Reconciliation in the Iliad
Hodgkinson {Ach & Priam] Divided by war, united
through humanity’
William Allan The portrayal of Agamemnon and
Achilles throughout the poem explores
the potential conflict within heroism
between personal ambition and
collective good, and the dangers of
putting personal honour above all else
- Only through the recognition of his own kinship with both the living and the
dead is Achilles able to finally resolve the conflict and strife that has motivated
his rage.
- Reconciliation ends the wrath of Achilles and makes him more than a warrior
hero. There are many reconciliation scenes in The Iliad
- In Book 19, Achilles addresses the quarrel with Agamemnon, and expresses
a wish that it had never happened, and the blame for it is almost irrelevant. He
states: ‘It is now over and done with: let it go’ and goes on: ‘I now renounce
my anger. There is no need for me to nurse it any longer’.
- This is a mature and rational response, but it is ironic because Achilles is now
being consumed by a different anger (towards Hector).
- Agamemnon is keen to justify himself, and argues that Zeus was responsible,
and returns Briseis, however he has arguably not acted with any grace or
humility, therefore it is up to Odysseus to complete the reconciliation with a
feast.
- At the funeral games in Book 23 he rejoins his fellow Achaians. And with
Priam, he rejoins the circle of humanity.
- In Book 23, we see Achilles soothing arguments over prizes during the funeral
games, such as an argument between Menelaus and Antilochus, where he
offers more gifts to end the argument. The disagreement they have is very
similar to Agamemnon and Achilles disagreement in Book 1 - so the fact that
Achilles resolves this shows how he is being reintegrated with the Greeks and
has left his Menis behind. Taplin notes how even the language used to
describe Antilochus and Menelaus' disagreement is similar to the language
, used to describe the argument in Book 1, depicting how Achilles has
changed.
- In Book 23, Achilles reconciles with his own death and accepts that he will not
be returning home
- In Book 24 when Achilles sees Priam, he reconciles what it is to be a man,
and that the bond between a father & son is more important than the lust for
revenge, and there is some civilised behaviour as seen in the last scene with
Achilles, having eaten, sleeping next to Briseis in his hut.
- Through reconciliation, Achilles achieves a tragic dimension. If Achilles does
not return to the battle, his anger would be nothing more than petulant
selfishness.
- His return, and knowing that he will die in the war, makes him not only a hero
but also a hero touched with tragedy.
- If Achilles does not return Hector's body to the distraught Priam, then his
wrath concerning Patroclus and toward Hector's corpse would be nothing
more than the rage of mindless vengeance.
- His kindness toward Priam, recognizing his own kinship with the dead and
defeated, makes him not only a tragic hero but also an existential one.
, War in the Iliad
Secondary Sources:
William Allan Homer ‘presents the complexity of war,
not a one-dimensional and lazy critique
of it’, ‘Homer 'celebrates battlefield
prowess’, as well as misery and grief.
William Allan To fully understand the Iliad we just
balance the suffering caused by war
against the glory that comes from it’
Shein ‘Descriptions of warfare are essentially
descriptions of death’ There is a
‘Striking variety in the wounds inflicted’
E. T. Owens ‘The Glaucus/Diomedes scene shows
us that there are other feelings stronger
than hate in war and it actually
beautifies warfare’
Jones ‘The enthusiasm of the soldiers to settle
down and watch the duel between
Menelaus and Paris makes it clear that
both sides would rather not fight’
Edwards ‘The speech to Priam in Book 24
reveals Achilles feeling of the
senselessness of the war’
Edwards ‘Helen's tapestry reveals that the Trojan
war is always on her mind’
Thomas Palaima ‘War corrupts everything.’
