The Iliad, a book by Homer about the Trojan War, focuses a lot on Achilles and his internal struggle with his personal desires. In the time of the Trojan War, there was an unspoken code of morals and how warriors of honor should follow. If they did not fight or acted cowardly it not only brought them shame but their family name was looked down on. Warriors that were defeated weren’t always killed because they were sometimes taken prisoner to be used for ransom money or gifts. However, in the Iliad, Homer shows that sympathy rarely is evident in war.
Achilles’ stubborn and cowardly sides are shown when Ajax, Phoenix, and Odysseus travel to visit him and beg him to return to the fight. Instead of acting like an honorable warrior, he refuses after listening them plead for his help in the fight. He said that he would not return until his own Greek warriors’ ships were on fire from Trojan flames.
Achilles’ rage and childishness is revealed when he learns of his friend, and......
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Approximate Word Count: 572
Approximate Pages: 3 (260 words per double-spaced page) |