Defining the Epic Hero: Achilles, Essay Example

Whereas Achilles is considered to be an archetypical example of the “epic hero”, Homer nevertheless begins the Iliad with what appears to be an explicit critique of Achilles’ character: “Sing, O goddess, the anger of Achilles son of Peleus, that brought countless ills upon the Achaeans.” (128) In the context of the question of defining an epic hero, Homer’s opening of the Iliad is immediately compelling: this description could easily be considered an account of a narrative’s villain as opposed to its hero, in so far as the Iliad begins with the blaming of Achilles for the tragedy that befell the Achaeans, the deaths caused by the result of his actions.

However, at the same time this apparent paradox can perhaps be understood in terms of the complexity of an epic hero: an epic hero is not a simple character, composed merely of what is easily identifiable as “good” ethical qualities, but is instead one whose complexity as a character makes him or her “epic” or above the mundane and average. Achilles is in a fundamental manner distinct from his compatriots, and this is what makes him a hero. The hero is not the norm, but rather the exception in Homer, and this can include extremities in character, such as anger or leadership. Homer also makes these positive aspects of Achilles’ character clear in the following passage, when he describes the hero’s motivation of his fellow soldiers: “With these words (Achilles) put heart and soul into them all, and they serried their companies yet more closely when they heard the words of their king.” (162) Through his anger, Achilles can bring the Achaeans to ruin; yet as Homer also describes, with his words he can inspire his soldiers. The epic hero is thus one that is not entirely reducible to traditional heroic qualities, such as justice and good: the epic hero is one whose character is complex and in some profound sense in excess of the qualities of the everyday.

Works Cited

Homer, “The Iliad.” In F. Stielow (ed.) World Literature Anthology III. Charles Town, WV: American Public University Electronic Press, 2011. pp. 127-193.