For background information to help you understand this small portion of The Iliad from the Language of Literature, you may wish to read about "The House of Atreus." Then read this section of The Iliad, and answer the questions below in complete paragraphs using only standard English.
Friday, September 4, 2009
Synthesis
If Achilles could ask Beowulf one question, what would it be, and defend why this would be the perfect question.
If Beowulf could ask one to Achilles I believe that the question he would ask would be "How can you so openly defy your rulers?" This would be because for a large amount of the Iliad, Achilles is openly defying his commanders and refusing to fight even if it means it costs the Greeks thousands of casualties, even going to the point of asking his mother to persuade Zeus to favor the Trojans. Beowulf on the other hand, it quit subservient for being a person of noble birth, kneeling at the sight of Hrothgar even after he had killed Grendel and freed the Danish kingdom. In today's time, if a man had done the same thing as Achilles and refuse to fight, he would be accused of treason.
One question that Achilles could ask Beowulf would be, "how did you continue to be the hero that everyone liked". Beowulf was an all in all epic hero that only went and defended his country. He didn't really have people revenging against him. The only revenge that was against him was when Grendel mother tried to kill him. Achilles on the other hand had a whole country against him, especially when he killed Hector. He was not always favored because he went against the officials and decided he was not going to fight. This lead to a lot of problems like when his dear friend Patrocles died. This could have all been avoided if was to just go and fight for his country. Beowulf could give him advice on how to be a great hero.
Achilles, if he were able to ask any question to Beowulf, might inquire as to how Beowulf maintains this disposition or prevailing inclination to honor. He, regardless of his immense strength and societal status remained very humbly and uncompromisingly yielded over to Hrothgar as a servant, even to the extent of refusing weaponry in the battle with Grendel for Hrothgar's sake.
If Achilles could ask Beowulf one question, he would ask how Beowulf managed to perform such great feats without the aid of the gods. Achilles was said to be invincible everywhere but his heel because his dipped him into the river between Earth and the Underworld and the water that granted him invincibility did not reach his heel where his mother held him. Because of this boon, Achilles became a legendary warrior and went undefeated for many years. Even so, he was eventually defeated by Paris, and he wasn't even vary old when he died. On the other hand, Beowulf had no special invincibility or supernatural advantages. He was a normal human being who was simply strong and courageous, and he faced many more enemies that were much more powerful, and triumphed over them all, sometimes unarmed. When he finally lost, it was only because he had gotten too old and weak, not because he was truly bested in a fair fight, much less one where the chances favored him as they did Achilles at the time of his own defeat. This leads one to believe that Beowulf was much more skilled in battle, and had Achilles been as skilled, he would have truly been invincible. That is why Achilles would have asked how he was so successful despite his complete mortality.
Achilles would most likely as Beowulf, “How are you able to defeat so many monsters, who are able to destroy armies of humans, even though you are human yourself?” This would be the perfect question because Achilles is part god, and is only mortal in his heel. Beowulf on the other hand, could die at a moment’s notice and yet he still able to prevail as a mortal. Achilles would be baffled by his style of fighting and how he’s able to have so much strength without god like powers.
If Beowulf could ask one to Achilles I believe that the question he would ask would be "How can you so openly defy your rulers?" This would be because for a large amount of the Iliad, Achilles is openly defying his commanders and refusing to fight even if it means it costs the Greeks thousands of casualties, even going to the point of asking his mother to persuade Zeus to favor the Trojans. Beowulf on the other hand, it quit subservient for being a person of noble birth, kneeling at the sight of Hrothgar even after he had killed Grendel and freed the Danish kingdom. In today's time, if a man had done the same thing as Achilles and refuse to fight, he would be accused of treason.
ReplyDeleteOne question that Achilles could ask Beowulf would be, "how did you continue to be the hero that everyone liked". Beowulf was an all in all epic hero that only went and defended his country. He didn't really have people revenging against him. The only revenge that was against him was when Grendel mother tried to kill him. Achilles on the other hand had a whole country against him, especially when he killed Hector. He was not always favored because he went against the officials and decided he was not going to fight. This lead to a lot of problems like when his dear friend Patrocles died. This could have all been avoided if was to just go and fight for his country. Beowulf could give him advice on how to be a great hero.
ReplyDeleteAchilles, if he were able to ask any question to Beowulf, might inquire as to how Beowulf maintains this disposition or prevailing inclination to honor. He, regardless of his immense strength and societal status remained very humbly and uncompromisingly yielded over to Hrothgar as a servant, even to the extent of refusing weaponry in the battle with Grendel for Hrothgar's sake.
ReplyDeleteIf Achilles could ask Beowulf one question, he would ask how Beowulf managed to perform such great feats without the aid of the gods. Achilles was said to be invincible everywhere but his heel because his dipped him into the river between Earth and the Underworld and the water that granted him invincibility did not reach his heel where his mother held him. Because of this boon, Achilles became a legendary warrior and went undefeated for many years. Even so, he was eventually defeated by Paris, and he wasn't even vary old when he died. On the other hand, Beowulf had no special invincibility or supernatural advantages. He was a normal human being who was simply strong and courageous, and he faced many more enemies that were much more powerful, and triumphed over them all, sometimes unarmed. When he finally lost, it was only because he had gotten too old and weak, not because he was truly bested in a fair fight, much less one where the chances favored him as they did Achilles at the time of his own defeat. This leads one to believe that Beowulf was much more skilled in battle, and had Achilles been as skilled, he would have truly been invincible. That is why Achilles would have asked how he was so successful despite his complete mortality.
ReplyDeleteAchilles would most likely as Beowulf, “How are you able to defeat so many monsters, who are able to destroy armies of humans, even though you are human yourself?” This would be the perfect question because Achilles is part god, and is only mortal in his heel. Beowulf on the other hand, could die at a moment’s notice and yet he still able to prevail as a mortal. Achilles would be baffled by his style of fighting and how he’s able to have so much strength without god like powers.
ReplyDelete