Achilles Shield

Achilles also briefly passes through the stage of bargaining when he is having a conversation with his mother, Thetis. " 'You're doomed to a short life, my son, from all you say! For hard on the heals of Hector's death your death must

In my understanding this symbolizes a significant turning point in Achilles point of view when it comes to honor, status, power and glory and puts him on a path toward a downward spiral, which ultimately leads him to doubt and question his personal beliefs on power, glory, status and honor. "Faith is the same for the man who holds back, the same if he fights hard we are all held in a single honor the brave with the weaklings. A man dies still if he has done nothing, as one who has done much. Nothing is won for me now that my heart has gone through his afflictions in forever setting my life on the hazard of battle?(Homer 9.318.206).

The great talents that Achilles’ possesses cause him to become much admired and well known by both the Greeks and the Trojans. He begins to believe all the good things people are say and becomes an arrogant, child-like, selfish person which all mark Achilles’ hubris part of his behavior cycle. Achilles shows his arrogance when he gets angry with Agamemnon for him wanting take his prize of honor, which Achilles worked very hard to get. Because of this, Achilles begins to lose his capability to think straight and weigh all the factors in situations, and withdraws himself from the battle. Later on after Achilles overcomes the death of his best friend and regains back his courage and pride, Achilles kills Hector and thinks he is invincible for doing the great deed he did. Achilles fought Hector for honor over all else and performed the death of Hector almost as a duty and feels proud of himself for doing so. Before he kills Hector, Achilles declares, “I will go forth to slay Hector, who killed the man the I loved… Until then, may I win great fame and glory, and may every Trojan realize that the greatest of the Greeks no longer remains apart from battle”(145).

In the tenth year Agamemnon, being obliged to surrender his captive Chryseis, made good his loss by depriving Achilles of a favorite slave girl, Briseis. Achilles withdrew from active service to sulk in his quarters, and the Greeks were so hard pressed in consequence that they sent a deputation proposing to restore Briseis with additional rewards. Achilles rejected their offer. At length, however, he agreed to lend his arms and armor to Patroclus, who was killed by Hector in the ensuing fight. Moved to fury by the death of his friend, Achilles made peace with Agamemnon, obtained new armor from Hephaestus, and eventually killed Hector. In the Iliad Achilles is already doomed to die before the Scaean Gate of Troy, and in the Odyssey there is a reference to his funeral. According to subsequent Greek legends Achilles was killed by Paris, who shot a poisoned arrow into Achilles' heel.

Meanwhile, Hector was often pictured as a strong, valiant man who also had a gentler side, unlike Achilles. Even when facing attacking armies, Hector fought to protect his family from the invading forces and for the survival of his city. It should be noted that before Hector faced the tragedies of the upcoming Trojan War, he blessed his only son and asked Zeus, the god of all gods, to grant his son to be like him, the “first in glory among the Trojans” (340). Though Hector was a better man in a moral sense when compared to Achilles, he still had some flaws. While attempting to eliminate Achilles, Hector mistakenly killed one of Achilles’ closest men, Patroclus, who happened to be wearing Achilles’ armor. After Patroclus’ death, Hector, under the belief that he had defeated the great Achilles, removed the armor from the corpse and wore it, which defiled the warrior’s respect and honor. Also, in “Book 22” of the Iliad, Hector tainted his honor during the arrival of Achilles by leaving “the gates [of Troy] behind and [fleeing] in fear” (347). Even though he fled Achilles, Hector knew that in order to save his people, he must face the great runner, and he did so for Troy. Unfortunately for Hector, he was facing certain death. When Hector took his final stand, Achilles, with Athena’s assistance, dealt the final blow that killed the great Hector. Due to the infinite outrage of the death of Patroclus’ death still dwelling inside of him, Achilles refused to return

In Homer’s epic, the Iliad, the legendary, has no two characters that are so similar yet so different as Greek warrior, Achilles, and the Prince of Troy, Hector. Achilles is the strongest fighter in the Greek side, and Hector is the strongest Trojan. They are both put into the mold of a hero that their respective societies have put them into; however; it is evident that they are both extremely complex characters with different roles within their society and with their families, and with the gods.

As the movie begins we are introduced to Achilles as a fierce and strong warrior, fearing no one. He begins the first step of Harris’ journey, also known as the call, when Odysseus goes to talk to him. Odysseus visits Achilles to ask him to fight in the war in Troy. He describes the war as great and in need of their best warrior, the perfect invitation into his journey. The second step in Harris’ journey is the threshold, where we encounter obstacles and doubts. One of the main examples of threshold in Achilles’ life would be his mother. When Achilles brings up that he has been invited to war his mother gives him two options. Those options are to stay where he is a live a normal long life with a wife children and happiness where not many would remember his legacy, or to go to war and possibly die fighting but be remembered for years to come. At that point Achilles started

When the men of Agamemnon come to take Briseis, Achilles gives her up without a fight, despite how heavy his heart is at the thought of losing her. Once she is gone, Achilles withdraws from his companions and sobs, praying to his mother to understand why he is treated the way he is, why he isn’t treated with respect. His mother, hearing his laments, comes to console him, telling him that she will visit Zeus and try to sway him towards helping the Trojans and destroying the Achaeans, to make them pay for disrespecting the son of Thetis.

The shield is unique for the engravings it bears on its surface, however, its greater significance lies in what it represents, especially to Achilles’ being. At her son’s birth, Thetis knew that Zeus had fated Achilles to die if he spilled Hector’s blood. Despite warning him of this, Thetis could not sway her son’s decision to avenge Patrocles and kill Hector. Therefore, it is known from this point on that Achilles would soon die. Once he puts on the new armor, Achilles accepts his impending doom, and even accepts it earlier as he speaks to his mother, saying,

Achilles, having been a famed and valiant soldier, was sought after and loved by all, except his adversary Agamemnon. He was a prominent warrior known for his great strength that actually caused the Acheans to win many battles. But what was it that caused Achilles to be such a hero? Consider the definition for the word, “hero.” A hero is “a person who is admired or idealized for courage, outstanding achievements, or noble qualities.” This gallant warrior is all three of these points in the definition, plus more. Achilles’ honorable attitude for his loved ones, bravery in times of adversity, and as the definition states, “outstanding achievements” make him a hero beyond recognition.

Nestor, noble charioteer, captures best the essence of Achilles when he says, “Achilles, brave as he is, he has no care, / no pity for our Achaeans” (Homer 11.787-788). Most readers of the Iliad, consider Achilles the greatest warrior of The Trojan War, however, he lacks an important characteristic; care for others. Achilles’ best friend Patroclus, has described him as a great warrior, but a terrible person (11.774). In Homer's Iliad, Hector the great warrior of the Trojans, exhibits a selfless leadership approach, which contrasts to Achilles’ selfish actions as a leader. In order to be a great warrior, one’s loyalty must belong to something outside of themselves, and it’s through Achilles’ self-centered actions, that he loses the title of the greatest warrior to Hector. As the two capital warriors of the different sides of the Trojan war, Hector and Achilles provide an interesting contrast between two powerful leaders. Known for being loyal, selfless, and dedicated to his army, Hector contrasts to Achilles, who is self-serving in every aspect of his life. Despite his defeat at the hands of Achilles, Hector proves to be the greatest warrior of the Trojan War. The first characteristic Hector possesses, making him the superior warrior, is his ability to set his pride aside when he knows it will benefit his army. In contrast, Achilles allows his pride to control him and detriment his army. Another vital characteristic Hector’s possesses, making him a better leader, and

Hector on the other hand, is a more sympathetic hero than Achilles. Hector is the leader of the Trojan forces in this epic poem. He is driven by the idea of protecting his home and his family; he is driven by a sense of responsibility. While Achilles is stuck on the idea of having his ego hurt, Hector is focusing on more important things, demonstrating his selflessness. When Hector, comes to see his son after battle, the child screams with horror at the sight of the armor. Hector understands his child in an instant and takes off his helmet, with its giant horsehair plume, then bends over, picks his boy up and embraces him, while Andromache looks on happily. Hector goes on to say…

Achilles is the son of Peleus, who is the king of Myrmidon. He was the fearless, striking, and a substantial warrior of the army of Agamemnon in the Trojan war. In Greek mythology, Achilles is notorious for having a preference between a long and peaceful life, or a quick life that will guide him to eternal glory. He states that, “There are no covenants between sheep and wolves, nor between you and me” (Achilles). Achilles had a desire for glory, when it came to the battlefield, but he was fierce and short tempered when it came to Agamemnon. He had superhuman strength, that brought out a sign of worry for the individuals that were on his team. He possessed resistance to injury due to his semi saintly birth.

When it comes to fighting, Achilles is the best. No man can best him, and any army with him in their ranks has very good odds of winning. On the other hand, his sense of duty is overshadowed by his arrogance. He fights for the Greeks, but doesn’t obey King Agamemnon as a subject. When Agamemnon steals his prize, Briseis, he gets upset and doesn’t fight, causing a loss in the Greek army. Achilles declares, “What a worthless, burnt-out coward I'd be called if I would submit to you and all your orders, whatever you blurt out. Fling them at others, don’t give me commands!” (Homer, 104) Though Achilles is the mightiest warrior alive, he is unreliable, compulsive to every whim and feeling of discontent. Hector, on the contrary, is

The armor of a hero plays an important role in catalyzing his heroism. It served as an object of strength, virility, and masculinity. The armor of Achilles was according to the Greeks suggested a new crucial role in the hero 's 'social reintegration ' after Hektor stripped Patroklos of Achilles ' old armor, the hero undergoes what this critic describes as "a rebirth into