Homer’s Iliad is one of the most popular poems
from the ancient world, and it sought to ensure that it promoted the
achievements of the various heroes. Among the heroes that are mentioned in the poem,
perhaps even one of its most significant subjects is Achilles. Achilles is an
individual that undergoes a considerable transformation from being one full of
godly pride to one that is essentially human. This paper seeks to document the
transformation that Achilles undergoes through an analysis of his pride and
honor, his rage, and finally, his humanization.
Among the most
significant factors that guide the life Achilles in the Iliad are his pride and
honor. These are considered essential traits, especially by the author of the
poem, who seeks to enhance them through his characters. Achilles’ pride and
honor are what dictate his actions and this is especially the case where he
feels that his honor has been betrayed by Agamemnon because the latter, who is the
commander of the Achaeans, has essentially taken his mistress, Briseis, away
from him. Achilles does not seem to really love Briseis because despite
constantly professing his love for her, he does not do anything to stop
Agamemnon’s agents from taking her away from him. Achilles therefore is driven
by his pride not to undertake any action to protect his mistress, while at the
same time also seeking to ensure that his displeasure is shown through his
decision not to help the Achaeans in the war effort against Troy.
In addition,
Achilles is driven by his rage as seen in the line “Rage – Goddess, sing the
rage of Peleus’ son Achilles,” (1, 1). The situation essentially leads to
significant losses in men during the Trojan War. This is especially the case
considering that because of his rage against Agamemnon, Achilles refuses to
support his fellow Achaeans in the war to such an extent that the conflict
continues to drag on for longer than would otherwise have been the case. His
rage, coupled with pride, leads Achilles to focus all his attention on a single
individual rather than considering the plight of his countrymen. However, all
this changes when Achilles’ best friend, Patroclus, is killed by Hector, the
Trojan hero. The result is that Achilles’ rage is shifted from Agamemnon and
directed at Hector, on who he wants to exact revenge. This situation changes
the tide of the Trojan War to such an extent that Achilles ends up leading the
Achaeans to victory while at the same time ending up killing Hector.
Following the
death of Hector at the hands of Achilles, the latter’s rage abates and he ended
up becoming a more human character. Achilles becomes more capable of showing
human emotions, as seen in his joyousness and fairness when he distributes
prizes to his colleagues during the funeral games held in honor of Patroclus. In
addition, he professes his love for Briseis, who has been restored to him; is a
sign of his essentially being happy following the satisfaction of his rage. Moreover,
he also agrees to give back Hector’s body to his father King Priam, who desires
to give his son an honorable funeral as befits a prince of Troy. Therefore, Achilles’
transformation leads him from a proud individual who believes himself to be superior
to all other to being one that is essentially more human with feelings that can
be associated with the latter personality.
In conclusion, Achilles
is shown to be an individual that throughout most of the Iliad has a building rage. The intervention of the gods prevent him
from killing Agamemnon when they have an argument, but it is only after the death
of Patroclus that Achilles’ rage becomes of service to the Achaeans. Hector’s death
transforms Achilles into a more human character because all the rage that is in
him is expended.