Pride Goeth Before the Fall

Pride Goeth Before the Fall

Few characters in literature have so high an opinion of themselves, have such an excessive assumption of their own entitlement, and still manage to display many heroic ideals as Homer's Greek icon Achilles in The Iliad. The warrior's behavior is illustrated as running the gamut of petulant child to fearless warrior to compassionate hero. With his demands for reverence from both his fellow soldiers and his king, his passionate desire to avenge his fallen friend and the empathy and vulnerability he exposed during Priam's pleas, Homer reveals the many intricacies of his protagonist. Homer's portrayal of Achilles reveals the complexity, and sometimes contradictory, ideas of courage, respect, and reverence for the dead that dominated the culture of Ancient Greece and shaped men's ideas of what it meant to be men. While engaging in behaviors not traditionally defined as "valiant", it is Achilles' evolution into hero that reveals the true bravery of the protagonist.

No less status-seeking and motivated by wealth than today's professional athletes, the superstars of "manhood" in Homer's time were great warriors known for feats of impressive skill and athletic prowess and those possessing those abilities were showered by their commander's with plundered treasure and the praise and adoration from their peers and citizens of their realm. In light of such, the argument can be made that Achilles' assertion that to "call it back from the rank and file? That would be a disgrace" (I.147-148) in response to Agamemnon's demand of Breisis, who was justly bestowed upon him as spoils of war, would be deemed reasonable by most. It is the child-like 'I will take my toys and go home" threats of "...back I go to Phthia....I have no mind to linger here disgraced" (I.199-200) that turn the scene from justified indignation to immature tantrum-like display. Just as Achilles' believes he is worthy of the respect and admiration of Agamemnon, even more so will a king feel he is entitled to the respect of his soldier, a sense Achilles offends so greatly that there can be no compromise between the two. The over-inflated sense of pride of both men stands in the way of what would ultimately be in both their best interests. This flagrant display of Achilles' opinion of himself, even in the face of he who should be most revered, shows his arrogance and immaturity, characteristics most would want lacking in their traditional hero.

Notoriety in and desire for triumph in battle were key motivating factors for the Greek warrior, even more so for the supercilious Achilles, yet his own smugness and refusal to acquiesce to Agamemnon cost him many opportunities to enhance his already famed reputation. His obstinate refusal to reenter the fight, despite the pleas of the embassy of soldiers desperate for his return, indicates his willingness to let Greeks die before giving up even an ounce of his dignity. He is aware of the prophecies of his mother, Thetis, that if he "hold[s] here and... lay siege to Troy ... [his] glory never dies" (IX. 500-501) and his clear ambition to fulfill this destiny is evident in his failure to make good on his threats to leave. However, his stubborn insistence that he "hates that man [Agamemnon] like the very Gates of Death" (IX.378), and will not fight for him, caused him to sacrifice many opportunities to display his courage, while not "villainous" it certainly wouldn't be characterized as chivalrous. Once again, he is characterized as allowing pride to proverbially "cut his nose off despite his face". In these instances, Achilles' is portrayed as stubborn and selfish, whilst most heroes are selfless and reasonable but fortunately, his humanity begins to be divulged through his response to the death of Patroclus.

Through most of the epic, Achilles' is depicted as the prideful, indignant warrior but when news of the death of his closest comrade reaches him the condescension all but disappears and readers glimpse the beginning of a growth in Achilles. His poignant reaction,