Discussing the Character of Achilles in Homers Iliad - Essay Example

?Insert Discussing the character of Achilles in Homer’s Iliad Achilles is a Greek warrior and hero in the Trojan War, and is also the greatest warrior and character in Homer’s Iliad. According to Iliad, Achilles is the son of the king of Myrmidons, Peleus and the nymph, Thetis. This makes Achilles a demigod. Legend has it that Achilles was dipped into River Styx by his mother, in order to make Achilles indefatigable, but his heel was not dipped in water, and thereby making it his point of weakness. Just as Achilles heroic exploits make a larger part of an interesting read, so does his character. Achilles’ character is fluid and nearly unpredictable that there is no single word that can accurately define it. Certainly, his character is critical in Homer’s Iliad since the materialization and the outcome of the Trojan War is squarely dependent upon it, since it is his character which determined whether he was going to war with the Trojans or not. However, it is best to sum up Achilles’ character as pragmatic. It is this pragmaticism that has Achilles’ show an aspect of duality in the actions he takes and the decisions he makes. If for instance one inchoately passes him as selfish for not having participated in the second day of the Trojan War, that person will be immediately and indisputably corrected by the fact that Achilles participated in bringing Troy down, with the chief purpose of saving Briseis. The act of dying for Briseis epitomizes not only Achilles’ selflessness but the depth of true love. The bottom-line herein is that Achilles was pragmatic enough to decide on matters, depending on a prevailing situation which presented itself at a given moment. The Nature of the Existential Crises Achilles Finds Himself In There are two instances in which Achilles encounters existential crises. The first point is when he is to decide whether or not to go with the Greeks to Troy, to participate in the Trojan War. Indisputably, his main concern herein is if his life will make meaning enough to leave behind a legacy which will have his name remembered throughout history. To this effect, when Thetis warns him that going to war will cost him his life but will have his name remembered for posterity, he decides to go to Troy for the Trojan War (Geras, 45). The second instance in which Achilles experiences an existential crisis is when he withdraws himself from the Trojan War, following his sharp disagreement with King Agamemnon. In this case, his main concerns become the purpose of his life and whether he has been independent-minded enough. These two concerns are readily seen in his conversation with his cousin Patroclus. On being confronted by Patroclus why he is not helping his worn-out countrymen in the Trojan War, Achilles asks Patroclus the reason behind his willingness to fight. This addresses the fundamental question on why an individual chose a certain path (to Achilles and Patroclus, the path is being a warrior). He also warns Patroclus on the need to always be careful, not to follow orders of a foolish king. In this case, Achilles emphasizes the need to think through, critically and independently orders that are being issued, as a way of steering clear of misuse. Why Achilles’ Relationship to the gods and other Greek warriors is unusual Achilles’ Relationship to the gods and other Greek warriors is unusual, fundamentally because of his identity. Unlike the gods such as Zeus, Apollo, Poseidon and Hades, Achilles is partly a god, yet human. This means that to the gods, Achilles will behave contrariwise since he is a human being. Partly, because of his own personhood and legendary and mysterious military prowess, he sees no need to exceedingly show deep reverence for the pantheon of Greek gods. Secondly, Achilles’ behavioral predisposition parts ways with his compatriots’ and fellow men’s ways, since he is a demigod. Unlike his fellow men, he approaches people and military situations with bravery unparalleled by men, since he is a demigod. It is for this reason that the greater Ajax remarks that he (Achilles) is as fearless as the gods, moments after Achilles leads the Myrmidons to capture the shores of Troy. In like manner, while his fellow Greek warriors approach their fellows with restraint and humility, he does so with palpable boldness (Alexander, 75). Again, matters of rank may have played a role in distinguishing Achilles’ relationship with other Greek warriors. Achilles is the leader of the Myrmidons and it is therefore obvious that he must have tackled matters with a great sense of pride and command. Again, this notion is compounded by the fact that the Myrmidons were the best soldiers in Greece, and therefore, Achilles must have failed to see the need to submit to the chain of command of other Greek warriors. It is important to note that in spite of all these privileges that Achilles had, he still related well with his compatriots and Greek soldiers. Interpersonal skills also had a role in making Achilles’ relationship with other Greek soldiers unusual. With Achilles’ great sense of pride, he was obviously not going to get along with the belligerent and egoistic king Agamemnon. On the contrary, Achilles enjoys a very cordial and respectful relationship with the charismatic warrior-king Odysseus. According to Miller, the objectives and life’s goals that Achilles embraces also brings about disparity between the ways he and his fellow Greek soldiers relate. Achilles’ main goal in the Trojan War is to be remembered throughout history, while the rest of the Greek soldiers are in the battle to do the bidding of the kings Agamemnon, Menelaus, Odysseus, Triopas and Ajax. Thus, unlike other soldiers who were bound by their commander’s decree, Achilles fought only when it suit him (Miller, 22). The Realizations Achilles arrives at during his withdrawal from the battlefield During his withdrawal from the battlefield, Achilles realizes that he had been following a wrong course, after addressing his existential crises. Achilles comes to the conclusion that peace and love (which he had received from Briseis) were of greater importance. With this conclusion, he was resolute about sailing back to Greece with Briseis, before Patroclus’ death at the hands of Hector dissuaded him. Again, Achilles surmises that while in the quest to make his name unforgettable, he was also advancing the cause of king Agamemnon, a man who was not wise enough to acknowledge the importance of his Greek soldiers. The Meaning of Depicting Achilles as the First True Individual and First Problem Character in Western Literature It will be in order and meaningful to depict Achilles as the first true individual in Western literature since he is the first one to be written of as having questioned the purpose of his life and the reason behind his actions, yet an individual is a rational being. This was during Achilles’ moment of existential crises. This takes place around 1200 BC, a time when no other individual in Western literature had been depicted as having encountered and addressed existential crises. In the same wavelength, while there are other ancient narratives in Western literature such as Ovid, Achilles is the first one to have encountered the problem of existential crises and thereby allowing this encounter to change the course of events in the Iliad. Readers’ Response to Achilles’ Behavior (Hector and Priam) Readers’ response to Achilles’ behavior is one that can be said to be ambivalent. For instance, Achilles’ behavior has the capacity to equally repel and regain readers’ sympathy. In the instance Achilles executes vengeance upon Prince Hector and drags Hector’s body behind his chariot, Achilles repels the sympathy of some readers. The act of desecrating Hector’s body by dragging it heightens this repulsion towards Achilles. Conversely, Achilles in some instances attracts readers’ sympathy. One of the ways in which Achilles regains readers’ sympathy is when he has an encounter with the king of Troy, Priam, gives Priam audience, and allows Priam to take Hector’s body for burial and Briseis with him. Additionally, he extends a 12-day ceasefire as a show of respect for Hector and to allow Hector proper funeral rituals. In an act that elicits sympathies from all quarters, Achilles would ultimately die in Troy, trying to save Briseis. Works Cited Alexander, Caroline. The War that Killed Achilles. New York: Abacus Press, 2010. Print Geras, Adele. Troy. New York: Graphia, 2002. Print Miller, Madeline. My Hero: Homer. Los Angeles/ London: Bloomsbury Press, 2009. Print Read More