Monday, March 7, 2016
Book Ends of the Iliad
Book 24 of the Iliad is a resolution of conflict in the Iliad. What is the first word of the Iliad? Rage. Throughout the whole book, one of the biggest themes is the rage of Achilles, and the repercussions of it. The rage of Achilles is finally resolved in book 24 in a subtle but drastic turnaround in Achilles' character. The author write, "He feared that, overwhelmed by the sight of Hector, wild with grief, Priam might let his anger flare and Achilles might fly into fresh rage himself." For the whole narrative, Achilles had been using his rage to deal with his problems- in and out of battle. Now, we see a new side of him that wants to control his rage, and end the conflict that was an overarching theme of the whole book.
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I think the raw emotion expressed by both Achilles and Priam in this final book express ultimately what it is like to be human in the world of the Iliad. They are able to feel deeply and yet have very limited agency in the context of the lot that fate has allocated them. Ultimately man is a tragic figure in the Iliad.
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