A Character of A Man

"To the semidivine hero, the mere fact of ruling over more men does not constitute greatness, and as for glory from Zeus, Achilles will prove by example which of them has more. The contest between Achilles and Agamemnon becomes from the outset a contest between internal and external values..."

~Cedric H. Whitman

"The Wrath of Achilles had probably been an epic subject for generations when Homer found it, and the germ of its meaning, the conflict between personal integrity and social obligation, must always have been inherant."

~Cedric H. Whitman

Achilles considers two things dying with glory or living a simple life.  In these books, it shows Achilles' unwillingness to help his compatriots and even pray for them to lose because of his own pride. This anger and pride is so strong that even seeing his injured friends, scared troops and an endangered camp, Achilles will not cooperate. He would rather see comrades hurt than be insulted.

Achilles wants recognition of his status as the greatest warrior among the Achaeans. The loss of Briseis angered Achilles and in return he vows that he will not fight in the Trojan War. In this situation he loss his values, he became cowardly and undecided. This insult to Achilles' pride is what causes the great warrior's wrath. He becomes hot-tempered, disobedient, and selfish. His wrath became the cause of his own frustration. He said to himself that if it is necessarily, he would readily disobey the gods

Although Achilles possesses superhuman strength and has a close relationship with the gods, he has all the attributes of a great warrior, and indeed proves the mightiest man in the Achaean army, but his character affect his decisions, goodness and honor. He cannot control his pride. He is so obssesed about glory and power that he is willing to sacrifice everything else so that his name will be remembered. For us people, living in today’s world it is important for us to know and recognize that every human being, even the most blessed and most powerful, must suffer loss just as Achilles had.

"Bloodstained, frenzy, and pride continue to effect him. For Achilles, self is at the center of love."

~Rachel Bespaloff