Achilles Change In The Iliad

Improved Essays
The quoted passage from Book Twenty-one of The Iliad is an excerpt of Achilles’ speech in rejection to Trojan prince Lykaon’s plea for life when he has finally resumed in the war. In this passage, Achilles contrasts the former and present way in which he treats the Trojans and states the reason of his change. By doing a close-reading of this passage, I hope to address the major shift in Achilles’ outlook on fate and death that is reflected in his change of attitude towards the Trojans. The first six lines really stand out in illustrating the significance of Patroklos’ death for it marks both Achilles’ return to battle and the change in his treatment of the enemies from “it was the way of my heart’s choice to be sparing of the Trojans” …show more content…
The fact that Achilles had once before captured Lykaon and sold him as a slave instead of killing him really signifies that Achilles’ now has a completely different understanding of fate and death as he did before. His logic behind the line “so friend, you die also. Why all the clamor about it?” (21.106) is that “Patroklos also is dead, who is by far better than you are” (21.107) and “do you not see what a man I am…even I also have my death and my strong destiny” (21.108-110). In this speech, Achilles compares Patroklos’ bravely undertaking his fate and death (and that he himself is about to do the same) to Lykaon’s cowardliness, suggesting that Lykaon, too, should follow their example and accept death as it comes by stressing the contrast of their greatness and their inescapable fate. If we look at the arch of Achilles’ changes throughout the Iliad from Book One when he refrains from battle to Book Eighteen when he resumes in battle, we could see the revelation Patroklos’ death brings to Achilles: mortals should not try to escape in the face of unpredictable and ruthless fate, instead, they should fight as well as they can and die a heroic death. After all, probably the only way for humans to act actively against fate and death and achieve immortality is to be bound by heroic values, win great glory in war and have their names passed

Related Documents

  • Improved Essays

    Achilles and Beowulf wanted nothing more than to have glory. With Achilles, his only reason for being in the city of Troy, is to deepen his glory. In the text “The Iliad”, Achilles states “Still, I would not die without delivering a stroke or die ingloriously, but in some action memorable to men, in days to come” (79). Achilles is saying how he doesn’t want to die for no reason and how he wants respect and glory. Achilles had chose a short life with glory over a long life without it.…

    • 621 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Great Essays

    Now I must go to look for the destroyer of my great friend. I shall confront the dark dear spirit of death at any hour Zeus and the other gods may wish to make an end (Q 65-68). Here, Achilles shows fearlessness and audacity in his acceptance of death. However, he accepted his fate, to avenge the killer of his friend Patroclus.…

    • 1570 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Great Essays
  • Improved Essays

    This idea of Kleos is recognized universally by the greeks, Achilles’ own mother even acknowledges the fame he’ll gain from the war. There is one rather pivotal instance in the Iliad where Achilles ponders the choice to stay or return home, "If I hold out here and I lay siege to Troy, / my journey home is gone, but my glory never dies. / If I voyage back to the fatherland I love, / my pride, my glory dies.../ true, but the life that’s left me will be long, / the stroke of death will not come on me quick,” (Iliad 9.500-505 ). As it is well known, Achilles stays and fights and dies but is still one of the best known hero's to this day.…

    • 1122 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Superior Essays

    Kleos in the Odyssey and Iliad During the Homeric age, stories of heroes trying to find, protect, and grow their kleos to the point of being considered immortal in the hearts and minds of those who heard of their epic journeys and adventures. The Iliad and Odyssey are two examples of the very foundation of the meaning of kleos; The Iliad is more or less the rage of Achilles and his struggles with his own kleos, and the Odyssey is basically Odysseus struggling to accomplish more great deeds on his journey home and actually make it home to spread his kleos and insure his story is heard by others more or less. The struggle with kleos isn’t necessarily gaining it, it’s the struggle of maintaining it once earned. Often times there are more quarrels than reconciliations, relationships between friends and family usually end up broken or strained, and when it comes to family…

    • 1242 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Improved Essays

    There is a level of guilt that Achilles has towards Patroclus’ death, due to the fact that he was killed because of his absence on the field of battle. It is Patroclus’ death that finally spurs Achilles into decisive action, to re-join the fight and avenge Patroclus by killing Hector that will result in Achilles’ early death. This is, however, Achilles’ free choice influenced by grief induced by an exterior event that he had little control over. Patroclus’ death is rather the result of Patroclus’ own pride as well as Achilles’ indecisiveness. It is evident by Achilles’ reactions from his choice to avenge Patroclus to his harsh treatment of Hector’s corpse, that Achilles does not wish to live a life that Patroclus is not a part of.…

    • 1187 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Superior Essays

    Without his death, Achilles would not felt the need to avenge his beloved and would not have rejoined the battle and the Greeks ultimately would have lost the war. While Achilles knew that killing Hector would lead to his death, he did it anyway because he was so overcome with grief. Homer describes the moment Achilles is told about Patroclus’ death in Book XVIII of the Iliad, saying “A dark cloud of grief fell upon Achilles as he listened... He flung himself down all huge and hugely at full length, and tore his hair with his hands.”…

    • 1500 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Superior Essays

    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.…

    • 1125 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Homer wrote The Iliad as a means to demonstrate what happened during the final year of the Trojan War. In the poem, Homer presents Achilles in several distinctive ways, causing the reader’s feelings to shift back and forth. How does Homer really want readers to feel about Achilles? There are several mixed feelings about Achilles and how readers should feel about the character. In the beginning of the poem readers may feel sympathetic toward Achilles after his argument with King Agamemnon, but those feelings may change when reading how Achilles unleashes his rage during battle against the Trojan soldiers and fights a river god.…

    • 1173 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Role Of Honor In The Iliad

    • 1105 Words
    • 5 Pages

    The definition, importance, and paths to achieve honor have all changed across history. From the bloodthirsty, conflict-fueled honor of the Romans to the modern day, Western concept of a solid moral platform from which one acts, honor proves itself diverse in form and difficult to gain. For the Ancient Greeks, especially in battle, honor was firmly affixed to respect and glory; this concept is easily relayed through Homer’s The Iliad. Instead of purely stating the events of the Trojan War, Homer uses its characters as platforms from which he can add his own perspectives regarding the true value of honor.…

    • 1105 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Great Essays

    It is clear Achilles recognizes the seriousness of death, yet he lacks compassion for the lives lost due to his inactivity (Il. 9.420). The first time he feels this guilt is when his beloved Patroclus dies at the hand of Hector (Il. 18.83-85). He is transformed by this loss; he refuses to eat (Il. 19.24-26) and the adjectives Homer uses to describe him are inhuman, “… eyes that glared, like a white-hot steel flame…” (Il.19.325). So Achilles goes back to battle with one thing on his mind, revenge.…

    • 1275 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Great Essays
  • Improved Essays

    “Beg no more, you fawning dog - begging me by my parents! Would to god my rage, my fury would drive me now to hack your flesh away and eat you raw- such agonies you have caused me!” (Iliad, lines 184-187) Achilles, the Greek warrior gloats over his enemy Hector of Troy. Prior to this battle of vengeance, Hector had killed Achilles’ best friend Patroclus, dishonouring him by not giving him a proper burial and by taking his armour. Enraged, Achilles seeks revenge for his friend and slaughters Hector.…

    • 1409 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    In the Iliad, there is a young soldier named Achilles. Achilles was a Greek warrior who after getting his prize of honor taken from him decided to leave the Greek army to defend for themselves. This decision led to his best friend Patroclus to be slain by the hands of a Trojan warrior Hector. In the Iliad Antilochus informs Achilles. As said in the Iliad “A mist of black grief enveloped Achilles” ( Iliad book XVIII, 159, 23).…

    • 1780 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Because of this rash statement, Achilles leaves the battlefield out of pride. And while he started the argument for the good of the Achaeans, he only ends up hurting his cause because of his…

    • 737 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    This represents the pride and greed that is shown by Achilles even to his best friend. His actions out of revenge and personal gain led to his closest friend’s death. Many people assume that Patroclus’s death made Achilles a better man, but all it did was switch Achilles target from Agamemnon to Hector, who killed Patroclus. This revenge for Patroclus’s death made Achilles do many rash and harsh deeds. Some of these deeds were sacrificing twelve Trojan men, not eating until Patroclus’s body was buried, but most of all, trying to fight a river…

    • 798 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Great Essays

    Achilles In The Iliad

    • 1670 Words
    • 7 Pages

    I believe Homer intended for Achilles to develop this way in order for us as a reader to understand the development of the character and the overall evolution of Achilles’ heroism. He is able to achieve his revenge killing Hector by showcasing his strengths as a warrior and leader of the Greek Army which was weakened when he took over the reign again. Achilles also shows grief towards Priam, Hector’s father, in giving him the body he had held onto showing that he wasn’t a cruel man a heart but yet, a man of passion that showcased excellent heroism at the end of the…

    • 1670 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Great Essays