Monday, November 24, 2008
The Power of Pride
Through the first five books of The Iliad, there appears to be one major theme. One theme that is, up to this point in the epic, the driving force behind the majority of the action. Just about every character thus far, both minor and major, has an incredible ego that dominates their personality and their judgment. From the very inception of the story the egos of the prominent characters are already at the forefront of the action. Though not for certain, the Achaeans’ presence in Troy can be attributed to Menelaus’ desire to restore his pride after having his wife taken from him. Nine years into the war, the egos of Menelaus’ brother, Agamemnon, and Achilles, are the cause for conflict amongst the Achaean army. Upon having to forfeit Chryseis, his captured prize, Agamemnon demands that Achilles relinquish his own prize, Briseis, to the Achaean commander. This request, in Achilles’ mind, undermines him and as a result, he refuses to continue to partake in the war. Achilles’ immense pride and massive ego is the sole force behind his decision. Agamemnon’s decisions are also ruled by his pride as he commands the Achaean army no only to recover his brother’s wife, but for his own material gain. Mortals are not the only ones subject to their own pride, as the gods too, have trouble setting aside their egos. The gods are split over whom to support in the dispute and for that reason, they become intricate parts of the war. Whether it is Athena and Hera defending the Achaeans or Apollo and Ares fighting on behalf of the Trojans, the egos of the gods further escalate the already epic conflict. Their pride and desire to outdo one another forces them to physically take part in the mortals’ war. Everyone in this epic tale, both mortal and immortal, is controlled by his or her own ego.
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9 comments:
Drat, i'm being the only girl in the class again, aren't i? Sorry guys.
However, i do think it's important to recognize what you said about the gods... Clearly the female gods are no less susceptible to being controlled by their own pride. Still seems to me like the whole war was a testosterone-dominated bloodfest. Am i simplifying things overmuch? =)
I think ego is an important element in fighting in a war. If a man does not have confidence in his abilities, then he can never be a great leader. Achilles ego can sometimes be annoying and make him seem stubborn, but his ego also makes him great. As the audience we believe in his abilities because he is so sure of himself. The soldiers must also see Achilles as an inspirational source of victory and success.
Agamemnon also has a ego that conflicts with that of Achilles. As a king it is necessary to keep order and power over a country, military and people. A king must have an ego in order to lead his country to success.
We have an egotistical hero and king, but we appreciate them
I agree that egos are driving forces within people at war. What is interesting to me; however, is the role the gods have in the war. I spoke in another blog about how I believe that the gods are misunderstood as evident by the claims that the gods were acting childish. I think it is extremely intriguing to delve in the role of the gods and how their egos transfer onto the battlefield.
I definitely think ego is important to a leader like Achilles or Agamemnon. Although their egos conflict many times throughout the story, it is essential to their significance as leaders. Their egos can be overbearing and make them both appear foolish, but they can't expect to win a war without it. We see that often times to be successful, one must have an ego to get what one wants. Without ego, there would be no hidden agendas, and no interesting story. Ego is also a confidence issue. While it may seem like ego and confidence go hand in hand, they don't always work together. In a war, it is important to have an ego and a swagger- these qualities drive oneself and others. But in other instances, having confidence in oneself is better than having a big ego. I think Achilles and Agamemnon struggle to find the differences between these two qualities.
I do agree that ego was an important part of the Trojan War. I agree with you that is the primary motivation for many of the key roles, which has its pros and cons (mostly cons). I feel that today that would be different. I feel that ego can lead to a mistake but not continue to. In our army we have ranks and leaders just like the Trojans and Aegeans did. No matter what rank you are, you can be removed and replaced. In the Trojan war, great warriors like Achillies or Ajax couldn't be replaced no matter what. Thus, I feel that ego is not nearly as much as a factor as it was back then.
I like the point that you get at here. With so many egos on one side, it is difficult to unify an army or group. You see this a lot in sports when team is filled with selfish superstars. Like the Acheans, these teams have plenty of talent, however when it is time for someone to step up, egos get in the way, making it difficult to achieve a goal.
I agree completely. But I also think that possession is a drive for war within the book too. Achilles doesn't want to give up his woman because of his ego, but he also doesn't want to give up his woman because he captured her and thus owns her right (I'm kidding). I agree with Tess, the whole war seems to be juiced up with male hormones.
It is interesting to see that ego has a role in every person mortal or immortal. The fact that ego was the driving force to this war is understandable but unfair to the everyday man who had to fight in the Trojan War. Also what makes these characters so important to the book itself is the fact that there egos are tested at one point in the book, and how they deal with it really shows the true character that they are.
I completely agree that ego is the driving force for the actions of the characters in the Iliad. However, I think you could take it a step further and say that ego is the driving force for many of the wars that have happened in history (that is actually what I wrote my blog about). Although it is exemplified more noticeably in Greek mythology, ego plays a role in many of the actions that we as humans take.
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