The Iliad, the Greek epic documented by Homer which describes the battles and events of the ten-year siege of Troy by the Greek army. The Trojans and Greeks had their share of heroes and warriors, but none could match the skill and strength of the fast runner, Achilles. Achilles had the attributes of a perfect warrior with his divine speed and combat abilities. However, even though he was the greatest Greek warrior, he still possessed several flaws that made him perfectly fit the role of the tragic hero. Defined by Aristotle, a tragic hero is someone who possesses a high status of nobility and greatness, but must have imperfections so that mere mortals cannot identify with the hero. Finally, the tragic hero's downfall must be partly due to his own personal choice rather than an act of evil, while at the same time appearing to be not entirely deserved of his unfortunate fate. Achilles is a true tragic hero because he does not possess all of these traits. Achilles is shown to be a good man who puts those closest to him first, reveals his tragic flaws of pride and anger, demonstrates dynamic qualities as a character when his flaws are challenged, and has a moment of clarity at the end of his rage. Achilles truly exemplifies the qualities of a tragic hero. Achilles is introduced in The Iliad and finds himself in a debacle with the leader of the Greek army, Agamemnon, during the final year of the Trojan War. Achilles begins a feud with Agamemnon because he demanded possession of Achilles' wife, Briseis, as consolation for having to abandon his wife, Chryseis, so that the gods would end their scourge against the Greek soldiers. Achilles does everything he can to get his loved one back, but he knows that nothing will change Agamemnon's decision. It is then that Achil...... middle of paper ......les acquires the faults of a Tragic Hero with his problems of anger and pride. The fact that he will not fight for Agamemnon because he stole his wife shows that his pride has been hurt and when Achilles fights in pure anger upon learning of Patroclus' fate shows his flaw in anger. The transition from having to overcome his wounded pride after learning of Patroclus' death reveals his adaptability as a character with his change in behavior from passive on the Achaean ships to violent in times of war. Finally, Achilles solidifies his position as a tragic hero when he finds his moment of clarity with King Priam as he returns the body of the fallen Hector in an act intended to finalize and end all conflicts between Achilles and Troy. Achilles undoubtedly symbolizes Aristotle's definition of the tragic hero. Works cited by Homerus and Robert Fagles. The Iliad. New York, NY: Penguin, 1998. Print.