Tiffany Lo Professor Scully KHC HC301 23 October 2013 Achilles Res onse Re!ar"in! #i!htin!

#or Honor $hen a roache" %ith A!a&e&non an" the Achaeans lea" for his return

to battle' Achilles res on"se" a"a&antly that he has no intentions to reenter the arena of %ar' re!ar"less of any re%ar" or "ire nee" ose" by the Achaeans( His res onse i%as unco& ro&isin! but reasone"' contrastin! o%erfully a!ainst A!a&e&nons foolish an" ri"eful lea"ershi as e) erience" in the ast fe% boo*s( Ti&e a%ay fro& %ar ro+i"es" Achilles %ith the ers ecti+e that ,-there %as no !ratitu"e !i+en for fi!htin! incessantly fore+er a!ainst your ene&ies( #ate is the sa&e for the &an %ho hol"s bac*' the sa&e if he fi!hts har"( $e are all hel" in a sin!le honor' the bra+e %ith the %ea*lin!s. /0(31123103( The !lory of %ar is unabashe"ly ro&ote" in The the Iliad' +alues in"i+i"ual honor%here in"i+i"ual honor is +alue" throu!h %ar ri4es an" u hol"in! the heroic le!acy of a fa&ily line( Pre+iously' Achilles %as an inte!ral art of this society5 Peleus sent hi& to A!a&e&non to train for %ar "urin! his chil"hoo" an" he has the re utation of the best %arrior a&on!st the Achaeans( A%ay fro& %ar thou!h' he no% reco!ni4es the %astefulness of an effort in +iolence "ri+en by ol" !ru"!es an" thirst for ro+erbial honor an" societal +ali"ation( He 6uestions the ur ose of the %ar an" %ei!hs the "eathly i& lications of this honor that they all stri+e for in their actions( Achilles sees the unen"in! o%er stru!!le bet%een the Achaeans an" Tro7ans to lose its &oti+e' refusin! to e)ten" his su ort for the cause an" also atte& tin! to

con+ince others to lea+e the %ar effort by his e)a& le( 8ortality also co&es into consi"eration as Achilles reflects on the futility of

their the Achaean social construct of honor' clai&in! that ,A &an "ies still if he has "one nothin!' as one %ho has "one &uch. /0(3203( 9lory an" su erficial benefits of %ar co&e at the e) ense of ones life an" Achilles ar!ues that it is &ore %orth%hile to refuse the !lory of %ar an" choose to li+e lon!er instea"( :eath is i&&inent for all &ortals' but he fin"s !reater i& ortance in treasurin! the lon!2ter& benefits of li+in! out a full life rather than e) e"itin! "eath for &o&entary !lory( Particularly in his case of fi!htin! a %aron an ar&y le" by A!a&e&non' a &an he is an!ry at an" hol"s &ini&al re!ar" for' Achilles no lon!er sees an acce table e)chan!e of cost to benefit to 7ustify the cause(