Iliad Achilles character analysis

Key scenes and analysis 

Book 1 – the quarrel between Agamemnon and Achilles: Calchas the seer reveals that Apollo caused the plague because of Agamemnon. Insults Agamemnon: staggering drunk, take the lions share, coward. Achilles goes to Kill Agamemnon but receives divine intervention from Athena who stops his Menis, by reminding him of his glory to come 

• Achilles rage is likened to that of the Gods – Menis is used to describe a divine anger – fury takes over him and he becomes vile and rash in his language towards Agamemnon 

• Receiving divine intervention and consistent protection from the Gods such as Athena and Hera are an exclusive benefit to many few warriors of which Achilles is included 

Book 1 – the taking of Briseis – Agamemnon demands that if he must give up Chryseis, then he will instead take Achilles war prize Briseis. Achilles in return withdraws himself from the war 

• Achilles allows his pride to dictate his decisions as a warrior.  

• Would rather humiliate Agamemnon in attempt to retain his own pride than work productively for the Greeks 

• Silk - Achilles is an uncomfortable and even destructive presence in the heroic world – destructive in the way that his menis becomes anti-social and counter-productive to the Achaean army. Something sickening about the fact that he would go against the Achaeans/Greeks, his own people to maintain his pride 

• excessive pride (hubris) caused him to leave the battle and take his soldiers with him, putting the rest of the Achaeans in jeopardy 

Book 1 – Achilles weeps to Thetis and implores her to ask Zeus to temporarily change the fate of the war so that the Trojans can win, causing the Achaean soldiers to beg for Achilles to return 

• Mustn't underestimate the leverage and power that comes to Achilles with having a divine mother – he has a direct link to Zeus, the highest God. 

Book 9 – Achilles demonstrates hospitality: when he sees the embassies he immediately welcomes them into his tent. Orders Patroclus to mix wine for the men, made a sacrifice to the Gods before offering them meat 

• Achilles demonstrates Xenia and is portrayed as a good host and a man of culture 

Book 9 – Achilles refuses Agamemnon’s gifts of friendship. Promises honesty and straightforwardness to the appeal of Odysseus, Ajax and Pheonix. Calls Agamemnon a ‘dog’ as he knows he would never dare look him in the eyes and apologise 

• Agamemnon completely missed the point of Achilles’ rage 

• Wilson - Book 9 demonstrates Achilles as a spiritual man in a material world – Achilles is not swayed by material gifts; he wants Agamemnon to yield to him and that is the only thing that could cure his rage. Achilles wants to uphold his kleos and not give in to the materialistic boasting of Agamemnon 

Book 16 – Achilles yields to Patroclus’ wishes to fight and sends him out with the myrmidons. However, on the condition that as soon as the Achaeans are safe, he must return and not storm the Trojan walls, for that is reserved for Achilles glory. Achilles prays to Zeus for Patroclus to fill his heart with courage but also to have a safe return 

• Can compare Patroclus and Achilles as a productive and counter-productive force to the warfare – Patroclus shows loyalty to the Greek troops and protests to fight to save their ships, while Achilles has not yet redeemed his pride and therefore the suffering of the Achaeans means nothing to him 

• Achilles is egoistic – each death of the Greeks adds to what will be his valiant return – he treats them as a measuring stick to his pride 

• Achilles selfishly doesn’t want Patroclus to have a glorious death as it brings him comfort knowing that he is alive 

Book 16 – when Patroclus comes to battle in Achilles armour – the Trojan soldier quake with fear  

• Achilles armour acts as an alarm that warns the Trojans of the death and destruction to come – looming dark and demonic presence that is feared by mortal soldiers 

• Achilles as 1 warrior has the power to destroy the ego of the whole trojan army 

Book 18 – The grief of Achilles- claws ground for soot and dirt to pour over his head, tears his hair from frustration, Antilochus clutches Achilles hand for fear he will slash his own throat 

• Knox - There is a godlike nature to Achilles’ passionate intensity – Achilles’ emotions take on a new level of extremity – conveys a great sense of pathos and suffering for Achilles. His grief can be considered on the level of an immortal – grief and wrath take on a super-human quality 

• Achilles mourning becomes suicidal – the bond between Achilles and Patroclus occupies an extreme position of friendship, one where they seem to be alternate halves of 1 soul, unified by their friendship. 

• Achilles’ will to live died with Patroclus 

Book 18 – while waiting for his amour, Achilles is instructed by iris to show himself to the Trojans panic so the Achaeans can retrieve Patroclus’ body. As Achilles let's out his war cry, Athena crowns his head with a golden crown. 

• Schein - Achilles is inhumanly isolated and demonic in his greatness - Achilles’ presence is divinely terrifying 

Book 18 – Thetis gets Hephaestus to craft Achilles a divine shield – has the whole world represented on the back: earth, sea, sky, moon, cities, meadows, animals. 

• The shield is made from 5 layers of metal – worthy of a God 

• the entire world is represented on Achilles shield - becomes a symbol of something far greater than himself – personifies the fate of the war with the power to turn the tide over to the Greeks 

Book 19 – reconciliation with Agamemnon: Achilles announces that the quarrel is now insignificant to him and calls a halt to his anger. Again, Agamemnon offers Achilles the gifts, but Achilles says he has no desire for the material wealth. 

• Patroclus acts as the catalyst that triggers Achilles return to the battlefield- the only thing that can halt his pride is the death of his most beloved comrade 

• The reconciliation brings closure from the beginning of the Iliad, Achilles rejoins the Achaeans on the battlefield, his natural state, where he belongs. Redirects his anger towards Hector, his actual enemy 

• Sowerby - The most important theme of 'The Iliad' is Achilles' growing recognition of his morality – Achilles’ return will greatly help the Achaean armies. His refusal of Agamemnon’s gifts signifies his growing acceptance of his fated death – no longer has the will to live  

Book 19 – Achilles refuses to eat before going into Battle and asks his soldiers to do the same thing. Odysseus reminds him that it would be suicidal for the soldiers to practically starve before fighting as they need their energy. Zeus fills Achilles with nectar and ambrosia to give him strength. 

• Eating and continuing to live shows acceptance of the nature of warfare and the idea that life goes on. By refusing to eat Achilles rejects this – can't survive in a war where he is wholly victorious, for Achilles, the preservation of Patroclus’ life was part of his glory 

• Achilles as a demi-god had more durability and vigour compared to the mortal soldiers. Fails to realise that not everyone is as lucky to have divine favour of Zeus who will fill him with strength. Achilles privilege isolates him from other warriors  

• Redfield - Achilles acts are always true to shifting versions of himself – Achilles only helps the Achaean soldiers because of his personal desire to avenge Patroclus, there is no charity or loyalty involved in his motivations 

Book 22 – the chase – Achilles chases Hector around the walls of Troy 3 times. Homer uses a predator-prey simile: Achilles is likened to a wild mountain hawk while Hector a cringing dove 

• Portrays the instinct of killing that is buried inside each warrior. All human emotions are erased, and natural impulse takes over – Hector becomes a means to an end for vengeance. 

• Sickening to see Hector, Troys greatest warrior, shrivel in the face of Achilles. 

• Achilles can’t seem to catch up and Hector cannot run away and return to the walls of Troy - an endless nightmare of running away from the violent and horrific end of Troy 

Book 22 – Achilles violates Xenia by refusing to return Hector’s body to Troy. Tells dying Hector that he hopes the dogs eat his body raw and that no ransom could persuade him to return Hector’s body 

• A disturbing violation of Xenia – being an abandoned soldier on the battlefield was the most degrading death a soldier could receive as it meant that they couldn’t receive the proper burial rites needed to reach hades 

• Achilles acts in the manner of a tyrant – allocates himself the right to choose a sickening and horrible fate for Hector 

Book 22 – Achilles shames Hector’s body by tying his ankles to the back of his chariot and parading round the walls of Troy, dragging Hector behind him 

• Achilles acts in a savage, brutal manner disregarding his humanity. Was considered an act of miasma to defile a dead warrior's body 

• Achilles is representative of self-destruction and chaos - motivated by honour, vengeance and an undisciplined instinct 

• Jones - The central subject of 'The Iliad' is Achilles' heroic behaviour and its consequences, including the issues of self-control, power, authority and compromise from which comes the oppressive, complex, extreme and magnificent figure of Achilles - While Achilles is superior in terms of his physical strength, he is inferior in terms of his integrity 

Book 23 – Achilles becomes exhausted form mourning and falls asleep. Patroclus’ ghost visits him and requests for the proper burial rituals to be completed so that he can rest in Hades. Also asks for his bones to be buried in an urn with Achilles so that they may never be separated. When Achilles tries to embrace him, he dissipates. 

• Achilles as a demi-god is not prone to exhaustion and yet his grieving takes up so much energy, he falls asleep – intensity  

• Philios – brotherhood and platonic love binds Achilles and Patroclus even in life after death 

Book 23 – Achilles hosts Patroclus’ funeral games. Awards out grand prizes demonstrating his wealth gives a gift to Eumelus, last place in the chariot race out of pity, calls a draw between giant Ajax and Odysseus during the wrestling match and awards Agamemnon 1^st place prize for the spear throwing competition without him even competing 

• Achilles instructs and mediates the funeral games as if he were the king of Achaeans – see him in a generous and light-hearted manner, gives a glimpse of Achilles beyond the warfare and fighting 

• Hands out prizes to both winners and runners-up displaying his affluence – it was important for kings to display wealth so that they could show off prosperity of their kingdoms.  

• Achilles exerts status over Agamemnon by awarding him a prize 

Book 24 – after the funeral games have finished, Achilles in his boredom and grief decides to drag Hector’s body around Patroclus’ tomb one night, leaving the body face down in the dust once he’d finished 

• While Achilles can accept his heroic death, he cannot accept the true nature of war - it’s suffering. Achilles become so self-absorbed in his own divine perception of himself that he denies the mortal violence of death, since for so long he believed himself to be above the mortal effects of death 

• Patroclus dying is something that Achilles cannot accept for it would mean that he wasn’t the unstoppable and greatest warrior but instead a warrior who couldn’t protect his own beloved comrade 

• Act of miasma to continuously defile Hector’s body  

Book 24 - when Thetis sends down the message from Zeus that Achilles must return Hector’s body, his reaction lacks emotion ‘so be it’ 

• Numbed by the pain of grief, it’s clear Achilles no longer desires to continue living. Only wants to kill Hector to avenge Patroclus 

Book 24 - When Priam laments to Achilles kissing his hand, his words stirred Achilles deep desire to grieve for his own Father and the loss that he is soon to face 

• The separate sides of the war melt away and we witness a rare moment of compassion between Achilles and Priam – evoked by father-son relationships. 

• Slowly beings to regain his humanity as he pities Priam. 

• In the face of the enemy, hatred and fighting seem less important 

Book 24 – Achilles prepares Hectors body – calls the women to bathe and anoint his body with olive oil to wrap him in cloth 

• Achilles displays Xenia in his preparation of the body – However can it really be called hospitality after the vile destruction that Achilles imposed onto the corpse.  

• Uncertain what Achilles true motivations are for the preparation of Hector’s body – does it only serve as damage control for the wounds he monstrously inflicted on Hector 

THEMATIC IDEAS FOR FQ 

FQ: Explain who or what is most important to Achilles within the Iliad 

• What is most important to Achilles shifts based on his impulsive desires 

• Achilles Menis is an uncontrollable blockade to his time and glory 

FQ: What motivates Achilles as a character? 

• Achilles is motivated by individual desires. Impulse control prevents him from making logical decisions 

• Neglects position as a warrior as he lacks loyalty to the Achaean armies. Distanced from the comradeship 

• Defined by his Menis, making him an anti-social warrior 

FQ: Can we consider Achilles to be a true Homeric hero? 

• Achilles challenges the concept of a Homeric hero  

• Acts as a counter-productive warrior 

• Rejects the solidarity that comes with the comradeship of the Achaean army 

• Demonically brilliant as a warrior yet isolated in his greatness