Achilles Loss Of Kleos In The Iliad

Achilles and Hector in The Iliad and Medea and Jason Medea all have characteristics that eventually led to their downfall. Achilles is a furious man, and it leads him to do unspeakable things. Hector is very prideful, and it clouds his judgement. In Medea, Medea is revengeful, and all she thinks about his getting revenge. Jason is insensitive, and it cost him his family.

Achilles only wishes to get revenge on Agamemnon, no matter the consequences for his

Patroclus tries to persuade Achilles by telling him to “at least send him out, let him lead a troop of Myrmidons” so that he can “light the way for their army” (Homer 16.43-44). Patroclus expresses that he loves the Greeks too much to just sit around at the camp. He feels very emotional for his friend, so he wants to take his place and fight this war for him. Patroclus still has a mindset that “If the Trojans think” he is Achilles then “they’ll back off and give the Greeks some breathing space” (Homer 16.44-46). Patroclus believes his cleverness can outdo the Trojans in battle.

In Book Nine of The Iliad, the focus is of the story is on the character of Achilles, the desperation the Achaeans suffer in their need for this great warrior as well as his refusal to return into the fighting to assist his comrades, due to his rage with Agamemnon. In particular, one of the most important scenes of Book Nine is from approximately line 443 through line 473, in which Achilles bluntly refuses the gifts offered to him by Agamemnon in recompense for stealing away Achilles’ war-prize Briseis. This passage demonstrates the depth of the rage of Achilles as well as his sense of pride, as he chooses to remain absent from the fighting, even in the Achaeans’ moment of sheer desperation, due to his deep hatred for Agamemnon. As

During Ancient Greece, the value of Kleos or glory is equivalent to fame and honor. Kleos is separated into two different aspects which incorporate war stories and privileges in the underworld. The people of Ancient Greece tell and recollect the war stories of Achilles, Odysseus, and Ajax during the Trojan War. The souls that achieve glory during life are given privileges in the underworld. Greek culture is notorious for hero worship.

Achilles is maddened and appeals to his goddess mother saying, “If I am to die soon, shouldn’t I have what I want?” Feeling only sorrow for her son, Thetis requests Zeus to cause to Greeks to lose until Achilles fights again. Slowly the Greeks are pushed back farther and Agamemnon pleads with Achilles, offering Briseis back. Achilles declines due to his pride and the Trojans come close to burn the Greek ships. Even when a ship was burning, Achilles refused to fight and instead sends out Patroclus.

But if you go to Troy, you will never come back... for your glory walks hand-in-hand with your doom. And I shall never see you again” (Troy). Said by Thetis, Achilles mother. Even though Achilles was warned by his mother that is he went to Troy he will be remembered, but he will die, he still held his own. There was no price too high to pay for fame,

In the Iliad, Achilles is responding to Odysseus’s speech attempting to convince him to return to the war. Achilles’ main argument against returning is his incalculable rage against Agamemnon for “the prize of honor / The warlord Agamemnon gave me / And in his insulting arrogance took back” which is not only an insult to Achilles’ status, but also to his honor as a warrior (Il. 9.378-379). In addition to focusing on the main argument of Achilles’ speech, it is worth noting the contradictions present within his speech as well.

Homer’s The Iliad proves that Hector and Achilles have vast differences but, their few similarities are some of what we see a lot throughout the epic poem. Both Achilles and Hector have their certain strengths and weaknesses, which are noticeable countless times throughout the conflicts that come up in the Iliad. These two characters have distinct differences in their approaches to fitting the noble form to which they both attempt to achieve. Nevertheless, regardless of their differences and the fact that their armies are rivals and are brought to each other with execration in battle, they also have numerous identical traits which reasonably show the comparison between the two men, Hector and Achilles.

In the epic poem, the Iliad written by Homer, several characters taking part in the warfare between the Achaeans and the Trojans are portrayed as embodying the heroic code of courage, physical strength, leadership, arete of value of honour, and the acceptance of fate. The heroic code is illustrated by the actions of the Trojan prince, Hector and the Achaeans strongest warrior, Achilles. Both of these characters display the Greek’s image of a hero, and can also let the reader discern what the society admires, looks up to and aspires to in its heroes. There are also characters who fail to be heroic, such as the Trojan “vivid and beautiful” prince, Paris. These characters in the Iliad illustrate the qualities that Ancient Greek society values.

The last section of book 18 is a Homer’s description of Achilles’ shield, a magnificent piece of art made by Hephaestus, God of the forge. The shield ekphrasis in the Iliad is one of the most famous and most important examples of the poetic device when a poet uses words to 'paint' the picture of an object. This device effectively brings the scenes on the shield to life, creating a sensory experiences and abstractions for the audience. In the cinematic description of Achilles’ shield, Homer’s poetically captures the world in which the Iliad take place. A number of scenes on the shield are related to the content of the previous books.

(R 23-35). The Greeks hearing Achilles return, gain strength, will and perseverance to carry on the war. The responsibility that Achilles takes plays massive role, affecting the men 's actions throughout the

The Iliad by Homer describes the great shield built by Hephaestus for Achilles by commission of Thetis. The intricate shield comes into existence after the death of Patroclus, which allows Hector to assume the glory of having Achilles’ armor. Hephaestus constructs the shield specifically for Achilles with “five layers of metal” and “ blazoning, well-wrought emblems all across the surface” (483.559,526). Hephaestus builds the shield with the life and legacy of it’s holder in mind as he adds celestial bodies, cities, peace, conflict, farms, fields, and humans inhabiting these planes. The Shield of Achilles by W.H. Auden features many of the same themes of a life gone too early in his poem.

These men fight for Kleos, which is an eternal glory. They fight for their glory to live on and their names remembered even long after they are dead. They earn this glory through being renowned for their bravery and courage, as well as their strength and victory in war. To attain Kleos is valued highly to the ancient Greeks and worth the consequences of war, even death.

Iliad is recognized as one of the most famous ancient monuments of literature. The full understanding of this epic poem is hardly possible without thorough analysis of its main characters. Among all the episodes of the Trojan War, Homer chooses the moment of Achilles’ wrath and thus creates a poem in which he becomes the central figure. From the Ancient Greeks’ point of view, Achilles represents the ideal of manliness and pure heroism, for he is brave and fights for heroics, not profits. Today, one can agree with this interpretation, yet Achilles is probably the most controversial character because he combines various personality traits and acts in accordance with his ambiguous nature.