Achilles vs. Agamemnon

[minchoi0923]

So in our English class, we couldn't really finish the debate whether it was Achilles or Agamemnon who started the fight, so I was wondering what other people felt about it and why.

For me, I think it was Achilles who started the fight.
First of all, Agamemnon is the king and leader of the army, so he deserved better respect and he had good reasons to be mad.
Also, Agamemnon never really said that "I'm going to take your wa r prize, Achilles", but it was Achilles who took it way too personally and got all furious.

This is just what I thought. What do you guys think?

[cathysjun]

I think it was Agamemnon who started the fight. Achilles was nice in the beginning and politely asked to return his war prize for their army; to save their soldiers' lives. However Agamemnon was the one who took it way too personally, by asking Achilles whether he was trying to take away his war prize. So I think both of them were equally at fault but I think Agamemnon was the one who really started the fight.

[franicaza95]

the person who i thought started the fight was Aquilles for the same reason that you mentioned, that he took what agammenmon said to personal and thoguht he was referring to him in terms of his war prize. But i honestly think that in a fight or in a n argument both sides have a fault. yes one will be the one who starts but theres always things that lead to the argument by the other person. so, i somehow believe that even if the person who started the fight has the bigger fault, both sides always have something to do with it.

[cesar]

At first I thought that achilles started the fight and hannah really convinced me on why. But thinking about i miore I think that Agamemnon still holds more blame then Achilles. For example, why mention that he is going to take another general war prize when the most hot headed and most violent one of them in the room. He even scoffs at how hes going to take it and whoever he takes it from is going to be filled with rage and there will be nothing he can do about it because he is king and what ever he does is final.

[RegXD]

At first i choose Agamemnon because when i read the story i found out that he the king started everything no achilles. but after ms boyd put me on the side of achilles, i realized that he is the one who started the fight.

[jessicashim2013]

I think Achilles started the fight. Agamammon deserved the war prize. He didn't just take away the priest's daughter and he didn't know that Apollo would send plauges and wars. When Achilles tells him to give up his war prize, he thought that another war prize should replace it. So he asks for Achilles's war prize. I thought that this was fair enough since hes a king and Achilles is a general. As a king, he has more authority so he can demand Achilles to give his war prize for him even though he was being selfish.

[davidh]

Well since I'm not really supporting the old society like king having all the power, I Just think that Achillies started fight.. If we consider the society in 1200 B.C., it would be Achillies who started the fight but if we think as modern society point of view, I think Agamemnon started fight.

[kiranshoaib]

Well...if you compare that with how Achilles is portrayed as in the movie Troy , it all makes sense that Achilles is shown as a very arrogant person with pride on his strength ...so Agamenon had to do something that would quickly take Achilles attention and make him listen to his leader right away ...
but according to the story from the book, i guess it was still Achilles who started the fight, because once you call someone your leader and fight for him in every battle than you are supposed obey him no matter what plus as Min has mentioned above that Agamenon never really specifically pointed out that he will take Achilles prize so there was probably a misunderstanding going on between Achilles and Agamenon

[alexkoo]

I first believed that it was definately Agamemnon who started the fight. I thought that Agammemnon specifically asked for Achiile's war prize. However, my class mates told me that Agammemnon was asking any general's war prize. I agree that it was Achiiles who freaked out when he had no reason to. If Achiiles just stayed still and chill out, there would have been no fight between those to. I know believe that it was Achilles who started the whole thing. I also don not like Achiiles because he is so arrogant.

[yerin0727]

I think it was Agamemnon that started the whole fight. At first, Achilles and Agamemnon each received a war prize and a situation occurred where Agamemnon had to give up his war prize and give her back to her own dad. There, he decides to take Achilles' war prize instead. This is where Achilles gets angry at Agamemnon. I think that if Agamemnon did not try to take away Achilles' war prize, nothing would have happened. Although Agamemnon is a king, that does not mean that he can take others' properties whenever he wants to.

[stormy44]

I agree with you Min! It was Achilles who started the fight. He questioned the king's throne and swore that he would never work under Agamemnon's control. I understand that Agamemnon sucks at ruling his nation, but that doesn't mean Achilles can just attack him. If Achilles wanted to correct the king's mistake or misdoings, he could've chosen a peaceful way to figure things out.

[sujeonggg]

I was the one who thought that it was Agamemnon who started the fight. I believe that even though Achilles was rude to his king, and Agamemnon was not personally asking Achille's war prize, Agamemnon should first admit the fact that he caused all of his people dying from the plague. Achilles was sent by Hera to stop Greek soldiers' death and so he was nicely talking to Agamemnon at first. So I think Agamemnon has more responsibility on this fight.

[delmanykkfs]

I agree with you Min. Agamemnon did not do anything but asked for his rights...?
If Achiiles just stayed and said nothing about what Agammenon was trying to do, conflict probably did not happen. It is Achilles who brought up the arguement which lead to the conflict. Agammemnon was not asking for Achillie's war prize but any war prize from any generals. Achilles had to chiill out...

[kevin]

i agree with ya. Achilles started the fight by threatening agamemnon's throne and challenging his authority by not allowing the king to have his own warprize. achilles is rebellious and he has his own reason, but aga is da king in the first place.

[minjaeyang]

In the perspective of today's society, it will seem like Agamemnon did wrong and started the fight. However, we have to remember that the story happened in the past. In the past, the king was the only and the biggest power in a country. Everybody must obey to the king, because that is what was right in the past. Achilles, by disobeying the king, started a war which was wrong in the past.