This week we read The Iliad book 1 and book 18. I think that Achilles doesn't qualify as a superhero because he really doesn't have any special power and his attitude is not superhero like. For example in The Iliad book 1, Achilles gets into an argument with Agamemnon because of some women that they claimed to be theirs after they won a battle. Chryses, the father of Chryseis, one of the girls that were taken by the Achaean army, begs Agamemnon to return his daughter to him. That is the reason that Achilles and Agamemnon get into an argument. Agamemnon says he will return Chryseis only if Achilles gives him Briseis, which is the other woman that they captured. Achilles attitude is arrogant because he doesn't want to give up his prize and both men treat women as objects rather than human beings. That is one reason Achilles doesn't qualify as a superhero. I think that Achilles acts like a little kid because after the argument he has with Agamemnon, he refuses to fight in the battle with the Trojans and he lets his people, the Achaeans fight alone, when he is a great warrior that can help his people win in battle. Achilles doesn't participate in the war until after the death of his friend, Patroklos, is killed by Hektor, a trojan warrior. Achilles only goes back to the war to avenge the death of his friend. I think that Achilles isn't a superhero because if he was, he wouldn't have let his people fight the war by themselves because of an argument he had with Agamemnon. A superhero is supposed to help and protect the weak, not abandon them in times of war and danger because of his foolish attitude. Also, the only reason that Agamemnon returned Chryseis to her father was because Apollo had put a plague on the Achaeans because of what they did. I wanted to point out that Zeus and Hera act like human beings and often tend to be humorous. For example, Zeus doesn't want to help out the Trojans because he says that his wife is going to get mad at him. Also, later on in the story Zeus threatens Hera of strangling her when she found out that Zeus was helping the Trojans. Zeus's argument with Hera contrasts the argument between Achilles and Agamemnon, which almost resulted in death if it wasn't for Athena that talked some sense into Achilles. I have a question about Achilles, why do the Trojans get scared when Achilles shows up in the battle to recover the body of Patroklos? Does Achilles scream so loud that he scares the Trojans? or is it just the fact that the Trojans know it is Achilles and that he has returned to battle?
word count: 465
To answer your question, I'm sure it's because, like you answered, IT'S ACHILLES. I can't really say anything about the screaming, but Achilles is Achilles and there isn't anyone else like him. Think of it as there is no other Hulk, and if Hulk was coming your way, directly at you... how would you feel?
ReplyDeleteI think it's a little of both, but more that it's Achilles coming. The Greek pantheon very much act more like humans than the Judeo-Christian theology allows. It's very noticeable when you first get in to the stories of Greek gods and goddesses.
ReplyDeleteThat’s a great point you bring up that they treat women as objects rather than regular human beings. This really bothered me in the poem because as you mentioned they act arrogant and don’t see the bigger picture. It’s not the women they were fighting over, but they use them as an excuse to fight. They were fighting to decide who the bigger person was and who has more pride. They were being very selfish and for that reason I didn’t really like the Iliad as much. It became annoying after a little bit because the reading focused on too much complaining and too much arrogance.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you and the comment above. It seemed like they were just fighting to fight and there was no real reason behind it. I don't classify him as a superhero because he was okay with doing this and putting lives at risk. I just don't think that is something a superhero would do.
ReplyDelete