Achilles’ Moral Ambiguity in “The Iliad” by Homer Research Paper

Exclusively available on Available only on IvyPanda® Made by Human No AI

Homer’s The Iliad paints a spiteful, arrogant, and petty picture of Achilles right from the first chapters. The portrayal of Achilles as an ungrateful youngster becomes considerably starker as the tale continues. Nevertheless, Achilles starts to demonstrate traits that would be seen as heroic in modern culture. Achilles has a profound shift in personality with the death of his devoted and valued buddy Patroclus. Achilles sets aside his immature behavior when faced with the genuine horror of death and violence to do what is suitable for his comrade, fellow soldiers, and conscience. In this sense, Achilles’ character development might be compared to how people mature from childhood to adulthood regarding his moral ambiguity.

Homer attempts to contrast Achilles’ early childhood deeds with those of a young kid. Achilles begs his mother to approach Zeus and request that the deity punish the Greeks unless they accord him the respect he merits (Evzonas 2018). Thetis tells Zeus that her son will either have a brief, beautiful life or a lengthy, lifeless one when she visits him. It is hard to see Achilles settling for a longer lifespan without glory, even at this early stage of the epic. However, this is precisely what Achilles intended to accomplish later in the epic. Achilles responds to Agamemnon’s embassy sent to beg the fast runner (Homer, Book 9, line 500):

…two fates bear me on to the day of death.

If I hold out here and lay siege to Troy,

My journey home is gone, but my glory never dies.

If I voyage back to the fatherland, I love,

My pride, my glory dies…

True, but the life that’s left me will be long,

The stroke of death will not come on me quickly.

Achilles then urged the remainder of the Greeks to leave Troy and return home. This could suggest that Achilles has put his adolescent bravado behind him, but in the same passage, he blisters Agamemnon. Instead of his prior childishness, his inability to let go of his rage and worry about his future suggests a more teenage or young adult worldview.

Odysseus, Telamonian Ajax, and Phoenix, the three emissaries, all implore Achilles to let out his rage, meaning that they see him as a young man outraged by injustices in the outside world. Odysseus informs Achilles, “Now fail us? What suffering it will cause you in the coming years. When damage has already been done, there is no cure and no therapy” (Homer, Book 9). He adopts a paternal attitude toward Achilles when he recalls Peleus’ final words to him.

With the voice of authority, he forewarns him of the impending anguish. Phoenix adopts a similar tactic, but more overtly: “Great godlike Achilles – I made you my son, I tried, / so someday you would battle catastrophe off my back” (Homer, Book 9). Both of these requests are severely rejected by Achilles, as one might anticipate an adolescent rejecting his parents’ counsel. However, Ajax treats Achilles more like an adult than a child. “Past all the other men, all other Achilles comrades,/we wish to be your nearest, dearest friends,” he says to Achilles (Homer, Book 9). Achilles’ best response to this strategy is still a refusal, which he justifies by saying that Agamemnon’s fury still possesses him.

Several books later, when Patroclus implores Achilles, Achilles first exhibits evidence of having a sense of obligation towards the Greeks. The justification given by Achilles for his continued refusal to engage in the fight is that “Still, by God, I vowed I would not relax my rage, / not until the shouts and carnage reached my ships” (Homer, Book 16, 70). Achilles’ desire to fight is evident from this comment, but he refuses to accept that his first refusal to do so was incorrect. Achilles sends Patroclus, who is armored as a fast runner and in charge of the Myrmidons, in his place. Achilles is morally changing, starting to act responsibly toward his friends, but he still has a vengeful commitment to his rage.

When Patroclus passes away shortly after, Achilles is eventually persuaded to put aside his rage. In the epic’s final book, Achilles’ character undergoes its final development. According to Homer, the gods ordered Achilles to give Priam access to Hector’s body when the king arrived to fetch it. This might be seen as Achilles experiencing a change of mind and recognizing that his hatred toward Hector is equally futile as his fury toward Agamemnon. Therefore, Achilles respects Priam when he arrives to get Hector. Achilles also consents to allow Priam ample time to bury Hector properly (Worman 2017). Achilles is now acting in the epic’s most sympathetic manner.

His acts demonstrate that he finally confronts his anger and realizes it is harmful and futile. He is prepared to carry out his obligation to the Greeks, but he is also prepared to show consideration and respect to his adversaries since they are also people.

In conclusion, it is simple to see how Achilles’ development in The Iliad may be considered morally ambiguous to fairness and violence, but one is to expect that from a maturing child. Achilles’ growth reflects that of a typical person from childhood to adulthood, from the bitter wrath at the outset to the sympathetic regard at the close of the epic. The ideas that first matter to him—honor and glory—slowly give way to more sensible and mature notions of responsibility, respect, and compassion.

Works Cited

Evzonas, Nicolas. “The International Journal of Psychoanalysis, vol. 99, no. 5, 2018, pp. 1165–1185. Web.

Homer. Iliad. Translated by Angus M. Bowie, Cambridge University Press, 2019.

Worman, Nancy. “Reflection.” Moral Motivation, 2017, pp. 39–43. Web.

More related papers Related Essay Examples
Cite This paper
You're welcome to use this sample in your assignment. Be sure to cite it correctly

Reference

IvyPanda. (2023, December 7). Achilles' Moral Ambiguity in "The Iliad" by Homer. https://ivypanda.com/essays/achilles-moral-ambiguity-in-the-iliad-by-homer/

Work Cited

"Achilles' Moral Ambiguity in "The Iliad" by Homer." IvyPanda, 7 Dec. 2023, ivypanda.com/essays/achilles-moral-ambiguity-in-the-iliad-by-homer/.

References

IvyPanda. (2023) 'Achilles' Moral Ambiguity in "The Iliad" by Homer'. 7 December.

References

IvyPanda. 2023. "Achilles' Moral Ambiguity in "The Iliad" by Homer." December 7, 2023. https://ivypanda.com/essays/achilles-moral-ambiguity-in-the-iliad-by-homer/.

1. IvyPanda. "Achilles' Moral Ambiguity in "The Iliad" by Homer." December 7, 2023. https://ivypanda.com/essays/achilles-moral-ambiguity-in-the-iliad-by-homer/.


Bibliography


IvyPanda. "Achilles' Moral Ambiguity in "The Iliad" by Homer." December 7, 2023. https://ivypanda.com/essays/achilles-moral-ambiguity-in-the-iliad-by-homer/.

If, for any reason, you believe that this content should not be published on our website, please request its removal.
Updated:
This academic paper example has been carefully picked, checked and refined by our editorial team.
No AI was involved: only quilified experts contributed.
You are free to use it for the following purposes:
  • To find inspiration for your paper and overcome writer’s block
  • As a source of information (ensure proper referencing)
  • As a template for you assignment
Privacy Settings

IvyPanda uses cookies and similar technologies to enhance your experience, enabling functionalities such as:

  • Basic site functions
  • Ensuring secure, safe transactions
  • Secure account login
  • Remembering account, browser, and regional preferences
  • Remembering privacy and security settings
  • Analyzing site traffic and usage
  • Personalized search, content, and recommendations
  • Displaying relevant, targeted ads on and off IvyPanda

Please refer to IvyPanda's Cookies Policy and Privacy Policy for detailed information.

Required Cookies & Technologies
Always active

Certain technologies we use are essential for critical functions such as security and site integrity, account authentication, security and privacy preferences, internal site usage and maintenance data, and ensuring the site operates correctly for browsing and transactions.

Site Customization

Cookies and similar technologies are used to enhance your experience by:

  • Remembering general and regional preferences
  • Personalizing content, search, recommendations, and offers

Some functions, such as personalized recommendations, account preferences, or localization, may not work correctly without these technologies. For more details, please refer to IvyPanda's Cookies Policy.

Personalized Advertising

To enable personalized advertising (such as interest-based ads), we may share your data with our marketing and advertising partners using cookies and other technologies. These partners may have their own information collected about you. Turning off the personalized advertising setting won't stop you from seeing IvyPanda ads, but it may make the ads you see less relevant or more repetitive.

Personalized advertising may be considered a "sale" or "sharing" of the information under California and other state privacy laws, and you may have the right to opt out. Turning off personalized advertising allows you to exercise your right to opt out. Learn more in IvyPanda's Cookies Policy and Privacy Policy.

1 / 1