Throughout history, the presentation of Achilles has varied, from the original Iliad, written by Homer, to modern day books, such as Miller’s The Song of Achilles. The common factor between these tales is the heroic behaviour and actions of Achilles, killing the feared Hector, and winning Greece the war, despite dying before it ceased. However, after receiving the title ‘Aristos Achaion’- best of the Greeks, the hero’s negative qualities such as stubbornness and pride are made more prominent. These characteristics are exemplified in his disputes with Agamemnon, refusing to fight for Greece after the older man took his favoured slave, a replacement for one he lost. As a response, Achilles, and his army, refused to fight, which instigated Greece beginning to lose the war. Finally, Patroclus led the Myrmidons to war, wearing Achilles’ armour, and was killed by Hector, which resulted in his death by Achilles’ hand, who was eventually killed by the God Apollo.
However, the beloved hero that is depicted in many modern portrayals, is different from that depicted in Homer’s Iliad. Throughout the tale, Achilles was presented as vengeful, with a short temper, and immense pride. This is amended by his skill in warfare, unmatched to all his peers, barring one: Hector of Troy. One main section that differs between the two books, however, is his invincibility, the Iliad replacing the fact he could not be killed by a mortal with his pure skill on the battlefield. However, in later, historic and modern versions of the tale, such as The Song of Achilles, Thetis attempts to rectify Achilles’ vulnerability by dipping Achilles in the River Styx, leaving him invincible; his ankle the only part that remained human skin, resulting in the proverb ‘Achilles heel’, used to describe a point of weakness.
Achilles’ adoration for Patroclus, portrayed as either his lover or most loyal companion, was one of his most prominent weaknesses, Patroclus’s death leading directly to Achilles’. Although different depictions of the tale tell different stories on whether the two were lovers, Homer’s Iliad does not explicitly deny the affair, their relationship never being labelled as either romantic or fraternal. Nonetheless, Achilles describes Patroclus as the man ‘I loved as my own life’, emphasising their intimate relationship. In Miller’s The Song of Achilles, however, their relationship is specified to be romantic, as she wrote about the two men growing up, and forming the relationship that led to their downfall.
In summary, Miller uses the original Iliad as direct inspiration for her tale, using much the same story, and names. However, she also gives more of a voice to the women of the play, such as Chryseis and Briseis, women mentioned but not given a voice in the Iliad. Where Homer depicts Achilles as hot-headed and stubborn, being led by his rage, Miller depicts his vulnerability, often being manipulated by the more powerful characters of the play, like Agamemnon and Odysseus. ~Lily
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