Iliad

King Agamemnon’s Rage: Unkindness and greediness

In book 1 of the Iliad, Homer portrays that king Agamemnon’s rage shows unkindness and greediness. The two characteristics illustrate a bad leadership, which is very dangerous for his army and people. His rage all started when Calchas revealed that he is the reason of the plague. Agamemnon insulted, rejected and disrespected the priest Chryses, when he begged him to return his daughter back. He offers him a ransom, but he just rejected him: “Never again, old man…I won’t give up the girl” (1. 29, 33). He was being inconsiderate and even told the priest Chryses how he would “slave back and forth at the loom, forced to share my bed” (1. 35-36) his daughter. He didn’t even think about how would the priest felt when he said those words. No father would ever take how a man would treat his daughter. And that made the priest pleads to the god Apollo who started the plague. Even though thousands of Acheans are already dying he was still greedy, and wants another prize that would match his desire. It was shown that he is even willing to take his warrior’s prize: “But if they gave me nothing I will take a prize myself – your own, or Ajax’ and Odyseeus’ prize” (1. 161-163). He only thinks about himself, his glory and pride. Achilles even called him “ the most grasping man alive” (1. 144), which describe as greedy. Achilles revealed how he always gets the “lion’s share” (1. 97) whenever they sack a city when he didn’t even fought that much like his warriors. Agamemnon was only concerned about himself and he manipulates his people for his own benefit. With his rage he acted really unkind and greedy when he designate someone to “go to Achilles’ lodge”, and he said “Take Briseis at once…and bring her here” (1. 78). And this was his biggest mistake because the time he took Briseis was the time he dig the grave for his own army. He never consider how his warrior Achilles had fought hard a battle for his glory, and to get all this...