Achilles Doom Essay

Hamlet and Achilles each respond to the death of a person close to them. Hamlet has lost his father, and we see in the beginning of the play that he suffers from a deep melancholy, which

Achilles, on the other hand, can almost be fully comprehended from his initial disagreement with Agamemnon. Agamemnon's unreasonable actions seem to justify Achilles' refusal to engage his men in battle, primarily, because his pride will not allow him to act. Achilles believes himself to be the most important man in the army and the injury cannot be forgiven. Even when a diplomatic escape is contrived by Agamemnon, Achilles sees his position as unchanged-doubtlessly, Odysseus would have relented but Achilles is unable to forget past grievances.

Achilles views as demonstrated before, clearly shows the change that has taken place in him, where once he would leaped at an opportunity to battle for glory and honor, now he shows reservation. Achilles is reluctant to risk his life on a fool's errand, for glory and honor. He is disenchanted about honor and all life effort to gain honor no matter how great it might be. He felt they were nothing but the personal honor and glory of others. But, of course, Achilles never actually leaves, although he threatens

"I cannot be intimidated from doing that which my judgment and conscience tell me is right by any earthly power."

Achilles then proceeds to urge the rest of the Greeks to sail home and abandon the war in Troy. Although this seems to imply that Achilles has given up his youthful brashness, he also mercilessly insults Agamemnon in the same book. His refusal to let go of his anger and his concern for his own future indicate a more adolescent or young adult viewpoint, rather than his previous childishness.

He is without doubt a man of high morals which is an important feature of a hero. He agrees to avenge his father even though he almost crushed with the burden. “oh cursed spite that ever I was born to set it right”. It is clear that he does not want to murder but accepts the task nonetheless “I have sworn’t”. He also apologises to

During that entire time, Achilles’ justification for wallowing in self-pity is that he has been “dishonored”. This argument becomes null and void when Agamemnon offers lavish compensation for the affront. In addition to returning Briseis, Agamemnon offers Achilles seven unfired tripods, ten gold bars, twenty burnished cauldrons, a dozen horses, seven beautiful women from Lesbos, twenty Trojan women, his daughters’ hand in marriage along with a rich dowry, and the ownership of seven populous cities. Any reasonable person would have taken the offer but not prideful, bitter Achilles. Instead he continues on with the same old rhetoric and refuses to fight. As if standing idly by while his countrymen were being killed was not enough, Achilles has his mother call in a favor to Zeus asking him to help the Trojans so that even more Greeks would die during his absence. Not only did he abandon his comrades, he actually prayed for them to die because his pride had been hurt.

The Song of Achilles, a book written by Madeline Miller. This book is a version of the Iliad, but with Achilles and Patroclus clearly stated as lovers (this has historically been debated). The themes of the novel are love, war, and destiny (challenging prophecies).

From the discussion about book nine of the Iliad, the reasoning behind Achilles’ actions was discussed and the theme of freedom vs. fate was discovered. Book nine is considered to be the climax of the Iliad because it is a turning point in the war and the Greeks realize that they need Achilles. Agamemnon offers a multitude of gifts and gives a rather lame apology in the hopes of Achilles returning, however Achilles refuses the gifts. The Greeks all questioned Achilles’ mindset for they did not understand why he would refuse the gifts and glory offered to him. Considering how in these times, the Greeks associate honor with material objects, Achilles has just denied himself an opportunity to receive honor and a legacy. He became an outsider among

"Never make an attempt to gain our freedom or natural right, from under our cruel oppressor, and murderers, until you see your way clear [6]--when that hour arrives and you move, be not afraid or

The poem in Book 1 lauds Achilles as the finest warrior of the Athenian army. Nonetheless, when his commanding general, Agamemnon refuses to return to return the captive Chryseis to her father, the priest of Apollo, and a plague ensues, Achilles becomes an insubordinate (disrespecting his commander) by demanding that he return

From Book 1, Homer introduces the theme of pride though the Athenian soldiers’ selfish actions. By refusing to return Chryseis, Agamemnon makes the “god’s arrows rain death on the camp,” nearly destroying the entire army (61). Clearly, he is more concerned with keeping his “prize,” thus maintaining noble stature, than the welfare of his army (126). Even when he does offer to compromise, this negotiation is at Achilles’ cost. Still, Achilles’ refusal denotes a clear character flaw as he makes a request of Agamemnon that he himself is not willing to fulfill.

Hamlet was so obsessed with his lack of action and the worthlessness of life that he contemplates suicide asking, "For who could bear the whips and scorns of time" ( III. i. 69-70). He believes he would be foolish to suffer through his life when he will simply be

In Hamlet’s famous soliloquy, he contemplates for a while whether to commit suicide. Hamlet’s unhappiness is caused by the people around him. His mother’s actions of marrying her brother-in-law made Hamlet extremely frustrated drawing him out of the right mental state. Meanwhile, his view of his father is godlike, but he distrusts the Ghost enough to think about killing himself instead of pursuing the Ghost’s request. In Hamlet’s famous soliloquy, “to be, or not to be;” he contemplates (3.1). “The Everlasting had not fixed, His cannon ‘gainst self-slaughter!” (1.2). He is uncertain if things would be any better in the afterlife if he were to end his life. Hamlet’s hesitancy, especially concerning suicide, is the cause of his realistic and frightened nature. In this situation, his indecisiveness saves his life, but it also does not allow him to find another solution. Concluding, in his soliloquy he would rather

In this quote the speaker relays the belief that no man could do anything about his fate. If he tried, he would probably lose his life. Although, if one was able to change his fate it meant that he would have to be courageous and brave, because to alter ones’ fate meant going through many physically challenging struggles. Since the Anglo-Saxons did not believe in an afterlife, they wanted to be remembered on Earth as strong and courageous; therefore many Anglo-Saxons felt fame on Earth was worth dying for. Anglo-Saxons