Character Analysis: Achilles

Achilles plays a very important role in both the poem and the film. There are however many differences between the two depictions of Achilles. In the poem he is an over-emotional, irrational, inhuman Greek hero that only displays any sort of empathy near the end of the poem when King Priam asks for Hektors Body to be returned, a tool possibly used by 'Homer' to show the final development of Achilles in which his anger and hatred subsides into a human like quality of understanding. In the film he is a more human character, his actions are able to be rationalised by the audience, for example, his decision to stop participating in the siege of Troy are understandable in the film. He dislikes the corrupt reasoning behind Agamemnon’s decision to wage war and in turn refuses to partake in their attacks (similar to in the Iliad). It is only as Hektor mistakes Patroclus as being Achilles and kills him that Achilles is sent into any emotional rage and decides to lay waste to Hektor and Troy itself. This is justified as in the film Patroclus is his cousin and the most important person in his life.

In the Iliad, Achilles is angered early on in the text with Agamemnon’s decision not to return Chriseis to her father. He is even more enraged when he claims Achilles spoils of war, Briseis. He is actually quite close to killing him when all of a sudden divine intervention strikes. Athene descends from the heavens and tells Achilles his prize will be "I have come from heaven to stay your anger, if you will obey, The goddess white-armed Hera sent me forth, for in her heart she loves and cares for both of you. But come, cease from strife, and do not grasp the sword with your hand. With words indeed taunt him, telling him how it shall be. For thus will I speak, and this thing shall truly be brought to pass. Hereafter three times as many glorious gifts shall be yours on account of this arrogance. But refrain, and obey us.” [excerpt from the Iliad, www.theoi.com] Achilles immediately returns his sword to its scabbard. This begins his hatred for Agamemnon. He sits on the beach crying and pleading for help from his mother, the goddess Thetis. As well as displaying a large involvement of gods in the Iliad, this also shows that the Iliad’s Achilles doesn’t have the ability to make rational decisions without the help of the gods. It’s as if many of the heroes, especially Achilles, don't possess the ability to act within reason. This could explain why heroes of Greek Myth do and react to things the way they do, with raw emotion and without question. This is a large point that Wolfgang Peterson misses with his film adaptation, most likely for the reason of making characters relatable.

Achilles handles the situation quite differently in the film, this can be seen here as he is influenced by the dramatic dialogue of Briseis and left to decide by himself. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RRlABnHYY68