Character Analysis: Achilles

Arguably in both the Iliad and the movie Troy, Achilles is the main character. He is not usual the run of the mill hero.  He is the most powerful and strong Warrior that Greece has to offer. Although a mighty warrior, he doesn’t always come off as a generic, happy ever after type hero. He is full of rage and very unpredictable. There are large differences between the Achilles in Homer’s epic poem, and Wolfgang Peterson’s 2004 movie Troy, which we will discuss later in this post.

Achilles was a demigod, his mother was the nymph Thetis, and his father, Peleus, was the king of the Myrmidons. The reason he was a great warrior was because he was a demigod and being dipped in the River Styx by Thetis as a child, making him immortal and impenetrable to weapons, as well being the quickest and most fleet footed man in the known world at the time “Sing, O muse, of the rage of Achilles, son of Peleus, that brought countless ills upon the Achaeans.” this quote from the iliad refers to his killing prowess.

One aspect of Achilles that is similar in both the Iliad and Troy is his metal state. He is a very human hero. His anger toward Agamemnon basically created the main events of the Iliad.

Difference between Achilles in the Iliad and the movie are interesting.  Achilles in the film was not invincible because he was killed by Paris shooting him four times through the chest. Achilles never actually died in the Iliad that happened after the events of that story. I will go over this in more depth in a later post.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w0g8uTZmKM4

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XJ8S8_O0OYM

Achilles dragging Hector's body around Troy after defeating him.