War and Leaders - Essay Example

War and leaders War and leaders War has always been a complex matter in every form of a civilized society. In history, war became an inevitable element that was either responsible for shaping a society towards a given destiny or destroying the prospects of communities. The Iliad is a Greek epic that describes how war makes up the on-goings in a state and defines the relationship between individuals and state. William Shakespeare’s Coriolanus describes how two wars revolve around a heroic character. It is arguable that the wartime struggles between citizens and leaders are justifiable against leaders of nations because such people have a vital mandate of ensuring the success of their respective nations. Both of the stories describe how leaders are crucial in determining the direction of a country. Martius becomes an enemy to the Volscian army after numerous combats with the army. Due to his attachment towards war, he does not hesitate to fight against the Volscians. This places him in a heroic position whereby the citizens begin considering him for a leadership position. Coriolanus’ rage over the Romans’ denunciation of his possible rule makes him seek revenge. The revenge, therefore, invites another war into the Roman kingdom. In Iliad, King Agamemnon triggers trouble in the Greek kingdom when he snatches Chryses from the Trojans. Thereafter, his refusal creates different struggles in the kingdom as the plague attacks the Greek. In addition, it is notable that both of the plays describe the stories of wars that emanate in peaceful states. In the end, the citizens, sometimes, are helpless against the decisions that their leaders make about war. The expectations of citizens are justifiable because leadership may always tend towards arrogance. This occurs when a leader ignores the needs of a populace and treats one’s citizens with contempt. In spite of the fact that the people of Rome are experiencing hunger, Coriolanus reacts to the situation with spite. Coriolanus thinks that the poor are responsible for their situation. This is an unlikely view in a state whereby only the rich people are assured of their meals. Marcius says, “…that meat was made for mouths, that the gods sent not Corn for the rich men only (Shakespeare, 2009).” In this sense, he believes that if the poor work hard enough, they would readily attain their meals. The demonstration of such callousness proves that citizens should make robust demands on their leaders because at times of crisis, the less empowered classes become more vulnerable to death. Similarly, Agamemnon is an arrogant leader who refuses an offer of wealth to his country despite the Greeks’ willingness. He insists on staying with Chrysies thereby inviting a plague into the country. His decision on snatching away Achilles’ wife bespeaks the Agamemnon’s attitude in believing that everything good in his kingdom belongs to him. Leaders manifest themselves as individuals who obey their family’s wishes rather than fight for their country. Such leaders strive for their family’s approval in contentious issues that affect the country. In both of the two poetic narratives, mothers play a central role in influencing the actions of military leaders. For instance, in an argument between the first citizen and the second citizen in Coriolanus, they validate whether Martius deserves a heroic status (Shakespeare, 2009). The first citizen retorts that in as much as Martius has done heroic milestones for his country, he only won wars to please his mother. Martius is a key war leader in the kingdom despite his enmity with the neighboring Italian villages, who consider him a traitor. Achilles’ mother grieves when he hears that her son is joining a war against the Trojans. Although Achilles possess extraordinary valor, he seems subtly bound by his mother’s love. Besides, Achilles revenges on the Achaeans by asking his mother to seduce Zeus into punishing the Achaeans. The mother symbolically holds Achilles’ fate on her hands by perpetually worrying his son over the consequences of killing Hector. Notwithstanding Hector’s wrath over the Achaeans, Thetis seems to warn her son against killing the deadly Trojan soldier (Homer, 1998). The deep attachment to families proves that such leaders may be incapable of constructive decisions during warfare and times of crisis. In turn, the citizens should place a pressure on their leaders that ensures the authority makes objective decisions. In addition, the Iliad narrative and the Coriolanus play manifests leaders as visceral individuals who may lack control during warfare. It is agreeable that Achilles and Coriolanus are exceptional warriors who have led their nations towards great conquests and wars. Their character as leaders, however, does not synchronize with their skills in warfare. Emotions heavily influence Coriolanus’ decisions. When his mother prods him over taking the leadership in Rome, he is immediately convinced that he must assume the position. Coriolanus does not take up the challenge of defending himself against his people when Brutus and Sicinius convince the citizens against voting for the valiant warrior. Coriolanus’ reaction against his people’s decisions indicates a weak personality that cannot hold one’s emotions in control. Coriolanus’ pride prevents him from detecting the arrogance in his tone, while addressing the plebeians. He believes that war is an ultimate mark of a good state and a manifestation of a stable democracy. This explains why he despises the plebeians for not involving themselves in war. He proceeds by warning the patrician bench that giving power to the common people dilutes a state’s strength. Similarly, Achilles places his anger above his people’s welfare. He behaves in an uncontrollable anger when he learns of Agamemnon’s decision to take away his wife. Without the intervention of goddess Athene, he can easily kill Agamemnon. Due to his anger, Achilles incites Zeus to cause war in his own country. Hector slews may Achaeans because Achilles refuses to join the war. He only intervenes when his friend, Patroclus, dies. When he learns of the death, he weeps and hit the ground and smears his face with dirt (Homer, 1998). The emotions against his friend’s death form the major reason for his engagement with the war. In both of the plays, pride seems to be a major factor in influencing leaders’ decisions. When Achilles disagrees with Agamemnon over the Chrysies’ issue, he fails to address his leader as a king. He satirizes Agamemnon by stating that the kingdom does not have a store from which they can draw a woman. Although the king makes a foolish decision, Achilles openly calls him a lustful person. In the beginning of the Coriolanus’ story, the citizens discuss Martius’ pride in conceiving the low class individuals. He terms Brutus and Sicinius’ opinions as vulgar wisdom. This explains why Coriolanus cannot contend with the idea of losing his people’s will in the elections. The injured pride makes Coriolanus avenge against his country. In close relation to this point, it is essential to highlight that both Achilles and Coriolanus spring from the upper classes. This factor seems to inform their pride because they spring from a background that can prop their intentions and wishes. Citizens should possess high expectations on their leaders during wartime struggles because leaders may be ineffective in making critical decisions. The two stories manifest that arrogance during decision-making on wars bear disastrous decisions. Both of the stories reveal that pride is a major factor that influences leaders’ decisions. Coriolanus and Achilles are obsessed with their achievements. In turn, they cannot develop the capacity to build strong characters. Both of the leaders are highly emotional people who trigger wars because of anger. It is notable that Coriolanus and Achilles have a strong attachment towards their mothers. This, especially, is detrimental in the Coriolanus’ case because he only listens to his mother during critical decision-making times. Citizens, therefore, deserve to place pressure on their leaders over critical matters such as war because leaders, sometimes, possess critical flaws. References Homer, & Fagles, R. (1998).The Iliad (Penguin Classics Deluxe Edition). New York, NY: Penguin classics. Shakespeare, W. (2009). Coriolanus (Folger Shakespeare Library). New York, NY: Simon & Schuster.400 Read More