Examples Of Anger In The Iliad

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Anger is an emotion that is connected to pride, fear, and sorrow. The common thread of these three emotions is their capability to expose some part of us. The wrath we show in response is our defense system. The Iliad is a book centered around rage. Among its pages are many examples of the unique way we protect ourselves when our emotional defenses are breached. Anger is the most frequently used method to retaliate when someone hurts or exposes us. One emotion that often leads to anger is pride. In Webster’s Dictionary, pride is defined as “an unreasonable conceit of superiority”. People believe they are number one. When told otherwise, they feel hurt and often resentful. Too frequently they lash out in fury. One example from The Iliad features King Agamemnon. Agamemnon had a girl he captured in battle whom he was very fond of. A while after she was captured, the girl was returned to her father against Agamemnon’s will. King Agamemnon’s pride was wounded because his preferences were not considered to be of utmost importance. The King’s immediate response was to release his wrath on the messenger who delivered the order, his friends who agreed with the order, basically anyone associated with the message. His emotional defenses, particularly pride, had been …show more content…
In our society, weak people are looked down upon and scorned. Fear is sometimes classified as a weakness. Although fear is a natural part of life, we feel we must show a brave front so no one can see through to our supposed weakness. But, if somehow they do see through our protective wall, we hurry to rid such thoughts from their minds, usually by using harsh ridiculing words. Hector, a Trojan prince, uses these tactics when accused of being afraid to go into battle. Enraged, Hector replied, “You fill me with contempt- I tell you I never cringe at war!” We do our best to convince people we have no weakness, often by bursting into

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