Is Achilles’s anger a virtue or a vice, as presented in The Iliad? Similarly, is Odysseus cunning a virtue or a vice? Be sure to use specific examples from the primary source and additional supports from a secondary source to prove your points.
I. Introduction
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A. Introduce the themes of anger and cunning in The Iliad and The Odyssey
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B. Present Achilles and Odysseus as archetypes of these traits
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C. Thesis statement: Both Achilles’s anger and Odysseus’s cunning embody dual qualities of virtue and vice, reflecting the complexities of human nature.
II. Achilles’s Anger: Virtue or Vice?
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A. Introduction to Achilles’s character
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Overview of his role as the greatest Greek warrior
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B. Anger as a vice
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Conflict with Agamemnon over Briseis
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Consequences of his withdrawal from battle
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Impact on Greek forces and the prolongation of the war
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C. Anger as a virtue
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Rooted in honor and loyalty
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Transformation after Patroclus’s death
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Drive for justice and vengeance against Hector
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D. Scholarly interpretation
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Richard J. A. Talbert’s critique of the Greek heroic code
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The need for balance and reconciliation in Achilles’s journey
III. Odysseus’s Cunning: Virtue or Vice?
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A. Introduction to Odysseus’s character
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Overview of his reputation as “wily Odysseus”
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B. Cunning as a virtue
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Example of the Cyclops Polyphemus encounter
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Use of cleverness to save his men
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C. Cunning as a vice
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Moral ambiguity in his decisions
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The Trojan Horse strategy and its consequences
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Exploitation of characters like Circe and the Sirens
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D. Scholarly interpretation
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Emily Wilson’s view on Odysseus’s complexities
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The isolation and distrust resulting from his cunning
IV. Conclusion
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A. Recap the dual nature of Achilles’s anger and Odysseus’s cunning
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B. Reflect on how these traits illustrate broader themes in The Iliad
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C. Final thoughts on the balance of virtue and vice in human nature, as portrayed through the characters’ journeys.
Citations:
The Iliad Commentary source:
Brügger, Claude. Homer’s Iliad: The Basel Commentary. Book XXIV, Homer’s Iliad. De Gruyter, 2017.
The Odyssey Commentary source:
Snider, Denton Jaques. Homer’s Odyssey A Commentary. Project Gutenberg.
https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/26275
Citations for common themes:
https://www.cliffsnotes.com/literature/i/the-iliad/critical-essays/themes-in-the-iliad
https://www.cliffsnotes.com/literature/o/the-odyssey/critical-essays/major-themes-in-the-odyssey
Primary Sources
Homer.The Iliad of Homer. London, Gilbert & Rivington, 1841
Homer.The Odyssey.London: New York :W. Heinemann; G.P. Putnam’s sons, 1919.