When reading about Achilles during the battles against the Trojans, I couldn't help but wonder if there was going to be any part that told his "origin story". Most of us know Achilles from the phrase Achilles heel. The story where his mother, Thetis, dipped him into the River Styx by his heel. After coming out of the river he was invulnerable. Except for his heel, where his mother had held him by. Upon doing some after-reading research. I found that Achilles' origin story wasn't Homeric. Therefore, I couldn't have read anything about his childhood.
Something I found quite interesting was Achilles' new outlook on life. In The Embassy to Achilles; Odysseus, Phoenix, and the two heroes Ajax, were sent by King Agamemnon to convince Achilles to rejoin the Greeks in their attempts to thwart the Trojans. No matter how much money or how many cities were included in a dowry, Achilles stood his ground and said no. Achilles is the most fearsome warrior of the Agamemnon army and he even said so himself that in his youth he was always down for a fight. Now, after having his people pull out from battle for a while, he understands what is truly important in his life. Dying a fulfilled life unknown seems more important to him then dying young and famous. I would be interested in possibly doing a retelling of this but bridging the gap between his departure from the Agamemnon army to when the chiefs come to convince his return. I feel that I could illustrate the character development in his beliefs. It would be enjoyable because Achilles' character is the one that I felt more entranced by.
Original Story: "Homer's Iliad" (retold by A.J. Church)
No comments:
Post a Comment