Briseis

can sympathize. In The Iliad, Achilles seems to feel nothing in half-measures. He is controlled by his very strong and passionate emotional responses in almost every situation. Achilles rages against Agamemnon when the king steals Achilles’s prize, Briseis, back from him. “…the shameless bastard still thinks/He can steal us blind. He doesn’t dare/Show his dogface here” (Book IX, 382-384). In contrast to this anger, he also feels deep love for those he cares about. Upon learning that…

Agamemnon takes Briseis away from Achilles, Athena physically rushes down from heaven to Achilles and says, “Stop this fighting, now. Don’t lay hand to sword. Lash him with threats of the price that he will face” (The Iliad 84).Demonstrating the need for the Archaeans to come together in the time of conflict. Achilles says, “If a man obeys the gods, they are quick to hear his prayers” (The Iliad 84). This proves to be true as the story treks on, Achilles is honored with the return of Briseis,…

The epic Iliad was made by the blind poet Homer in 700 B.C. the story is the oldest in ancient Greek times. It’s known throughout Western literature culture. Also, an epic is concerned with the fate of a nation and a people. But, in the epic The Iliad the hero Achilles has changed throughout the story. Achilles was first fighting for glory the honor of Menelaus, Agamemnon brother, and husband of Helen. Helen was stolen by Paris the Trojan prince, son of Priam. All Greeks made a pact that if one…

The notion of honor appears in many different forms through the ages. In Beowulf, an old Scandinavian legend, Beowulf’s speech in preparation for his fight with Grendel’s mother emphasizes the importance Beowulfian heroism places on glory and recognition; this sentiment closely mirrors that of the glory-driven Achilles of The Iliad and greatly contrasts with the soft modesty and chivalry exemplified in Sir Gawain and the Green Knight. In placing urgency on the preservation of physical entities…

Homer’s captivating epic, The Iliad, invites readers to compare the protagonist, Achilles, and his foil, Hector, during the span of only a couple bloody weeks of the lengthy Trojan War. Thousands of men sacrifice their lives at the cost of one Trojan’s selfish act of stealing Helen, the most beautiful woman in the world, from the Greeks. Homer presents the recurring motif that the will of Zeus prevails regardless of man’s attempts to escape. The weight of the Greek hero and the Trojan leader’s…

“I will pursue Hector who has slain him whom I loved so dearly” (Homer). Were these the words of a heartbroken wife? Or a mistress? No, these were the words of Achilles, the protagonist of the Iliad and the hero of the Trojan War. Achilles is one of the oldest and well-known characters of all time. Scholars in antiquity and artists have fallen in love with his character, inspiring artwork and works of reimagined literature and lots of discourse. One topic of discourse that has plagued both…

capture of Chrysies not occurred, her father, Chryses, would have no obligation to seek out Apollo’s help in recapturing his daughter. Without the influence of Chryses, the conflict of The Iliad would never have occurred. Even Agamemnon’s seizing of Briseis causes great anguish to Achilles, provoking Achilles’ departure from fighting for an extended period. Events such as these suggest that perhaps men sometimes provide the origin of the gods’ actions. These examples name few of the events in…

When the slave wife Cressida is returned to the Trojans Agamemnon takes Briseis from Achilles. This of course causes an immense amount of stress between everyone. The selfish act of Agamemnon gives us a view of his character. Even now we struggle with leaders and soldiers being greedy. We have wars in the modern age over resources…

change their fate but they were blinded by their egos and overwhelming amounts of pride. Oedipus and Achilles selfish and conceited ways led to their tragic endings. Achilles became filled with anger when he was forced to give up his prize of war Briseis to Agamemnon (Homer lines 185-200). Leading him to ask his mother Thetis to go to Zeus and ask him to help the Trojans beat the Greeks (Homer lines 425-450). Zeus granted her his help and the Greeks begin to lose the war. Agamemnon tried to…

Achilles and motivate his actions. Achilles led the significant Myrmidon contingent of the Achaean fleet of 50 ships. The following is a brief outline of Achilles’ roles in the Iliad. i) Achilles clashes with Agamemnon over the former’s prize, the girl Briseis. ii) Thetis beseeches Zeus to intervene in the war by swaying the outcome in favor of the Trojans; this is on behalf of Achilles, in order to force the Achaeans to make amends to him. iii) The embassies of the Agamemnon to Achilles are…