The Metamorphosis of Achilles in Homer’s The Iliad Essay -- Iliad Essa

The Metamorphosis of Achilles in Homer’s The Iliad Dr. Frost’s comments: With his clear explanation, illustrative quotes, and logical organization, the student easily proves his thesis, recapped and affirmed very well in the final paragraph. From the first pages of Homer’s The Iliad, Achilles is portrayed as vengeful, proud, and petty. As the book progresses, the image of Achilles as a spiteful child is sharpened dramatically. Towards the end of the epic; however, Achilles begins to exhibit qualities that are considered heroic even in today’s society. Once his loyal and trusted friend Patroclus dies, Achilles undergoes a drastic change in character. When he confronts the true horror of death, Achilles puts aside his immature ways to fulfill his duty to his friend, his compatriots, and his conscience. In this way, the progression of Achilles as a character is an analogy for the transition from youth to maturity. The first book of The Iliad, appropriately titled the â€Å"Rage of Achilles,† sets the scene for the remainder of the epic. Agamemnon seizes Achilles’ prize, the beautiful Briseis, to sooth his own wounded pride. Even though Achilles is correct to suggest that Agamemnon return Chryseis, the swift runner’s brash manner leaves Agamemnon feeling slighted. In return, Achilles vows that he will not fight in the Trojan War any longer. Once Briseis is seized, Achilles goes to the beach to cry to his mother. This is reminiscent of how a small child would act when denied something he wants. It seems that Homer is trying to compare Achilles’ actions in the early books to that of a child. Achilles implores his mother to go to Zeus and ask the god to crush the Greeks until they give Achilles the honors he ... ...les has been throughout the epic. His actions show that he has finally seen to the heart of his fury and found it pointless and destructive. He is ready to fulfill his duty to the Greeks, yet is willing to treat his enemies with respect and courtesy because they are humans as well. In conclusion, the progression of Achilles’ character in The Iliad can easily be viewed as an analogy for the progression of a child to an adult. From the spiteful rage in the beginning to the compassionate respect in the end of the epic, Achilles’ development mirrors that of a stereotypical human from childhood to maturity. The concepts that seem important to him in the beginning, his honor and glory, slowly become supplanted by more reasonable and mature ideals of duty, respect and compassion. Work Cited Homer: Iliad. Trans. Robert Fagles. New York: Barnes and Noble, 2003. The Metamorphosis of Achilles in Homer’s The Iliad Essay -- Iliad Essa The Metamorphosis of Achilles in Homer’s The Iliad Dr. Frost’s comments: With his clear explanation, illustrative quotes, and logical organization, the student easily proves his thesis, recapped and affirmed very well in the final paragraph. From the first pages of Homer’s The Iliad, Achilles is portrayed as vengeful, proud, and petty. As the book progresses, the image of Achilles as a spiteful child is sharpened dramatically. Towards the end of the epic; however, Achilles begins to exhibit qualities that are considered heroic even in today’s society. Once his loyal and trusted friend Patroclus dies, Achilles undergoes a drastic change in character. When he confronts the true horror of death, Achilles puts aside his immature ways to fulfill his duty to his friend, his compatriots, and his conscience. In this way, the progression of Achilles as a character is an analogy for the transition from youth to maturity. The first book of The Iliad, appropriately titled the â€Å"Rage of Achilles,† sets the scene for the remainder of the epic. Agamemnon seizes Achilles’ prize, the beautiful Briseis, to sooth his own wounded pride. Even though Achilles is correct to suggest that Agamemnon return Chryseis, the swift runner’s brash manner leaves Agamemnon feeling slighted. In return, Achilles vows that he will not fight in the Trojan War any longer. Once Briseis is seized, Achilles goes to the beach to cry to his mother. This is reminiscent of how a small child would act when denied something he wants. It seems that Homer is trying to compare Achilles’ actions in the early books to that of a child. Achilles implores his mother to go to Zeus and ask the god to crush the Greeks until they give Achilles the honors he ... ...les has been throughout the epic. His actions show that he has finally seen to the heart of his fury and found it pointless and destructive. He is ready to fulfill his duty to the Greeks, yet is willing to treat his enemies with respect and courtesy because they are humans as well. In conclusion, the progression of Achilles’ character in The Iliad can easily be viewed as an analogy for the progression of a child to an adult. From the spiteful rage in the beginning to the compassionate respect in the end of the epic, Achilles’ development mirrors that of a stereotypical human from childhood to maturity. The concepts that seem important to him in the beginning, his honor and glory, slowly become supplanted by more reasonable and mature ideals of duty, respect and compassion. Work Cited Homer: Iliad. Trans. Robert Fagles. New York: Barnes and Noble, 2003.

Benefits of a Liberal Arts Degree Essay

The student who decides to pursue a liberal arts education in University often faces a discouraging reaction from family and friends. Everyone seems to know a B. A. in Philosophy who is flipping burgers at Wendy’s, or an M. A. in English who is clerking at Wal-Mart. Students who choose liberal arts hear the same remarks over and over: â€Å"What good is a degree in Medieval History, or Chinese literature, or Classics? Study something practical and get a real job! † In fact, however, no degree provides an automatic job ticket, since the market for employment is constantly in flux. The liberal arts offer education, not training, and thus prepare students for a wide range of possibilities in both work and life. By developing their minds through a liberal arts education, students benefit themselves, their eventual careers, and the culture at large . For anyone interested in personal and intellectual growth, the liberal arts offer immeasurable benefits. Studies in such fields as English and Philosophy introduce a student to the great writers and thinkers whose ideas have shaped our culture. By working through the dialogues of Plato, students see logic in action; by studying the plays of Shakespeare, the poetry of Wordsworth, or the novels of Dickens, they realize the power of language. Without knowledge of the great writers and thinkers of the past, people operate in a vacuum, unable to see beyond their immediate world. How can they gauge the validity of ideas if they know nothing except the present moment? In a media-driven culture of instant celebrity, students need to experience truths that have endured over hundreds and even thousands of years. These truths expand their thinking beyond their immediate limitations, and they discover new insights into their own minds. The benefits of a liberal arts education, however, go beyond personal growth into longer-term career skills. Every liberal arts course from Art History to Women’s Studies requires proficiency in reading and writing. Graduates with Arts degrees find their communication skills in demand by employers seeking people who can read, write, and speak well. As Francis Bacon observed nearly 400 years ago, â€Å"Reading maketh a full man; conference a ready man, and writing an exact man†(106). No courses develop these skills more fully than do those in the liberal arts. In addition, the liberal arts foster analytical thought: the ability to break an argument into its parts and assess its validity. Clear analysis is fundamental to the practical worlds of trade  and commerce. Finally, the liberal arts encourage originality, as students learn to think in creative ways. The student who gives an inventive presentation or develops a fresh perception will enhance the workplace with that creativity. It’s no surprise that law schools actively seek liberal arts graduates for its programs, or that jobs in the civil service, human resources, and upper management are typically staffed by people with Arts degrees. The only surprise is that anyone still scoffs at the notion that a general B. A. is a useful degree. As significant as its impact may be on personal and career growth, the real value of a liberal arts education is found in its benefits to the culture as a whole. The liberal arts retain and transmit the history of civilization itself. Without a commitment to preserving that history, our culture runs the risk of forgetting or distorting its past. Liberal arts students serve as guardians of intellectual thought for the next generation. Writers, journalists, film-makers, and politicians – the people shaping the thoughts and actions of the future – are drawn from the ranks of liberal arts majors. For example, the creator of the Harry Potter series, J. K. Rowling, has an undergraduate degree in Classics, and Liberal leader Michael Ignatieff earned degrees in History. Moreover, the liberal arts tend to be interdisciplinary in nature. Knowledge in one area illuminates another, so that instead of creating a society of narrow specialists, liberal arts studies actually encourage a culture of educated, open-minded people. Such individuals have both the capacity and the training to address practical problems in society. Leading reformers of the 20th century, including Nelson Mandela (â€Å"Nelson†) and Martin Luther King, Jr. (â€Å"Martin†), profited from their liberal arts studies. A degree in the liberal arts is not a dead-end route that culminates in a lifetime of serving fries or stocking shelves. Rather, it is a doorway that opens to paths heading in every direction. Students who expand their minds through liberal arts benefit themselves, their future career choices, and the wider culture.

The Culture of Fear and Its Effects on Society Essay

The Culture of Fear and its Effects on Society Min Kim Fear and the marketing of paranoia and uncertainty have become daily staples in today’s culture. Every day there arise new threats to national security manufactured by politicians and fuelled by the public’s demand to be protected from these imaginary bogeymen. With the vast increases in technology our society has experienced in the past forty years the news media have become an especially effective orator of impending doom, the daily exposà ©s about the â€Å"silent killer† that lurks in your kitchen cabinet; bombard our society daily with dozens of urgent reminders of the real and imagined dangers that lurk in and outside our homes. The consumption of fear has become a diet our society†¦show more content†¦In conjunction with the media, fear mongering is quickly warping our society into one that only harbors fear and paranoia towards each other (Perceptions of crime and anti-social behaviour: Findings from the 2008/09 British Crime Survey). As instances of violent crime decline the media has ramped up reporting instances of violent or disturbing crimes, according to a recent Gallup poll they approximated that about half of Americans are now more concerned about crime since 2004 (Perceptions of Crime Problem Remain Curiously Negative, 2007) even though crime has been shown to be in decline since 1993(Reflections on the Crime Decline? Lessons for the Future?, 2002) during this time media reporting on crime nearly quadrupled (Do You Believe What Newspeople Tell you? Arlington, VA: Newseum and The Roper Group 1997). The hysteria in the aftermath of the Columbine shootings and Michael Moore’s exploitative documentary there was an uproar across the entire nation about the prevalence of easily accessible firearms, the effects of violent entertainment on youth and security in schools. The response to these fear fuelled flames was to enact draconian zero tolerance policies in public schools across the country that have fo rced teachers and administrators to suspend or even expel students outright when before they were allowed greaterShow MoreRelatedHorror Films: Things That Go Bump in the Night Essay1265 Words   |  6 Pageshave all had a special interest in horror as long as we can remember. Whether our outlet is through fables, movies, or even figments of our imaginations we all find reason to fear something. (ScienceDaily). 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