Madeline Miller’s The Song of Achilles re-tells the classic tale of The Iliad through the romantic relationship highly speculated between Achilles and Patroclus. In a diachronic approach to historical queer narratives, I will analyze queer identities and representation within literature with an emphasis on contemporary queer narratives. Queer narratives are especially important stories to perpetuate and recognize both historically and contemporarily, as they impose, perpetuate, or upset notions of normalcy. The Song of Achilles solidifies historical queer identities and experiences that have otherwise been absent, overlooked, or erased in the Iliad (and other historical texts). Accurate queer representation is important for understanding the historical past, giving voice, visibility, and validation to queer identities, and recreating identity in the present. Because language is relative/arbitrary, queer has various meanings, depending on evolution and history and also personal attributions. Queer has been used as an adjective to mean strange, questionable, or to not feel right, a pejorative against queer individuals, an identity relating to a person who does not conform to a normative sexual orientation or gender identity, a sexual orientation, and as a gender identity (such as genderqueer). However, there is an overlooked use of the word: queer is also a verb. What does it mean to queer something? There was a time when that phrase meant “to mess it up,” as in queering a
Through further research, I have learned that this vase “depicts the heroes Achilles and Ajax playing a board game” (Two-Handled Jar with Achilles and Ajax).
In ancient Greece, it was crucial that men proved their masculinity in order to uphold their worth and earn them a place in social establishments. An important aspect of human life is a man’s masculine identity and how it plays a role in society. However with this idea of masculinity came limitations that were not to be crossed. Ancient Greek epics, the Iliad and the Odyssey, both function to provide their own view on masculinity in society through the reverse sex similes. In the Iliad the crucial role of Achilles as a warrior and his association with maternal protection, as represented through it’s reverse sex maternal similes, ultimately proves problematic. This intrinsic part of man to fight on the battlefield to win timê and kleos is ultimately
Tony E. Adams defines queer as, “actions that rebel against—heterosexual—heteronormative—expectations of intimate relationships including biases against being single, aspirations for marriage, norms about
Achilles has gone through many trials in the 4 books we read of The Iliad. In the first book Achilles is emotionally upset because Agamemnon has decided to take away his prize, Briseis. He even gets to the point where he doesn't want to be around anyone, "in tears, withdrew from his friends and sat down far away" (1.239.362-363). After Achilles kills Hector he begins to mourn over his companion Patroclus. Hector is the one who took the life of Patroclus, therefore, "Achilles defiled Hector in his rage" (24.313. 25). Through this rage he would drag Hector's body, however, Hector's body stayed in shape because the gods protected him. Achilles shows just how much he has grown by giving Hector's body back to his father. Priam , Hector's father,
The two men sprinted at each other, blocking out the rest of the battle, and they stared into each others soul. They fought with such hatred and detestation, as the same ends of a magnet react when you try putting them together. No matter what, they will always repel each other. This is an example of a simile. The simile shows the two men fight like same sides of a magnet because they both have an intense hate for each other, just like how the same sides of a magnet will never come together and always repel each other. This simile allows the reader to feel the intense hate that the two men share for each other and is much more meaningful than just saying the two men hate each other. This shows that without figurative language, like
I was privy to many discussions and arguments that took place behind the backs of the soldiers’ leadership as to why they should do what they were being commanded to do by them. All too often soldiers begin to become complacent when they feel over taxed by their leadership or taken advantage of and become pathos driven when they cannot see the fruits of their labor coming to fruition during war or even peacekeeping missions; especially long deployments such as Iraq, Afghanistan or Kosovo. Achilles speech in “The Envoys Plead with Achilles” is pathos driven because it exemplifies aspects of emotionally driven complacency experienced in war due to selfish deceitful leadership, length of deployments, and a feeling
Homer’s Iliad is undoubtedly focused on its male characters: Achilles, primarily, but also Hector and Agamemnon. Nevertheless, it seems that the most crucial characters in the epic are female. Homer uses the characters of Thetis, Andromache, and Helen as a basis for comparison to the male characters. Homer wants his audience to see and understand the folly of his male characters in choosing war over peace, aggression over kindness, and honor over family. While the behavior of these characters clearly speaks for itself, the contrasting attitudes and behaviors of the female characters proffer an alternative; in comparison, the reader can hardly fail to concur with Homer’s message that war, aggression,
In valuing the importance of the historical past, critics often tend to separate the past from the present, when in fact the present relies so much on history. Contemporary critics tend to frame the past as a unique site of need, as if it were not motivated by the present. When looking at historical works, critics disregard the pain of the gay culture and focus on the means of securing a more positive identity of the present. At the same time, “such acts of resolve allow us to ignore the resistance of queer historical figures to our advances toward them” (34). For example, in one of Sappho’s lyrics, she promises her readers that “someone will remember us” but follows that line with “I say,” attesting to the poem’s longing and uncertainty regarding
In perusing the various roles women fill in our modern society, it is clear the popularity and relevance of the patriarchy is dwindling. However, in Homer’s Iliad, men reigned omnipotent; women were treated as objects, won as prizes in war, and are routley discounted as ineffectual human beings. Whatever the reason for man’s dismissal of women as inferiors, the responses of women to their societal immobility sheds their real traits and abilities in a new light. The Iliad focuses on events during and at the end of the Trojan War, a conflict that not only pits the two male armies against each other, but also main female characters Aphrodite, Briseis, and Helen against the pervasiveness and power of patriarchy. Through a feminist examination of
I was changed by this because my own family is homophobic and regard any mention of same gender attraction/relationships with distaste. This book portrayed the opposite of the anti-gay ideas that my religious family tried to push onto me. The fact that Achilles and Patroclus didn’t allow homophobia to weaken their relationship inspires me to continue to stand up for LGBTQ rights today. Even though it is yet another LGBTQ love story that ends with the couple dying, I think that it doesn’t embody the other many stereotypes usually found. The Song of Achilles made me more proud and happy to be a part of the LGBTQ community, and I’m enlightened to have read
Gods and animals exist on a different plane from mere mortals, as supported by Shay, “Whether the berserker is beneath humanity as an animal, above it as a god, or both, he his cut off from all human community,” (Shay, 6). While death can be a very physical thing, it can also be symbolic of the loss of humanity. In the last chapters of the poem, Achilles’ rage becomes all-consuming and takes him over. Rage dictates all of his actions, and whether it is his god-like or animal-like characteristics being attributed to his rage, Homer and the soldiers no longer speak about him as a mortal. Achilles may go on breathing after the death of Patroclus, but he is not truly alive again until he can quell his rage, because his rage comes at the price of his humanity.
After the siege of Troy, the ruins and smolder of the devastation leave a limited number of survivors homeless. One such Troyian is a young teenager named Qadir Khan. Qadir lost his entire family in the siege. Qadir prayed to the gods for forgiveness and an ability for him to avenge his fallen comrades, family and home. After a year the shambles still lay and small tents reside around the ruins. After constant deaths from marauders, disease and the heat Qadir was one of two left him and another young teen named Alkaram. Alkaram had an idea to set sail for Northern Cyprus in a chance for a new life, so one night he robbed all of Qadirs clothes, food, tools and belongings and set sail with a small rebuilt cargo boat to Northern Cyprus.
In the battle between Hector and Achilles, there was more on the line than winning the war. Until the end of the poem, it can be argued that both Achilles and Hector fit the role of an epic hero, but there can only be one. The battle represented who would ultimately be determined the epic hero. In Homer’s epic poem, The Iliad, Achilles is crafted into an epic hero throughout the poem by the illustration of the qualities of an epic hero: a great warrior, help from the supernatural, an epic flaw, and an epic journey.
Many people have heard of Achilles, whether in Greek Mythology or when referring to the tendon in their foot. He is well known in the Iliad as the main force for the Achaeans in the Trojan War, dubbed the “swiftest warrior,” “Achilles dear to Zeus”, and “brilliant runner.” However many do not know the story of Achilles when he walks away from the Achaean campaign over a scuffle of war prizes. His action cripples the Achaean army, costing the lives of many. The story of the Trojan War is one where Achilles ultimately leads the Achaeans to Troy and kills Hector outside Priam’s walls. However, it was Patroclus, Achilles’ brother-in-arms, who should be accredited with the Achaean victories and know for his success against the Trojans in the
The Iliad, by Homer, is an epic poem set in the era of the Trojan War, accounting the battle logs during the time of conflict between Agamemnon and Achilles, the text’s tragic protagonist. The heroic outlook on life, in Iliadic terms, is exemplified through the construction of one’s honor through hard work. Being an aspect of the heroic outlook of life, this value is demonstrated through his contribution and dedication to the Trojan War, his experience with neglect from the deities, Achilles’ overall disdain towards Agamemnon, and, lastly, his longingness towards Briseis, his dear lover.