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Essay / The Failure of Agamemnon's Embassy in The Iliad
Throughout the Iliad, conflicts usually arise between characters, whether they are allies, close friends, or enemies; many of these conflicts arise because of issues involving pride, power, glory, and honor. In book nine of the Iliad, Agamemnon's embassy uses logos and ethos to convince Achilles to join the Greeks in battle. These arguments ultimately fail due to the characterization of Achilles as someone who cannot be “bought.” Rather, he is motivated by his sense of honor and pride, which leads him to make stubborn decisions. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why violent video games should not be banned”? Get the original essay After deciding to make amends with Achilles by offering him great rewards, Agamemnon sends Phoenix, Ajax and Odysseus to Achilles in the hope to convince him to do it. help the Greeks defeat the Trojans. Each in turn reasons with the son of Peleus; Odysseus presents a logical argument, and Phoenix and Ajax each follow with an emotional plea. Odysseus is the first to plead with Achilles, beginning by complimenting Achilles and explaining how close the Greeks are to being defeated. He then relays Agamemnon's offer verbatim, listing the significant number of prizes Achilles would win if he accepted their offer. Odysseus uses logic to present his argument, as he makes it clear that the rewards Achilles will receive from joining the battle would be more beneficial than his decision to return home. Odysseus also adds a patriotic element to his argument, arguing that although Achilles cannot personally forgive Agamemnon, he should return in order to end the suffering of his fellow Greeks; the Greek army cannot win without Achilles, so it would make sense for him to join in order to increase their chances of victory. Odysseus also cites Peleus, Achilles' father, who warned his son to control his "proud spirit" and that a "friendly heart is much better" (Homer 167). Referring to the older man's words, Odysseus again uses a logical appeal, emphasizing that letting go of his grudge will help him achieve divine honor and glory by saving the Greeks from defeat. Phoenix is next to address Achilles, breaking down in tears as he makes his plea. Its appeal is emotional, as Phoenix has a more personal relationship with Achilles, whom he helped raise as a child. He first arouses emotions by reflecting on how much he cares for Achilles who is like a son to him. Phoenix's reflection on his troubled past with his family is meant to emphasize that Achilles needs to make smart choices and show that he values the people he loves. Phoenix also tells the story of a man who found himself in a similar situation to Achilles and made decisions that ended disastrously; Phoenix urges Achilles not to make the same mistakes. The passion in his speech attempts to make Achilles grapple with his morals and whether his anger is worth harming those he loves. He remarks "...I tried to make you my child, Achilles, so that you would save me from ruin. But you must control your proud spirit. It is not good that you have a ruthless heart.. " (Homer 173). This is the second time a father figure mentions Achilles' "proud spirit", something that is considered a flaw in his character. Finally, Ajax makes his appeal, which is much shorter and angrier than that of the previous men. Ajax criticizes Achilles' decision to reject their offer, seeing it as cruel and petty, and urges Achilles to "makeproof of a certain generosity and a certain respect” (Homer 177). Ajax uses an appeal to emotion, because he wants Achilles to sympathize with the Greeks and realize that by not joining them in battle, he is abandoning his friends, whom he claims to care for. Ajax condemns Achilles for his inflexibility, saying that even people whose children have been murdered are willing to forgive once they have been properly compensated. Like Phoenix, Ajax believes thatAchilles should not be so cold-hearted and instead do what is beneficial for everyone as a whole. However, all three of their arguments fail due to Achilles' relentless stubbornness. By refusing to accept the honorable conditions proposed to him, he places his wounded pride above all other considerations; Achilles' desire for revenge began to overwhelm his good judgment and loyalty to his friends. Nothing will satisfy Achilles except the complete humiliation of Agamemnon, an unreasonable demand. There is also the extreme irony of the situation; if Achilles joins the battle, he will die there, thus rendering the gifts offered for his return useless, but if he does not join the fight, he will lose the honor and glory that comes with war. There is also a problem with Agamemnon's offering itself. . Despite Agamemnon's desperation to create a truce with Achilles, he never offers a definitive apology. Although he is able to admit that he was wrong to insult Achilles and take his "prize", he chooses to attempt to redeem Achilles' loyalty rather than actually repair their relationship. Agamemnon is extremely generous in his offerings, which seem more like a tribute to a god than to a man, but he wants Achilles to accept that he is of lower status than Agamemnon. After listing the long list of reparations he is willing to grant, he further remarks that "[Achilles] should submit to me inasmuch as I am rather a king" (Homer 164), illustrating that Agamemnon, although that less stubborn, is just as proud as Achilles. Odysseus strategically omits Agamemnon's comment in his repetition of the speech, because Odysseus knows that this statement would only further hurt Achilles' pride. Achilles does not want empty “gifts” as a form of compensation; he wants us to recognize that he is superior, or at least equal, to Agamemnon and that he deserves just as much respect. Achille is fully aware that the Greeks need him more than ever, but his pride will not let him go back. There are two elements that define Achilles as a character: his pride and his rage, which are closely linked. He is mainly driven by a thirst for glory and honor, and he is ready to sabotage the fate of the entire Greek army and endanger the lives of those close to him in order to take revenge on those who he believes have wronged him. does harm. He cannot, or does not, control his pride or the rage that arises when that pride has been hurt. He abandons his comrades and shows little concern for their inevitable deaths, all because he has been scorned by Agamemnon, and will not even consider changing his mind. All three men mention Achilles' "proud spirit" and advise him to act against him rather than allow him to control him. However, due to his stubbornness, Achilles ignores this advice, choosing instead to continue holding a grudge. Phoenix remarks that “even the gods can bend” (Homer 173), but Achilles remains firm in his position. Achilles is constantly portrayed as being God-like and clearly has an arrogant self-esteem, which contributes to his need for others to see him as glorious. Diomedes declares that it was useless to try to appeal to someone as strong-willed and vain as Achilles; it is clear that the.