Thursday, August 22, 2019
The god-like Achilles Essay Example for Free
The god-like Achilles Essay In the Iliad, there were many characters that exhibit god-like or superhuman qualities. But one character stood out. He has this god-like strength and superhuman courage to fight and risk his life for his people and allies. He has also been a descendant of the god themselves. And it was no other than Achilles.            Achilles was the hero of the famous Trojan War where Helen of Troy is said to be the main reason for that bloody war. Achilles parents were Peleus and Thetis. Peleus, the king of Myrmidons, was a mortal. Thetis was an immortal sea nymph. From Achilles’ parents, it can be seen that Achilles belongs to the line of gods.            Throughout the epic poem, Achilles portrayed anger which resembles the gods. In the first part of the epic poem, Achilles’ anger was described. This shows how much revenge he wants to those who have done wrong to him. â€Å"Sing, O goddess, the anger of Achilles son of Peleus, that brought countless ills upon the Achaeans. Many a brave soul did it send hurrying down to Hades, and many a hero did it yield a prey to dogs and vultures, for so were the counsels of Jove fulfilled from the day on which the son of Atreus, king of men, and great Achilles, first fell out with one another.†(Book 1 Verse 1)            Also in Book 1, during the intense argument exchange of Agamemnon and Achilles, Achilles got angry and tried to attack Agamemnon. Achilles’ rage was uncontrolled and this drives him to attack and tried to kill Agamemnon. This show how prone to anger Achilles was. It is a good thing that Minerva was sent to stop the raging Achilles.It is shown through the following lines in Book 1: â€Å"The son of Peleus was furious, and his heart within his shaggy breast was divided whether to draw his sword, push the others aside, and kill the son of Atreus, or to restrain himself and check his anger. While he was thus in two minds, and was drawing his mighty sword from its scabbard, Minerva came down from heaven and seized the son of Peleus by his yellow hair, visible to him alone, for of the others no man could see her.†(Book 1 verse 19) Achilles’ overwhelming strength is also described by Agamemnon when he said that:            â€Å"That man (Achilles) is worth an entire army,/ the fighter Zeus holds dear with all his heart..(Book 9)†Achilles was compared to an entire army which is commonly described when mortals would battle a god. Gods are like an entire army and is very hard to defeat. His great strength is truly feared by many and so like the gods who are also feared by many mortals. Achilles also showed no mercy when Book 21, Lycaon asked for mercy to spare his life. But the outraged Achilles answered: Idiot, said he, talk not to me of ransom. Until Patroclus fell I preferred to give the Trojans quarter, and sold beyond the sea many of those whom I had taken alive; but now not a man shall live of those whom heaven delivers into my hands before the city of Iliusand of all Trojans it shall fare hardest with the sons of Priam. Therefore, my friend, you too shall die.†(Book 21 verse 6)            Achilles’ rage led him to give no mercy to the devastated Lycaon. This instance shows how fiery Achilles just like the other gods.  During Hector’s death, he asked Achilles that his body shall be returned to the Trojans. But Achilles refused and said to Hector:  â€Å"Dog, talk not to me neither of knees nor parents;  would  that I could be as sure of being able to cut your flesh into pieces and eat it raw, for the ill you have done me, as I am that nothing shall save you from the dogsit shall not be. (Book 22 Verse 22) Achilles, just like the other gods, showed great pride. Achilles stated that even the wealth of Egypt shall be offered to him, he would no change his decision. This can be seen through the following statements he said:  â€Å"he may offer me gifts as the sands of the sea or the dust of the plain in multitude, but even so he shall not move me till I have been revenged in full for the bitter wrong he has done me.†(Book 9 verse 20)  Achilles was also described to be godlike through symbolisms. One is when he wore his armor in Book 1 and was described to be blazing like the sun. His comparison to the sun was just like that of the god Helios. The brightness of the fire would signify great divinity and power. Another is the manner of the creation of Achilles’ armor and shield. They were both created by the smith Hepaesthus, the god of fire. The shield was filled and forged with intricate designs suitable for a god and the armor were made indestructible and were also suitable for a god. These items were made special and deserve only the rightful owner and that was the mortal Achilles. This shows that Achilles has god-like qualities that made Hepaesthus create an armor and a shield for him. From the above examples and citations, we can say that among the characters in The Iliad, one mortal stood-out to possess superhuman and god-like qualities such as selfishness, great rage due to anger, and overwhelming pride, and that was Achilles.  References Homer. The Iliad Trans. Robert Fagles: Penguin Group, 1990.
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