*ponder*
My Humanities teacher and the Sparknotes I read have both tried to impart one idea about Arkhilleus (aka Achilles) to me - that he was a ruthless, selfish, inhumane barbarian who caused many deaths because of his pride.
I disagree.
I see a human being - albeit a passionate one - who fought long and hard and was devoted to his men. He followed orders. When his rewards were taken away from him thoughtlessly, he got angry. He walked away. He'd had enough of war and following orders and basically being enslaved by other men, following their orders and fighting their battles. He began to think of peace, of home, of settling down and living his life and enjoying each breath, not for posterity or for someone elses' glory but for himself. Was he over being angry about having been jipped out of his rewards, and did men die because he wouldn't fight with them? Maybe. Maybe he was just tired of the bullshit, and was keeping up his indignation as a way to walk away.
So then the other side killed his best friend, and his indignation became righteous, and he decided it would end, all of it, right there and then...and he unleashed his fury on the enemy. And yeah, maybe he went overboard in his punishment. But look at all he'd lost - and by revenging his friend I'm telling you, he'd basically lost every dream he ever had of peace and tranquility in his life, because now he'd become a "champion", and his days were numbered. He wasn't just angry about his friends' death anymore. He was angry about his own mortality - and the poor pathetic chap who was his opponent just happened to be there to become the punching bag.
That's not the picture of a heartless, frightening man to me. It's a picture of myself. I'm not one of those people easily ruled by reason...I'm ruled by passion. That's not something you take a pill for every day and wait to become "normal". It is who you are. And that doesn't make me heartless or irrational...it makes me raw, open, vulnerable, falable, honest...and very, very human.
So please, for my sake, none of you go into battle pretending to be me, ok? I enjoy the contemplation of a long, calm existence.
I disagree.
I see a human being - albeit a passionate one - who fought long and hard and was devoted to his men. He followed orders. When his rewards were taken away from him thoughtlessly, he got angry. He walked away. He'd had enough of war and following orders and basically being enslaved by other men, following their orders and fighting their battles. He began to think of peace, of home, of settling down and living his life and enjoying each breath, not for posterity or for someone elses' glory but for himself. Was he over being angry about having been jipped out of his rewards, and did men die because he wouldn't fight with them? Maybe. Maybe he was just tired of the bullshit, and was keeping up his indignation as a way to walk away.
So then the other side killed his best friend, and his indignation became righteous, and he decided it would end, all of it, right there and then...and he unleashed his fury on the enemy. And yeah, maybe he went overboard in his punishment. But look at all he'd lost - and by revenging his friend I'm telling you, he'd basically lost every dream he ever had of peace and tranquility in his life, because now he'd become a "champion", and his days were numbered. He wasn't just angry about his friends' death anymore. He was angry about his own mortality - and the poor pathetic chap who was his opponent just happened to be there to become the punching bag.
That's not the picture of a heartless, frightening man to me. It's a picture of myself. I'm not one of those people easily ruled by reason...I'm ruled by passion. That's not something you take a pill for every day and wait to become "normal". It is who you are. And that doesn't make me heartless or irrational...it makes me raw, open, vulnerable, falable, honest...and very, very human.
So please, for my sake, none of you go into battle pretending to be me, ok? I enjoy the contemplation of a long, calm existence.