Who Is Achilles A Tragic Hero

The Illiad is a great epic with a diverse and detailed number of characters. The number of characters in the story are so numerous that it became difficult to keep track of their names, backgrounds, and the roles they play. With such a wide cast of characters, it is not necessarily one person for one archetype ratio. There are two heros in the story. Achilles is main hero for the Greeks and Hector is the main hero for the Trojans. However, it is Achilles who is the main protagonist and central character of The Illiad. The story’s opening lines reflect this as they state “Rage: Sing Goddess, Achilles’ rage”. He had a reputation for telling the truth, keeping his word, seeking vengeance for those who wronged him, and defending himself and the weak …show more content…
Since the beginning of the story, Athena pledged her allegiance to the side of the Greeks. She upholds this allegiance by offering Achilles counsel and support along his journey. When Achilles’ anger begins to get out of control as a reaction to Agamemnon taking his girl away from him, it is Athena who speaks to him and advises him to not resort to violence but to be patient and wait for abundance of gifts to come to him. When Achilles is racing after Hector around the city of Troy, Athena transforms herself into the spitting image of Hector’s brother Deiphobus to lure to him into combat with Achilles. The large number of character is the story provides for many minor mentors to Achiles. One of these is his father figure Phoenix. When Achilles rejected the gifts offered by Agamemnon, Phoenix counsels him to put his wounded pride aside and accept the gifts offered in order to keep the honor of the Achaeans. Achilles does not accept