Tragic Speech For Achilleus

Pride as a Tragic Flaw or Heroic Trait In many modern works, such as Shakespeare’s Macbeth, and Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad, pride is tragic flaw, and the undoing of great heroes. However, in Homer’s The Iliad, It is not clear as to whether pride is a trait to loathe or to love. Substantial arguments can be made on both sides, since both the hero Achilleus who ultimately is a victor, and the hero Hektor, who eventually loses his life both posses a desire for honor and glory. Homer

feels torn between two conflicting responsibilities. A character's social status was mainly based upon his performance in the battlefield. Achilleus is a tragic figure who believes strongly in social order, but questions the idea of fighting for glory. When Aias and Odysseus are sent by Agamemnon to plead with Achilleus' to fight for the Greeks, Achilleus denies them, saying "There