INTERNATIONAL BAPTIST COLLEGE

HIGH SCHOOL DEPARTMENT

TITLE

A research/analysis paper submitted for the subject

ENGLISH 10

The human nature presented in Iliad:

“The Seven Deadly Sins”

Submitted by:

Lyvienne Grace L. Custodio

Submitted to:

Mr. Paul M. Feliciano

(English Teacher)

Date:

June 28, 2019

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Introduction:

Mostly we people as a human being, we have our human nature that are inevitable

that cannot be taken away to us especially to our imperfections. We usually are equal to

the weakest point of the characters in Iliad; that we all call the “seven deadly sins”. It

shows that we people in our lives are not really a perfect character; because all of us

have our road to ruin, there is no one exceptions. We often feel that we can’t change

ourselves anymore because of these 7 deadly sins that we still suit to ourselves

because of having a rebellious heart and it’s absolutely toxic to our lives. The sad truth

is, until now it’s still happening to these generation especially to teenagers nowadays.

To consider, the seven deadly sins are Lust, Gluttony, Greed, Sloth, Wrath, Envy,

and Pride. Those sins are still in us by conforming it unconsciously as a human being. It

is like the reality of life when we had misunderstanding with our friends, families, and

have conflicts with other people. We suddenly take our ego first and ruin other people’s

reputation, name and other that can make their life be broken and shameful. Normally

as humans, for us in this world is ok to be like that but it shouldn’t be like that at all but

because we are the rebellious people of this world full of anger, malice, anything with

negative things in us it nurture our mind system full of negativity and we can’t see the

beauty of everything because we let ourselves to become close-minded and

contradictive.

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 “PRIDE”

“Agamemnon was furious that he had to give up the girl, so he took for himself Achilles'

slave girl, Briseis. Achilles was angry with Agamemnon that he withdrew from the

fighting and refused to let his troops fight with the Greeks. Achilles was insulted,

because he considered Agamemnon's offer to be bribery….”

Discussion

The event from above in Iliad represents “PRIDE” because it shows the quarrel

between Agamemnon and Achilles, because of Agamemnon has his war prize, a

captured woman, taken away from him. This wounds Agamemnon's pride, so he

replaces his prize with Achilles' war prize, another woman named Briseis. Not only is

Achilles upset because he was fond of Briseis, he is also upset because his pride took a

hit in front of all the warriors who saw that Agamemnon got the better of him. This

causes him to stop fighting. After Achilles withdraws from the fighting, things start to go

badly for the Greeks. Agamemnon eventually decides that he needs to apologize to

Achilles and get him back to the fighting before they lose the war. In Book, Agamemnon

sends three of the Greek warriors to deliver several gifts to Achilles, along with

Agamemnon's apology. Achilles rejects both the gifts and the apology, however,

because he still feels that his pride was injured, and he has not gotten over his anger

over this. The Iliad describes the conflicts between Achilles and his leader,

Agamemnon, and between Greeks and Trojans, following the abduction of

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Agamemnon's sister-in-law, Helen of Sparta (aka Helen of Troy), by the Trojan prince

Paris. Today’s generation few people forgives and a lot of people loves to have a

quarrel… and it removes love sometimes we think it’s love but it can be a fake love you

give because you just need that person and should avoid it to happen.

“LUST”

“Paris being young and lustful was lured and bribed by Aphrodite, who promised to gift

him the most beautiful woman. Paris succumbed to this temptation and his choice of

Pleasure led him to his downfall… “

The lust was showed by Paris when Aphrodite started the Trojan War by promising

him love and beauty of a woman and that woman is Helen that they plan to abduct even

though she has a husband, the king of Sparta named Menelaus. Usually to our

generations men are really visual, mostly men are really a lustful. But being a lustful not

only in wanting a “sex” thing! But it is also a cheating with your marriage partner/ partner

there is a quote saying “Cheating is always a choice!” once you decide to be a cheater

you are forever be like that unless you are willing to change. It makes you lustful

because you are not warrant to your wife/husband, you legal partner rather. Become

one of them is the greatest offense to God so you better think of it, your life will be in

danger if you want it to continue it in your life until you come to the dead end of your life

and cannot choose to go back in righteousness that we all call “VIRTUES”...

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 “ENVY”

“Goddesses Hera and Athena back Greece and deride Aphrodite, who sides with Troy

and its prince, Paris.”[Hera and Athena] nursed hatred for sacred Ilium, Priam's people,

too, because of Paris' foolish. Affront when the goddesses vied in his courtyard. And he

chose the one who stirred hot-blooded lust. The jealousy and resentment sparked by

Paris' choice does not fade.”

As you can see Hera and Athena started to envy Aphrodite because of its uncommon

persuasive power to let Paris choose her over them. And as the generations today WE

are like Paris! Not only men but women ALSO feel that kind of flaw, we feel those things

because of insecurities. And I believe WOMEN are the uttermost to feel that with their

same sex. Some, it can be with boys maybe because of their wealth etc, whatsoever.

“GLUTTONY“

“He was lifting a golden cup and pouring wine, glistening wine to go with the glowing

victim. You two were busy over the carcass, carving meat when we both appeared and

stood at the broad doors. Achilles sprang to his feet, he seemed startled, clasped the

two of us by the hand and led us in—he pressed us to take a seat and set before us

sumptuous stranger's fare, the stranger's right. And once we'd had our fill of food and

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drink, I led off with our plan, inviting the two of you to come campaign with us. How

willing you were!”

This event demonstrates somehow gluttony because of their celebration of being in

victorious to the war. We as humans we want to fulfill our plans the “self-indulgent” and

it makes us in a glutton. When we want something, we FORCEFULLY,

PROGRESSIVELY TAKE IT. It makes us feel the pleasures that we want especially to

what we want to nurture to our minds not only in food/s. BUT when we overeats

something it, the human body that we had detects it for all time. So be careful on what

you feed to your mind because being in a sensualist can make you as a person be

devastated.

“WRATH”

"Neither do thou, mighty though thou art, seek to take from him the girl . . . nor do thou,

son of Peleus, be minded to strive with a king . . . for it is no common honour that is the

portion of a sceptred king to whom Zeus giveth glory. Though thou be valiant, and a

goddess mother bore thee, yet he is the mightier, seeing he is king over more. Son of

Atreus, do thou check thy rage; nay, even I beg thee to let go thine anger against

Achilles, who is for all the Achaeans a mighty bulwark of evil war"

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Book 1 provides several examples of situations involving anger, demonstrating both

correct and incorrect means of dealing with it. Agamemnon directs his anger against

Chryses, Calchas, and Achilles, all men with close relationships to the gods.

Consequently, Agamemnon’s anger is especially dangerous; because it can so easily

involve the gods.5 The anger of Chryses against Agamemnon produces the plague

from Apollo. The anger of Achilles against Agamemnon sets off the wrath. Once

Achilles petitions Zeus for revenge, the plan of Zeus is put into action, which in turn sets

off the anger of Hera against Zeus, as well as the anger of various other gods, each

with his/her own agenda.

Anger in the Iliad can be directed outward against the enemy, as in a war, or it can be

directed inward, against one's own social group. These two modes of anger have

radically different results: one promotes the order of the world; the other destroys it. The

anger of Chryses against Agamemnon is actually constructive. Chryses persuades

Apollo to kill men who are already Chryses' enemies, and the result is that he regains

his daughter. But the anger of Achilles is purely destructive, since he persuades Zeus,

via Thetis, to destroy members of Achilles' own social group and glorify the enemies of

that group, purely for personal honor.6

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When the Iliad starts, a plague caused by Agamemnon's behavior is killing many

Greeks. Chryses, a priest of Apollo, has approached Agamemnon, attempting to

ransom his daughter, who is held by Agamemnon as his personal prize. Although all of

the other Greeks want to honor the priest and return the girl, Agamemnon responds with

anger, sending the old man away with cruel threats. The terrified priest flees, but as

soon as he is safely away, he prays to Apollo, who responds by sending a plague to kill

many Greeks. This is the Iliad's first example of the conjunction of human and divine

anger creating a human/divine crisis. Unaided, humans are not able to alleviate the

situation once the gods have become actively involved.

However, another god, Hera, takes pity on the Greeks, and she inspires Achilles to

call a meeting to investigate the causes of the plague. There is a general awareness

that the plague is sacred in nature, and Achilles suggests that they inquire of a seer or

priest as to its specific cause. The seer Calchas explains that Apollo is angry with the

Greeks because of Agamemnon’s rude treatment of Chryses. Only by returning

Chryses’ daughter and performing ritual sacrifices will the Greeks appease Apollo's

anger and stop the plague.

Agamemnon initiated this human/divine crisis of plague by his angry treatment of

Chryses. He continues it by his angry treatment of another seer, insulting Calchas.

Agamemnon is furious and makes no attempt to control his anger: "and with rage was

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his black heart wholly filled, and his eyes were like blazing fire" (Il. Agamemnon insults

Calchas bitterly, but agrees to return the girl for the sake of his people. However, he

demands that the Greeks provide him with another prize to replace her.

Achilles rises to the bait, calling Agamemnon: "'thou most covetous of all men'". The

struggle is on, culminating in Agamemnon’s demand for the girl Briseis, Achilles' prize,

as a substitute for Chryseis, the girl he must return to Chryses. Achilles, furious, is

considering killing Agamemnon, when Athena appears only to him, advising (but not

compelling) restraint. Hera has sent her, since she loves Achilles and Agamemnon

equally.7 Athena promises that Achilles will receive threefold reward in the future if he

controls himself now.

Achilles agrees to cooperate and sheaths his sword. However, he swears an oath to

Agamemnon that will become the core of the plan of Zeus: "'verily shall a longing for

Achilles someday come upon the sons of the Achaeans one and all, and in that day

shalt thou in no wise be able to help them for all thy grief, when many shall fall in death

before manslaying Hector. But thou shalt gnaw thy heart within thee in wrath that thou

didst honour no whit the best of the Achaeans'"

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So far there has been tremendous anger, the gods have been involved, but the situation

is not irreversible. Agamemnon could regain his self-control; Achilles might accept

sufficient apologies. It is at this point, when correct action is still possible, that the

master of correct action, Nestor, rises to speak, giving good advice that could repair the

situation. Nestor's age and experience are sources of wisdom that can teach men how

they ought to behave. Nestor tells the two quarreling leaders. Sadly when it comes to

anger there is a saying “You can feel the anger but do not sin” as humans we should

think 100000 times before you say a word.

Conclusion:

To conclude, these 7 deadly sins it should not be suit to ourselves even though it is

uncontrollably. You can avoid it by starting yourself to love and see the beauty in

everything, Unselfish, humility, kindness, patience, self-control, peacefulness, generous.

Become one of them in the best thing we humans should not be unappreciative but you

know we should make other people around us feel that they can be loved even though

they have flaws. Adjustment is the key to our life to understand people than murmuring,

fighting, quarrels any negativity in life. We have these positive virtues because of the

one who created us and he wants us to love each other and to love ourselves also. We

should accept each others’ flaws and weaknesses because we are really not made for

perfections but love the imperfections of each other.

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