Achilles Essay

enemies, the Greek solider known as Achilles, parted the Trojan army as Neptune parted the seas. Achilles being the true definition of a man of valor slashed his way through hundreds of Trojan soldiers and not a single one of them could land a scratch on this ancient death machine. However this Greek warrior was not fighting for a lazy king afar, no Achilles was fighting for his cause and for the lives of the men around him. Achilles did not take orders from any king because as long as his short xiphos sword was in hand Achilles could slay any army, country or enemy that opposed him. The Greek hoplites adored this man forged by the gods as he would…

While many readers may dismiss Achilles as nothing more than “that guy who died because of his heel,” his character is actually quite complex. He is both flawed and worthy of admiration, as the vast majority of all human beings are. His passionate emotions and ambition, as well as his deep sense of justice, create a well-rounded central character with whom the reader can sympathize. In The Iliad, Achilles seems to feel nothing in half-measures. He is controlled by his very strong and passionate…

Achilles is a character with a range of emotions. Throughout the Iliad, Achilles’ character did not develop, but rather it unfolded over the course of the war. The epic shows the complexity of Achilles. But he still has flaws, despite his impressive strength, an overwhelming warrior, and knowledge of the gods. Many aspects of Achilles’ character display him as honorable and good. He had respect for the dead and abided by the proper funeral formalities and would spare men in combat and keep them…

cannot, and still thrive for greatness in the mix of it all. Any hero must obtain a noble birth; must be a great warrior, must be known for his heroic acts, and must face supernatural foes or receive supernatural help. A noble birth were not common in previous time. Everyday commoners would never become an epic hero for the reason that they did not have a noble birth. However, Achilles, Hector, Beowulf, and Hamlet were all born into royalty.…

in their lives. Both have friends that die during the course of their lives. As characters in a story, Gilgamesh in The Epic of Gilgamesh and Achilles in The Iliad share striking plot similarities. They are not the same story however. The Epic of Gilgamesh is an ancient Mesopotamian epic where the main character, King Gilgamesh, is an oppressive and unjust ruler until he meets Enkidu whom he then goes on an adventure with. Gilgamesh attracts the notice of Ishtar, the goddess of love and warfare,…

part of the community, and is like a beast or a god”. Achilles, the main character of Homer’s the Iliad, is the character that is portraited everything Aristotle said precisely. The Iliad is a story about the Greek army in the Trojan war. However, we can see that Achilles’ personalities are described almost throughout the story. Achilles is known as the greatest warrior among the Achaeans since he is invulnerable (except for the heel), and he can destroy a whole army just by his own. However, he…

Greek king Menelaus. So they whole war only benefits those two men. Even the gods are in the war for purely selfish reasons, they orchestrate many things throughout the course of the war because of a petty squabble over beauty. Homer condemns the pointless militarism through Achilles most of all because of Achilles’ rage, vengeance, and petty withdrawal from the battlefield, which lead to the death of many on his own side. Homer’s condemnation of the reasons they fight is evident through the…

of the story, Achilles follows that trend of character development throughout the plot. His role as a warrior of the Greeks under the authority of Agamemnon is constantly challenged throughout the epic and ultimately shapes the outcome of the Trojan War. Achilles role as a Greek hero during the epic helped the Greeks defeat the Trojans by proving his toughness and excellence as a leader and fighter following his un-heroism that he showcases in the beginning of the Iliad. The Trojan War was a…

prompted him to leave the battle, rather than keeping him in it as Nestor had hoped it would. Later into the epic, Achilles has acted on his rage, and he has abandoned the Achaeans, leaving them to suffer at the will of Zeus and the Trojan armies. Agamemnon sends three ambassadors to bring Achilles back, offering huge amounts of treasures, but he still refuses. Phoenix, who was the caretaker of Achilles when Achilles was young, asks him to be more flexible, and tells him the story of Meleager.…

Achilles is depicted as a violent, self-centered and consistent character throughout The Iliad. Although he keeps these features through most of the epic, he develops new characteristics to his personality as well, causing him to act differently than from how readers think he would toward the final scenes of the book. Achilles is able to be a vengeful and assaulting warrior whilst also obtaining feelings of sympathy, compassion, and equitability by the end of The Iliad. Achilles proves his…