How Does Achilles Change In The Iliad

From the very beginning of Homer's the Iliad, Achilles is depicted as vindictive, prideful, and trifling. As the book advances, the picture of Achilles as a resentful youngster is improved significantly. Towards the end of the epic, Achilles displays qualities that are viewed as courageous even in today's time. When his reliable and trusted companion Patroclus passes on, Achilles experiences an extreme change in character. When he goes up against the genuine repulsiveness of death, Achilles sets aside his juvenile approaches to satisfy his obligation to his companion, his countrymen, and his inner voice. The movement of Achilles as a character is a similarity for the move from youth to an adult. At the beginning of the Iliad, Agamemnon grabs Achilles' prize, the wonderful Briseis, to sooth his own particular injured pride. Despite the fact that Achilles is right to think that Agamemnon …show more content…
Homer reports that Achilles is ordered by the divine beings to discharge Hector's body to Priam when the ruler comes to recover it. One can say that this is Achilles final changing in realizing he must be nice and is understanding that the outrage he feels towards Hector is a silly outrage that he felt towards Agamemnon. When Priam comes to recover Hector, Achilles approaches him with admiration. Achilles additionally consents to give Priam enough time to cover Hector lawfully. “The turning-point of the entire epic comes when Achilles lifts Priam up by the hand out of pity for his old age. Indeed, it is through pity/compassion that Achilles finally lets go of his anger to end the epic—and fulfill the will of Zeus” (Race). This is the most empathetic Achilles has been and he is demonstrating compassion and that he has observed in his own heart of fierceness and thought that it was silly and dangerous. He is finally prepared to fight for the Greeks but will fight with honor since they are people