Achilles quarrel with King Agamemnon
Dear Diary,
It has been a few days since I last quarrelled with King Agamemnon. I have taken my people to a seashore ways away from my companions of the Greek army. I couldn't help but weep in despair over the injustices that had been made over me. Agamemnon had no right to slight me of my spoils. My poor mother couldn't consol me. I wonder how she is doing on her voyage to Olympus. I asked for her assistance in persuading Zeus, the king of gods, to aid me in my troubles. My request of his aid to the Trojan effort may sound naive and immature but how I long for Agamemnon to feel the foolishness that that was driving away the strongest warrior the Greeks have ever seen. They must understand that they will fall without my swift of blade.
I do fear that I will not know what to do with myself during my time out of battle. For I do miss the cries of the wounded and fearsome on the battlefield. But I must say that this time away from the Greeks has opened my mind some. I constantly think back to my mother had said to me. She told me of my fate, dying in my youth at Troy with an astounding legacy or going home and living a long eventful and meaningful life. My name not scratching the surface of the ancient scrolls. As of now I have no fame, Agamemnon has shamed me in front of the people. How would a life of anonymity serve me? Why I could be back at my home of Phthia with my father. I could swoon a fair maiden and create a harmonious family. I could teach my sons the skills of a warrior. What kind of reward does a man get for fighting anyways. We are all honored the same. So what should it matter if I decide to stay home all day instead of battle. Death comes to us all equally. That's it. It has been decided, I will stay out of battle. Nobody could convince me otherwise. I would rather cut off my own foot than serve under that Agamemnon. I will stay here with my noblest and most loved companion, Patroclus.
-Achilles
Author's Note: After reading the story of Homer's Iliad, I felt a certain attraction to Achilles' character. This diary entry is to be set in between What Thetis Did For Her Son and The Embassy to Achilles. During this time Achilles leaves the Greeks but we don't know what he was up to or how he felt before the other chiefs came to persuade him to come back. I felt that because of his change of stance on war, we needed to have some sort of look into his mind during this time. I pulled most of the events straight from Achilles dialogue in "The Embassy to Achilles".
Bibliography: "Homer's Iliad" (retold by A.J. Church)
Hello!
ReplyDeleteI wanted to let you know I enjoyed your retelling of the myth. Making the narrative into a diary is a creative idea. After reading your notes, I found what you said about using the dialogue into the diary entry as a great way to adapt the material. Your explanation and execution of wanting to show Achilles's change of mind are well done. I understood and sympathized with his change.
Hey! I really love how you recreated this story in a diary format. I think it really allows you to dive into Achilles mind and feelings in a way that normal story telling can not. I like that he not only thought about the battle, but he also was concerned for the people and his mother. Did you consider expanding on the section about his fate? I was a little confused when you mentioned how the mother informed him of his fate. How did she know? and if she knew his fate then why were there two ways in which it could go? I think if you gave more detail to that then the story would read more smoothly. Overall I was really impressed by your format of writing and the story. I think that if you wanted to use this story for later on, there is a ton of potential to work with and expand upon. Awesome job!
ReplyDeleteHunter, I think what I liked most about this diary-style is the fact that you were able to bring out the lowkey narcissism in Achilles. It was interesting, but also funny in a way, to see Achilles kind-of consoling himself because of his quarrel with Agamemnon. Plus, I enjoyed his lamentations over war, life and death, and how he challenges someone to have the ability to change his mind. Overall, your take on this was really cool, and I hope to read more!
ReplyDelete