one of pride and wrath and ends with his death at the hands of the senseless Paris, prince of Troy, who is directly responsible for the start of the war.
At the beginning of the Iliad, the Greek soldiers were struck with a plague because Agamemnon had taken one of Apollo’s priest’s daughter as a prize and refused to give her back even after being offered a sizable ransom. When it was discovered that Agamemnon’s greed was the cause of the plague, he was advised to return Chryseis, the daughter. Agamemnon threw a fit and said the only way he would return Chryseis is if he could possess Achilles’ own woman. Achilles protested but eventually Agamemnon won, returned Chryseis, and claimed Briseis. Achilles was so angry at Agamemnon for taking his woman, Briseis, who had been given to Achilles as a prize for winning a previous battle, that he refused to fight and also withdrew his men from battle. Achilles then asked his mother to help him get revenge on Agamemnon. He asked her to call in the debt Zeus had to her. Achilles’ mom, Thetis, went to Zeus to ask him to punish the Greeks on behalf of Achilles. Zeus told Thetis that he would help the Trojans in the war to honor Achilles. He told Thetis to not let Hera find out because she loved the Greeks and he knew it would anger her that he was helping the Trojans defeat the Greeks. Of course, Hera found out and was furious. Not only was she mad that he would be taking the side of the Trojans, but Hera was also mad at Zeus for making plans behind her back. Zeus yelled at Hera saying that if he were to lay his hands on her, no god would be able to protect her. Hera backed out of the argument due to fear, but this caused despondency among the other gods in Zeus’ hall. The argument was stopped by Hera’s son, Hephaestus. Hephaestus said to Hera that if their argument continued it could greatly affect the rest of the gods. He reminds her that Zeus is most powerful and can remove her from the seat on Mt. Olympus at any time. Hephaestus begs Hera to apologize to Zeus so that the argument will end and all the gods can be calm. Eventually, she does and all of the gods feast. If the argument had not ended, there would have been turmoil between the gods, which then would have affected the mortals. Although Achilles was the reason Thetis asked Zeus for a favor, he was not involved in the fight between the gods. The fight was about Zeus siding with Thetis over his wife, Hera. But because Achilles was so angered by Agamemnon, through a chain of events, the gods fought. This part of the story is extremely important to the rest of the Iliad because it shows that Achilles’ anger has a great affect. Because Achilles was so mad at Agamemnon, Achilles’ mom asked Zeus to curse the Greeks. Zeus did as he was asked, but his wife became very angry at him which lead to a possibly destructive argument between gods.
-Caroline
The story of the Iliad starts by depicting some of the events that are occurring in the Greek and Trojan war. Early on in the epic the Greeks are struck down with a plague because of the actions of two of their main leaders, Achilles and Agamemnon. Achilles and Agamemnon were granted two girls as a prize for a success in battle, but the father of Agamemnon’s prize cursed them for taking his daughter. So as a result, Agamemnon was forced to give up his girl. Being left with nobody, Agamemnon demanded that Achilles give up his prize. This resulted in a brutal quarrel between Achilles and Agamemnon and, as a result of this, we are introduced to one of the main themes of the Iliad: Achilles rage.
By Agamemnon taking away his girl, it appeared to undermine Achilles power and made him look weak, thereby hurting his sense of pride. Due to his short temper, Achilles was determined to get revenge on Agamemnon. In order to exact his revenge, he called on his mother Thetis. She in turn called out to the father of the gods, Zeus, and asked him to support the Trojans so they would eventually prevail over the Greeks, thus leading to Agamemnon’s defeat.
The request presented a problem for Zeus, or perhaps even a conflict of interest, because his wife, Hera, did not like the Trojans. However, despite Zeus’ dilemma, he decided to help Achilles. But just as Zeus expected, this brought conflict between him and his wife and a huge fight broke out between the two affecting not only them but the other gods. Although Achilles was not directly involved in the fight that broke out between the gods, this fight was a result of his anger and his actions in response to his anger. It is essential to the story because it shows how Achilles anger not only effects the people he is directly fighting and arguing with but others present in the story, bringing conflict on Zeus, the most powerful god.
Without Achilles being so easily angered many events would not occur throughout the Iliad. Achilles actions essentially shape part of the story because they cause a chain reaction affecting many of the characters. However, Achilles anger does not always last because as we see later in the story, Achilles gets over his grudge against Agamemnon and rejoins the Greeks in the war.
-Laina
One of the scenes from the book where Achilles’ anger influences the story is when his mother, Thetis, visits Zeus on behalf of her son. Achilles first becomes enraged when Agamemnon refuses to let the priest’s daughter return to her father. To spite Agamemnon, Achilles pulls his army and his second in command out of the battle with the Trojans. Another great example of this pride issue is played out after Achilles pulls his men out of the battle. He tells Agamemnon that they will beg for his return but he will not comeback. In retaliation to Achilles pulling his army out, Agamemnon takes Achilles’ prize that he had won from a previous battle. This prize Achilles had won was a woman named Briseis that stayed in Achilles’ tent. Agamemnon took her to replace the priest’s daughter that he had to return and to get back at Achilles for pulling out of the battle. To ensure that the Greeks would beg for his return, Achilles asks his mother to have Zeus pay her back for a favor he owes her. He asks his mother to ask Zeus if he will put favor on the Trojans side of the war. Now why would a Greek warrior asks the gods to side with the opponent one might ask. Well, if Zeus sides with the Trojans, then the Greek forces would have no chance against the mighty force of the Trojans. When Thetis asks Zeus for his favor of the Trojan army, Zeus hesitates to answer and is immediately put into a bind. If he sides with the Trojans then his wife and goddess Hera will become angered because she is on the side of the Greeks and believes that her husband already likes the Trojans more than the Greeks. However, if he sides with the Greeks and doesn’t grant Thetis her wish, then he will dishonor the favor that he is in debt in. Thetis can possibly hold or blackmail against Zeus depending on what she did for him. The decision is so controversial Zeus doesn’t even speak, but rather nods his head in agreement of Thetis to hold favor in the Trojans side of the war. Basically the entire argument between Agamemnon and Achilles is at its core a pride issue. Neither one wants to give Authority to the other. The reasoning for this is because in ancient Greece, cities governed themselves as a democracy and not as a solemn nation or empire. So, because of this divided city states, not one person was in complete authority. These city states didn’t help when two general/kings got into an argument about a decision that affects the entire Greek army. Especially in a literal life or death situation when the god Apollo gets involved after the priest’s prayer for help. This story is a great example of the ripple effect. One little argument leads to the death of many people and, on top of that, it led to the involvement of the gods and goddess. - Reagan
A pivotal turning point in the Iliad is when Achilles decides to withdraw from the war because of his anger towards Agamemnon. His anger leads him to convince his goddess mother Thetis to appeal to Zeus on his behalf. Achilles feels like Zeus might listen to her because she loosened his chains earlier and saved him from the wrath of Hera, Poseidon, and Athena. When Thetis appeals to Zeus, she asks him to give the Trojans the upper hand until Achilles gets the honor he deserves. When Zeus agrees to honor Thetis’s request with a nod, he is immediately confronted by his wife Hera. She accuses him of favoring the Trojans, and as a result, the gods begin to pick sides and intervene in the war. After Achilles decided not to fight, the Greeks actually began to push the Trojans to the brink of destruction. However, when it seemed like all was lost for the Trojans, the tide started to turn. Hector pleaded with the people to offer prayers and sacrifices to the gods, and the Trojans drove back the Greeks quickly. The Greeks are so discouraged that Agamemnon suggests that they give up and go home. Diomedes urges Agamemnon to take heart and fight, and Nestor suggests that bringing back Achilles is their only hope to capture the city. Agamemnon listens to the wise council and sends his best men to make amends with Achilles and to offer him the best gifts, including the prize that Agamemnon stole from him. Achilles is disgusted with this offer and says that Agamemnon has wronged him so many times that he does not want to fight anymore. The reader truly begins to discover that Achilles is just as prideful and possibly even more self-centered than Agamemnon through this encounter. His pride causes him to abandon and not care for his people during desperate times. Achilles says that he is tired of putting his life on the line and not receiving honor or any rewards. His anger and isolation cause him to be confronted with his own mortality, so he wishes to flee and live a long and luxurious life away from war. Instead of helping his comrades in desperate need, Achilles sends his own dear friend Patroclus in his place. Patroclus kills a large chunk of the Trojan army on his own, and even Hector retreats when he sees him charging. Apollo, who is working with Zeus, intervenes and prevents Patroclus from killing Hector and seizing Troy. He tells Patroclus that Troy is destined to fall, but not to him or even Achilles. Then Apollo urges Hector to pursue Patroclus, and the entire Trojan army felt their spirits lift. Apollo stripped Patroclus of all his armor and allowed him to be killed by Hector. Now Achilles will realize what the result of his pride and anger was; his loyal friend died in his place. Achilles should have been the one to die, but he lives on because of his pride and selfishness.
Achilles' pride and anger are themes that cause a lot of disorder throughout the plot of the Iliad. There are many scenes in the Iliad that would not have occurred without the prideful actions of Achilles. When Achilles decides to pull out of the war and stop helping in the Greeks’ fight against the Trojans is a pivotal point in which Achilles actions directly affect the events following that twist in the plot. This action occurs just after Achilles strives to bring back order to the Greek army by calling an assembly, which traditionally is only done by the king which at this time happens to be Agamemnon. Achilles also affects the fighting indirectly by asking his mother the goddess Thetis to ask a favor of Zeus, something that one would have thought unthinkable for a Greek god to do; help the Trojans win the fight against the Greeks. Achilles asks this of his mother because he is angry at Agamemnon for taking his war prize Briseis as his own. Full of hatred and the need to defend his prideful ego Achilles will stop at nothing to see the kingdom of his enemy fall, even if that means seeing his homeland destroyed. This act of revenge by Achilles prompts Zeus to act on this favor asked of him by Thetis and side with the Trojans, which causes more disorder even among the gods, they begin taking sides which in turn causes more chaos than probably would have occurred without the help of the original instigator, which was Achilles proud and hate filled nature. These scenes in the story are important in regards to the illustration of Achilles’ proud and hate-filled character in the sense that it shows how quickly his hatred spread and the amount of damage it continued to cause throughout the epic. It also illustrates the fighting not only between the mortals in the Trojan War but also its effects on cause war between the gods. Achilles’ one choice and a series of rash actions cause Zeus to decide to side with the Trojans, then Hera affirms her stance in siding with and assisting the Greeks, along with other gods such as Apollo, Ares, and Athena playing a part in further encouraging chaos in the mortal realm of the story. Along with Achilles’ anger and pride fueling the fire of the war, other events also fuel his anger toward Agamemnon and the Greeks, these events include, the death of Achilles’ close friend Patroklos. This further ignites the hatred and prideful nature of Achilles and causes him to continue to act upon his reckless and impulsive thoughts. After Patroklos’ death Achilles faces what he believes to be his short comings as a warrior ,and as Patroklos’ protector He decides to take out his hatred on the honorable war hero Hektor and drag his body by a chariot through the streets, which prevents Hektor’s soul from entering the underworld, this among other scenes shows the reader the effects Achilles’ anger had on not only the movement of the story but how he somehow affected every one of the characters’ lives in this epic poem.
Despite the story being about Achilles’ anger, there is one instance in which is anger indirectly affects the events of the story. When Achilles implores his mother, Thetis, to plead with Zeus on his behalf, it sends the gods into frenzy. Prior to this, Achilles had been angry with Agamemnon for not returning Chryseis back to her desperate father. In return, her father had cursed the Greeks with plague because Agamemnon’s decision. At her son’s request, Thetis travels to Mount Olympus to plead with Zeus on behalf of Achilles. Once there, she begs Zeus to give the Trojans the advantage so that Achilles might sweep in and achieve the level of honor he deserves. Zeus concedes with a single nod, acknowledging that Thetis’ request has been granted. Despite efforts to keep this newfound agreement from his wife, Hera witnesses the meeting. This sends Hera into a fit of jealousy and ultimately causes strife between Hera and Zeus. The argument ends with Zeus swiftly putting Hera in her place, by threatening to cause her physical harm. Consequently, the hall in which all of the gods are gathered at the certain time becomes quiet and somber. Until one of her sons approaches Hera and advises her to apologize for her words to her husband with the stark reminder of what Zeus could do to any, and all of the other gods.
As one can see, Achilles’ rage had a great impact on events he was far removed from. His mortal rage affected the immortals on Mount Olympus, far from the location where he and Agamemnon fought. This clearly displays the importance of Achilles’ actions throughout the epic. This incident further shows how influential of a character Achilles proves himself to be. Without this element of the story, the audience would not fully grasp how consequential all of Achilles’ actions become in the plot line. Throughout the remainder of the epic, Achilles has to come to terms with his anger. Making crucial decisions based upon his grudge, Achilles navigates the remainder of the Trojan War. Despite efforts, made by Agamemnon and his men, to recruit Achilles’ skills in battle, Achilles’ great pride prevails until the very end of the story. Because of Achilles’ actions, Zeus is forced to make a tough decision knowing it will cause trouble. This being said, readers discover an implied lesson of just how pivotal a seemingly, insignificant outburst becomes. This shows the aftermath of a mortal’s decision affecting the immortal in one of the highest degrees of harm. Hera’s own safety is indirectly, threatened due to Achilles’ anger and the rest of the gods are reminded of Zeus’ merciless power. Achilles’ decisions from the beginning, shape the story in its entirety. His decisions lead to avoidable strife and loss of life throughout the epic and serve as a reminder to the reader of how one person’s choices can affect entire armies, and, in Achilles’ case, the immortal world.
- Sterling
The Iliad is an epic discussing the Trojan war and its effects. The epic’s main character includes Achilles, who is apart of the main reason of the war and its tragedies. Achilles backs out of fighting in the war because he sees faults in war strategy and how people become heroes from the war. When Achilles finds out about the plague that is destroying his people, he creates chaos and ends up hurting more people. He also upsets the leaders of the Greeks because only Agamemnon, the king, can take charge over the people. Achilles then removes himself from the Greek army and confirms that he will not fight in the war. Achilles then gets upset with Agamemnon because he sees things as unfair. Agamemnon gets everything handed to him, while Achilles gets the short end of the stick. For example, he has been told he is going to live a short life and die young. Although, Agamemnon is a selfish fighter who pouts and still gets his way. This angers Achilles, to the point where he is plotting the death of Agamemnon. Before things get out of hand, Athena steps in and reminds them of her favor. Another time when Achilles got angry was when Agamemnon wanted Briseis, Achilles’s war prize. They fight over her, and eventually Agamemnon offers to return her and give other gifts. Still, Achilles is angry towards Agamemnon, and this shows the readers his pride. He feels insulted that the offering of gifts is more prominent for forgiveness than being a high power in the world. He wants his name to be known by everyone, not just receive gifts. During the war, several times they ask Achilles to come back to the war so that the Greeks can win. Achilles is one of the greatest known fighters with amazing strength. Yet he still refuses to join the war. He tells them that he is going to return home and live his life as long as he can. This angers Agamemnon, but they still fight. Patroclus feels called to dress in Achilles armor to confuse the Trojans, and scare them into retreating. So, Patroclus asks Achilles to do so, and Achilles agrees. Patroclus kills Sarpedon, Zeus’s son, and this angers Zeus. Zeus continues to let Patroclus fight the Trojans, to make him weak and tired. Zeus strikes fear into Hector and Hector calls his army to flee. Patroclus disobeys the rules of Achilles, and follows the Trojans all the way to Troy. Apollo then injures Patroclus by hitting him with the spear of Euphorbos. Finally, Hector kills Patroclus by stabbing him in the ribs with a spear. Achilles anger and stubbornness caused the death of Patroclus and many others. The death of many were caused by his hand without him shedding the blood himself. This shows an example of how being quick to anger can blind our emotions and logic during situations. Never be quick to attack someone, always slow down and see the correct solution.
The anger of Achilles, and the results of his rath, are some of the the central plots of Homer's Illiad. One great theme of the Illiad is pride, and how being prideful can have a domino effect on others, as well as following situations. Achilles’ anger is most notably brought out originally when Bryises, who he sees as his prize, is taken from him by Agamemnon once he loses Crysies. This action is what carries out much of Achilles’ story line. Achilles has so much pride and holds himself to such high esteem that he retreats, and refuses to continue to fight with nor for Agamemnon, who took his prized possession from him. This refusal to continue in the battle against Troy has great effect, since Achilles is the among the greatest of the Greek warriors. This is a way that Achilles' actions, his anger, effect those around him even in situations where is he not present.
In book nine, Agamemnon dresses his troops and commands them to prepare the ships to return home, as they have no chance at winning the battle, especially without Achilles fighting for them. However, Diomedes, another strong Grecian warrior disagrees with Agamemnon greatly and even goes as far to call him a coward for desiring to return home. This argument would have no doubt continued if Nestor, the old, respected charioteer, had not spoken. Nestor and Agamemnon consider the possible outcomes, and determine that they need Achilles back in order order to have any chance at winning the war against Troy. Agamemnon is willing to do almost anything to win back Achilles as a fighter. He states that Achilles can have his choice of any of Agamemnon's three daughters, be given seven greatly populous cities, and even be given back Brysies. This is an ironic choice, since Agamemnon's taking of Brysies is what made Achilles so angry in the first place.
In short, the refusal of Achilles to fight with the Grecian troops for Agamemnon caused the king, as well as the entire army, great stress; there were disagreements over whether to turn home or continue without their strongest warrior. So much so, that a council had to be established to discuss how the troops could win Achilles back. Agamemnon was willing do do almost anything, and give almost any gift, even give Achilles back Brysies whom he considered his great prize. The loss of this prize is what stirred Achilles' rate originally, and creates his entire plot in the Illiad. His actions of pride and anger not only effect him, but also all of Greece in the Trojan War.
-Karli
Achilles anger against Agamemnon would turn out to be a major turning point in the Iliad. Even when Achilles withdraws from the war, is anger still plays a vital row in events that happen between the Greeks. When Achilles withdraws from the war, he goes to his mother to plead with her to take his case to Zeus pg ( 239). Achilles mother, Thetis, went to Zeus like she promised her son. She asks Zeus to give the Trojans the upper hand and to grant her son the honor he deserves. However, Zeus gave no answer and Thetis speaks again begging for an answer. Zeus responds and says Hera is going to be mad cause she thinks I already favor the Trojans, but Zeus gave a Thetis a head nod of assurance that he would do what she asked. We see the effects of Achilles anger on page 244 when Zeus goes back to his house and Hera, his wife, begins to question his decision. This turns the gods against one another. This is very pivotal event in the story because it shows us that Achilles can even influence the themselves. His anger with Agamemnon, has not only caused Greeks to suffer but has also caused strife between Zeus and Hera. Achilles anger not only caused strife but it also caused death. Patroclus, Achilles best friend who was with Achilles pg (270) goes back empty handed from his mission to persuade Achilles to come back to the battle field and help lead the Greeks to a victory. Patroclus forgot what Achilles had said. Do not pursue the Trojans all the way back to Troy pg (279 footnote). This is when Patroclus dies. The Greeks camp moral is influenced by Achilles rage. Agamemnon gives his very depressing speech on pg (257) and the men were all " stunned to silence". It is never a good thing when your leader who has led you into a battle starts to believe that you are going to have to retreat to survive. Achilles anger also caused a change in Agamemnon. In the beginning of the story neither of the men were willing to compromise. Through Achilles rage, and disappearance, Agamemnon is realizing what he did was wrong and trying to make up for it pg (259). Achilles is not involved in the fighting but the story is drastically changed by the consequences of Achilles anger. He causes quarrels between the gods. He lets his friend die on the battle field, and if Achilles was there, Patroclus would have never met his fate. Achilles never grasped the power of his own rage. The story of the Iliad would be completely hindered if Achilles would have channeled his rage differently the gods would not have chosen sides. Patroclus his friend and battle partner would still be alive. The Greeks would not be on the verge of retreat, ready to escape to their homelands.
Achilles' anger is a something that Homer uses throughout his epic. Its importance is blatantly obvious as Homer goes as far as to mention it as the first line and even word of the epic. One aspect that involves Achilles anger but not specifically him is the bloody conflict between the Greeks and Trojans that ultimately results in a multitude of significant losses. Achilles becomes extremely angry in the beginning of the epic when his has to give up his prized women at Agamemnon's request. This anger leads him to ultimately withdraw from the war. Furthermore, Achilles complains to his mother Thetis, and they "brainstorm" on how to get back at Agamemnon. The solution then becomes clear to each of them. Achilles will sit out of the war while Agamemnon fights, but Thetis will go to Zeus and make him give the Trojans the upper hand against the Greeks (243). This, at first, makes no sense. Why would Achilles wish for his own people to die? The answer is best explained by his anger and pride. Achilles is so angry that he would will his own people to die so that the one who wronged him looks foolish and weak. Then, he can "swoop" in and save the day to be proclaimed as the best. At the end of the reading, this plan finally unfolds. The Greeks are on the front lines fighting the Trojans and everything seems to be going as it should. However, as a result of Achilles' anger, the winds rise and start wiping out the Greeks (257). Agamemnon himself winces in pain and cries out to Zeus. Achilles' anger is causing his own people to die! Furthermore, when Agamemnon makes an offering to Achilles as an apology, Achilles refuses out of anger. This ultimately causes the fighting to get worse and Patroclus, Achilles' good friend, dies. The Greeks are crushed physically and spiritually because of Achilles' anger. These parts are important because they show the lasting impacts of Achilles' anger. His anger is not something that he just rants about and that is all that happens. His anger has lasting effects that cause problems for even his own people. Even more than that, his anger causes him to sit idly by while his best friend is slaughtered by Apollo/Hector. Achilles anger is a theme employed by Homer to move the story along. Quite honestly, there would not be much substance to the epic is Achilles anger was not mentioned. Actually, there would not even be an introduction to the epic without Achilles' anger. In conclusion, Achilles anger ultimately causes huge losses for the Greeks when fighting the Trojans. Achilles' anger causes the epic to move, but it also causes problem after problem for the Greeks.
The book, “The Iliad” tells us of a great, yet, angry warrior named Achilles and his stories. Many parts of the book are based on Achilles anger and the reactions that so often follow his anger. Often and interestingly, Achilles is not even present to witness the consequences from his angry outbursts. The book begins describing a situation where Achilles’ accomplice, Agamemnon, whom Achilles greatly dislikes, refuses to give back to a priest the daughter that Agamemnon took from him. Achilles attempts to persuade Agamemnon to return the daughter and there will be no consequences for his actions. Agamemnon, a prideful man, scoffs at Achilles and refuses. The result is a very angry Achilles, who then threatens to have his commanders command the army under his rule to retreat from the battlefield, leaving Agamemnon’s army alone and putting them in a difficult position. Hearing this, Agamemnon agrees to return the priest’s daughter, if and only if, he can have what Achilles describes as his most “prized possession,” his girl, Briseis, whom he won in a battle. This subtle insult to Achilles angered him more; he soon left the battle area himself along with his entire army that was under his command. However, Achilles’ “temper-tantrum” was not complete, he went to his mother, Thetis. Achilles requested that she ask Zeus to choose, as well as assist, the Trojans in fighting the war against the Greek army. When Zeus first heard of Achilles request from Thetis, he was torn on what course of action would be best taken. On one side, the god wanted to honor Achilles’ request and also repay his debt and help the Trojan army win the war. While on the other hand, he was afraid his wife, Hera, would learn of his help. Hera was known to show sympathy to the Greeks, while Zeus saved his favoritism for the Trojans and their armies. Zeus decided to honor Achilles request and he sided with the Trojans. However, Hera, his wife, soon found out about his decision. An incredible, yet also, terrifying fight ensued. The battle was between, not only, Zeus and his wife, but all of the gods were involved. It should be noted that all of this happened while Achilles, who basically was the instigator of the clash, was not present at the battle! Eventually, Zeus and Hera would resolve their argument; peace and order would return to the earth. Two of the most powerful and immortal gods and goddesses became so emotionally charged by the, simple yet, passionate request of a mortal man. This goes to show the reader the great power and strong influence Achilles held.
Jack Brunton
The epic entitled "The Iliad" written by Homer is one of the few documents that pertain to the Greek and Trojan War. From what we know about the war there was a huge plague that killed a multitude of people, this concept is reflected in the epic. According to the story the plague was a punishment that was placed on Greeks so the father of Agamemnon's prize (Chryses). Another women's becomes a prize for the men but she is given to Agamemnon, which enrages Achilles. After these first events Achilles rage is prominent.
Achilles’s short temperature makes him often angry to the other people he encounters. In the beginning of the Iliad he becomes angry when Agamemnon decides to return Chryseis and but also demands that Achilles surrender Briseis as well. The epic states, “the son of Peleus (Achilles) was furious, and his heart within his shaggy breast was divided whether to draw his sword, push the others aside, and kill the son of Atreus, or to restrain himself and check his anger.” This is a clear example of Achilles rage that he has towards the surrounding characters. When the women are taken from Achilles I feel that it makes him think that he is not in high authority or rather he believes that Agamemnon is not his authority. Achilles angry snowballed in to a hate for Agamemnon. Achilles seeks revenge from this small action. Often his anger stems from a lost of pride that he has. For example when he is demanded to give up the women he thinks that he is qualified to make his own decision in releasing the women. Another example takes place later in the Epic with he wishes that the other side of the Trojan War (The Trojans) will slaughter all o men and himself. Odysseus strongly disagrees with his statement. Ultimately his thirst for power and glory makes his statements bold and often sparks his rage.
His rage although is not wanted by the other characters, without his reaction to many events that arise in the story, the Epic would not flow. The start to the epic began with his anger and with that anger kept the story progressing. Over the epic Achilles never changes he is consistent as a man with a hunger for authority and control but it seems as when things do not go his way or other demand things from him, he become angry and is hard to deal with. After reading the epic it is clear that Achilles anger towards others remain thought out the epic.
Homer uses Achilles' anger as a catalyst to advance the epic. Early in the story, Achilles convinces Agamemnon to give up the Apollo priest's daughter. To get back at Achilles, Agamemnon takes away his favorite woman, Briseis, to replace his own loss. This angered Achilles because in ancient Greek culture gifts and prizes were equivalent to honor. In his eyes, Agamemnon damaged his reputation as a warrior and man. To get back at Agamemnon, Achilles calls out to his mother, the goddess Thetis, and they plot their revenge. They decide the best plan of action would be for Achilles will essentially bench himself from the war to prove to the Greeks how much they needed him. Meanwhile, Thetis will plead with Zeus to support the Trojans in the upcoming conflicts. The following battles result in grievous losses for the Greeks because no one can defeat or even match Hector. Achilles has no problem trading his comrades’ lives for the sake of his pride and to prove to Agamemnon and the other soldiers that they really need him. A desperate Agamemnon eventually sent a small convoy to Achilles offering any of his three daughters in marriage, seven great cities, and even Briseis, the reason for the feud, to try to apologize and convince Achilles to come back. But, in Achilles’ eyes, it is still not enough to justify the insult and he refuses. At this point his anger has become just petty. He made his point and Agamemnon is pleading for him to come back. But still, he will not fight. However, he seems to think it’s a good idea to let his close friend Patroclus wear his armor in a weak attempt to trick the Trojans into a retreat. Achilles prefers to pray to Zeus to keep his friend safe rather than to fight along side him. But Patroclus kills Zeus’ son Sarpedon and angers the god. When Hector and the Trojans were retreating, Patroclus disregards Achilles’ warning and pursues the Trojans all the way to Troy only to be defeated by Apollo and Hector The stubbornness of Achilles caused the death of his close friend Patroclus and many other Greek warriors. His injured pride is causing the Greeks to lose the war. He is such a dynamic fighter that even his mere presence would lift the moral of every soldier around him. Although he is not directly involved in the battles themselves, his anger is greatly influencing the outcome of the war simply because he is not there. Paradoxically, Achilles remains the Greeks’ biggest weakness, but also their greatest hope. Homer uses the irony in this to advance the story while keeping it interesting and engaging. Without this paradox, this lone hero with the power to change a war but refuses to use it, the epic would become more a historical account of a war than an exciting tale of heroes.
"The Illiad" is the first of the Homeric Epics in which the wrath of Achilles is displayed as integral to the plot of the story. However, Achilles himself is not a driving force or taking charge of the plot. The Epic itself contains multiple key events taking place with the role of Achilles being absent and yet the event is a direct result of his anger. One such event is quarrel amongst the gods. Achilles informs his mother Thetis that Agamemnon has dishonored him. Earlier in the story, Agamemnon had brought about a plague upon the Greek armies by refusing to return the daughter of the Priest of Apollo, Chryses. When Agamemnon was confronted about this issue by Achilles during an assembly of the armies, Agamemnon was told to return this woman-prize along with a sacrifice to Apollo to remove the Plague from the soldiers. Agamemnon did this, but to spite Achilles for returning his woman-prize and therefore tainting his own honor, Agamemnon ceded Achilles's own woman-prize, Briseis. When Achilles informs his mother of this, he asks her to inform the gods and to ask them to bring defeat to the Greek armies. This not only causes a problem for the Greeks but for the Gods as well. Zeus had been seen as favoring one side over another and when he agreed to this matter, he nodded to avoid any other God's hearing his words. This was not enough as Hera had seen Thetis and Zeus conversing and eventually came to know the truth, this created quarrel among the gods until they all decided that strife would ruin the feast so they calmed themselves over the decision. Things did not go as well for the Greeks, who were pushed back from the walls by the Trojan, a great loss in battle. Another key event is the death of Patroclus. The death of Patroclus may have been different or may have not occurred at all had Achilles himself been present for battle. Achilles refused to return to battle because he had been publicly shamed by Agamemnon and had gone as far as to pray to the gods for the defeat of his own army, the Greeks, to be defeated in battle just to spite Agamemnon. This was unknown to Agamemnon who believed they had lost due to the fact Achilles had stayed behind. Agamemnon attempted to make reparations with Achilles, offering him a hefty sum of loot, along with the promise of more when they eventually conquer and pillage the city of Troy. Achilles, in his stubbornness, refuses the offer to further spite Agamemnon and, in his eyes, preserve what little is left of his honor. Patroclus takes his place and goes as far as to wear Achilles's rainment in battle in order to confuse the enemy. Achilles prays for protection over Patroclus from Zeus to no avail. Zeus informs Achilles that the Greeks will be successful in battle but Patroclus would die, and it was so.
The epic of the Iliad is a story of the events and effects of anger during the Trojan war. The whole story encompasses around the character named Achilles. There were many faults throughout the war. Whether the issue was a man’s purpose for fighting or the army has issues with their war strategies. In the Trojan war, Achilles removes himself and his army from fighting alongside the Greeks. Achilles is upset by the fact that everyone else is continuing to fight, but since Achilles is not king and Agamemnon is, the people listen to their leader. Agamemnon is angry that Achilles is trying to tell everyone what to do. This is what triggers Achilles’ removal from the fight. While he refuses to fight, he begins plotting his revenge against Agamemnon because he thinks the whole situation is unfair. This brought the Greek goddess of wisdom and battle strategies, Athena the situation. Being filled with wisdom, she tries her best to reconcile. While she tries to bring peace to feud between Agamemnon and Achilles, Agamemnon is doing whatever he can to get Achilles, who was their greatest fighter, back into the war to fight again. This is in contrast to how we first see Agamemnon portrayed. He is seen, at first, as a prideful, impulsive, arrogant and angry man. Achilles even describes him as a bad ruler. Agamemnon is, in fact, the reason Achilles becomes angry to begin with. He later decides that a council is to be held in order to create a plan to recruit Achilles back onto the battlefield alongside the Greeks once again. Agamemnon was willing to do everything in order to get Achilles to fight again. He even sends some of his greatest fighters, Odysseus and Ajax to try to convince him to come back and be the warrior he was destined to be. The armies were under great stress without him. However, Achilles greatest war prize, Briseis, which he considered to be his honor and value as a warrior, was taken. The loss of Briseis is what initiated the anger of Achilles and hates towards the other Greeks. It isn’t until the death of his closest friend and second in command, Patroclus that we see Achilles’ anger become directly involved in the battles he is a part of during the war. Therefore, the Trojan war was propelled greatly because of Achilles’ wrath and vengeance. This is important because the Trojan war is the whole plot of the epic of Iliad itself. Without his selfish actions, the story would not have been able to go down the same path. This just goes to show that one man’s actions not only affect him personally but can affect entire nations and their people.
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