Pride In The Iliad

Homer’s Iliad presents a conflict between fighting to gain honor for oneself while also being committed to others in the larger community. Honor and glory primarily drove the characters in the Iliad, while each character’s individual circumstances determined the influence of the larger community in their actions. Both the Greeks and the Trojans, despite fighting with each other, share in this struggle and find their own balance. Agamemnon is driven almost entirely by glory and selfishness, Achilles by honor but also a commitment to his friendship with Patroclus, and Hector by both glory and a commitment to his family.

Although it is understandable that one might try to uphold their self-image after feeling disrespected, there should be a limit to what one will do to gain honor and glory. The death of Patroclus allowed Achilles to apprehend how irrational he was being. We tend to behave very similarly to Achilles when we feel like we have been depreciated or devalued. When somebody disrespects us, we tend to be infuriated because we feel our pride has been tarnished. Therefore, we will go to unimaginable heights and the level we will stoop down to retrieve back our pride. However, we become self-obsessed in the process that we forget how our actions could impact those around us. Furthermore, we become blinded by our aspiration for respect and glory, that we have an inclination to become immature. Especially under the conditions of war, a soldier’s actions are way more impactful. Achilles forgets that his entire army depends on him and that his actions affect the lives of all the army men. He lets the egotistical version of himself dictate his behaviors, which partly leads to the death of his best friend. Therefore, The Iliad conveys how our judgment can be impacted by our aspiration for honor and glory, that we unknowingly make irrational decisions. Although one might go to extensive lengths to uphold their self-image, there must be a limit to

The idea of kleos otherwise known as glory in Greek, and honor is one of the most essential motifs of the Iliad. For many warriors depicted in the Iliad, honor was vital and personal. For many, Glory earned in battle was more important than one’s life. Glory or the lack of, was remembered long after one’s life. Possibly the greatest fundamental part of honor to the fighters of the Iliad was courage in battle as shown throughout multiple books. Throughout the course of this book we can see how different characters display these traits and how they influence the course of the war. Even though the Achaeans and Trojans are enemies they display a similar view, the acquisition of glory is more significant than life

Homer’s epic The Iliad, is a great tale of war and glory. It takes place during the last year of the ten year Greek-Trojan war. The Greeks have been fighting with the Trojans for quite some time, and just when peace seemed like a possibility, the youngest prince of Troy, Paris, acts out selfishly and steals the beautiful wife of Menelaus, Helen. This instigates the fighting again. Throughout The Iliad, Homer tells of two heroes, both similar, but also very different in their character; the great and powerful Greek, Achilles, and the strong, loving father, Prince Hector of Troy. In Homer’s The Iliad, Hector and Achilles differ as heroes in regards to pride, duty, and family love, the latter being self-centered and prideful, while the

Before his death the Trojan leader Hector exclaims, “Well let me die⎼but not without struggle, not without glory, no, in some great clash of arms that even men to come will hear of down the years,” (22.359-362). This proclamation reveals an important theme in Homer’s Iliad. Throughout the epic poem, the concept of honor and shame constantly reappears, from being the cause of the plot to personification as Greek and Trojan heroes to the dichotomy of honor and shame within the gods. Homer uses honor and shame as a major theme of the Iliad to show how important these attributes are to the human condition.

There are different forms and examples of exemplary and classic literature which have been deemed as significant works that are highly esteemed worldwide. These examples of literature would awe the world with how much literary skill they entailed when they were composed and written: attention to details as to formation of characters, the most crafty of plots, the most eloquent speeches and lines, the most astounding of twists of scenes, and most of all, the most universal and meaningful of themes. The theme of any literary work is what makes it great as it should be able to encompass the immense diversity of the world and as it would be able to transcend the boundaries of religion, age, race, gender, etc. Two examples of this great and

Achilles the main character shows the excessive pride trait severally. Agamemnon offered to return Briseis to Achilles with other gifts. He even offered to swear that he never slept with her, but Achilles refused everything. Achilles’ remarks to the emissaries showed his disinterest in material things, however; the only thing that mattered to him was an honor. The following quote demonstrates this trait from the poem: “Ajax, son of Telamon in the line of Zeus, everything you say is after my own heart. But I swell with rage when I think of how the son of Atreus treated me like dirt in public as if I were some worthless tramp. Now go, and take this message: I won’t lift a finger in this bloody war.” (230. 667-678). Achilles refusal to participate in the war games due to his excessive pride results in the death of a lot of Achaeans, including his friend

Pride is the cause of the main conflict in Sophocles’ play, Antigone. Everyone should have pride, but Creon had too much of it and that blinded him. His pride in his power and abuse of authority was his tragic flaw that ultimately led to his downfall. On the other hand, Antigone takes pride in her beliefs and has the courage to speak out for what she thinks is right. For this, Antigone is seen as an honorable character and the hero of the play. It is shown that there are often two sides to things; pride can be both a source of strength and self-destruction.

In a world where we have the incapability to determine what is morally right or wrong we need to ignore pride as it places us on a course that only leads to devastation. Sophocles uses Creon as an example of what the outcome would be for following his own pride as his actions backfire on him. When Creon is finalizing his decision to sentence Antigone to death, he focuses on his pride in position as King rather than his loyalty to the Gods. Such pride is compared to the Gods as it says in Ode 2, “No pride on earth

Pride is a vital facet in the multi-sided diamond1 that is human psychology. In Sophocles’(n.d.) Antigone, the famous philosopher demonstrates how the mind can be clouded so effortlessly and bear such tragic repercussions when influenced by pride. In this dismal sequel to Oedipus Rex, also written by Sophocles(n.d.), both sides of the moral battle have plenty of justification for their actions.

(C.S. Lewis). Pride can take over the lives of people who have it within them. It is ok to feel proud but if the sense of pride is exaggerated it will lead to arrogance and therefore to problems. In the book Antigone, by Sophocles, pride is displayed as good and bad. Pride can have a big impact on people when it is taken for granted. Sophocles uses such powerful language and gives such great imagery with his words that it is apparent pride is greatly implied in his book. The conflicts and morals being taught to us in his book states that pride is something that

Pride is a quality that all people possess in one way or another. Some people take pride in their appearance, worldly possessions, or position in society. The story of Antigone written by Sophocles has two characters who have a tragic flaw of pride. I will show how Creon’s pride of power leads to his destruction, and how Antigone’s pride makes her an honorable character who should be treated as a hero.

In Homer’s epic, Iliad, Achilles is one of the main figures of the Trojan War. Achilles’ beliefs that he defines throughout the passage are influenced by the manipulations of war that he encounters, along with a focus on what the idea of glory entails and the effects that it has on one’s honor. They are two separate concepts, he recognizes, and during the Trojan War he knew that he could not have both. In the selected passage from Book Nine, it is clear that Achilles, the Greek warrior, questions and reevaluates the idea of honor and glory, as he believes honor and glory are inherently incompatible, thus causing him to sacrifice one in order to have the other. This reevaluation emphasizes the abnormal attitude from a once fierce warrior and

The Iliad: Book I, is about the conflict between Achilles and Agamemnon in the beginning of the Trojan War. It shows how vigorous Achilles’ rage was and that he is no one to mess with. The book states “Peleus’ son Achilles, murderous, doomed”. This shows his fury in just a few words. Achilles was a Greek hero who was the son of a Goddess named Thetis. He was an incredible solder; brave, violent and godlike. However, Agamemnon was the commander of the Achaean Army. He was greedy, aggressive and selfish. He was described as “the most grasping man alive”. He absolutely hated Achilles. I feel that he was jealous of how respected Achilles was among the ranks in the army because of his superior skills in the field of battle. Agamemnon claimed Chryseis as his prize, after sacking a Trojan town. Chryseis was a daughter of a Priest of Apollo, Chryses. He offered an enormous ransom to get his daughter back. At first Agamemnon didn’t want it but the people round him persuaded him that it would be best to let her go so they could be released from the plague that Apollo put on them. Agamemnon then poised to Achilles that he is going to steal Achilles prize, Briseis. This is when Achilles’ rage shows at its best. He nearly draws his sword to kill Agamemnon but he is stopped by the goddess, Athena.

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.