The Rage That Drives Achilles Essay - 785 Words

The Rage That Drives Achilles In Homer’s book the â€Å"Iliad† lays an epic conflict between a man and his inner self that ultimately leads to great loss on a wider scale and not just to himself. Achilles is a man with a superpower but has a severe problem when his ego is insulted. Achilles is driven by rage and anger and will do everything in his power to seek vengeance on anyone whom gets in the way of his pride whether it is friend or foe. One might argue whether Achilles is an epic hero but this answer lies within the reader. Achilles is one man who has the greatest fighting abilities as well as the greatest military prowess of any of the Achaean ranks. The only downfall for Achilles is that his inner force is driven by rage and†¦show more content†¦During the war, with Achilles absent and refusal to fight, the Achaean have a hard time keeping the Trojans at bay and with the gods involved on the Trojan’s side it is even harder for the Achaean army to with stand the Trojans. The gods give Diomedes supernatural powers and the ability to harm a god in hopes that he will even out the war and the absence of Achilles. Unfortunately this is not enough for the Achaean army to defeat the Trojans without Achilles and his men. Achilles rage towards Agamemnon is what the Achaean’s need to defeat the Trojans. The Achaeans try bribing Achilles for his return and to stand and fight with them but Achilles rage towards Agamemnon is so strong that he refuses. It is not until Patroclus, Achilles best friend, dresses in Achilles uniform and returns to battle. In doing so this brings upon Patroclus’ fate in the hands of Hector, which was stated by Homer that as soon as Patroclus is called to talk with Nector his doom is sealed. Patroclus’ death is the turning point for Achilles to rejoin the battle. He only does so to avenge his friend’s death by vowing to kill Hector. Achilles rage towards Agamemnon has been refocused onto avenging Patoclus’ death and he stops at nothing until he slays Hector. He goes onShow MoreRelatedAnalysis Of The Iliad 1208 Words   |  5 PagesRobert Fagles Pride and Rage Warfare is, and always has been, the most appalling and yet most integral part of all human life. This is a truth that is displayed most ingeniously in Homer’s epic poem, The Iliad. In this epic, both mortals and gods alike are engulfed with the desire to best their enemy, even though pride and rage are what cloud their vision and fuel their actions. These seemingly harmless flaws carry great weight and prove to be irremediable vices. Achilles and Agamemnon, two of theRead More Achilles: a Tragic Hero Essay example1166 Words   |  5 PagesAchilles as Tragic Hero In his classic work Poetics Aristotle provided a model of the tragic hero. According to Aristotle, the tragic hero is more admirable than the average person. 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