Protagonist

Character Role Analysis

Achilleus

From the very first line of the poem, we know that Achilleus is the central character. He is the guy who gets the ball rolling with his anger at Agamemnon, and then with his request that Zeus help out the Trojans in their battle against the Achaians.

Things get out of his control for a little while when Patroklos leads the Myrmidons into battle and then gets killed, but then he comes roaring back with a vengeance (literally). The final stages of the poem are very much centered on Achilleus, as we wonder whether he will ever come back to his senses and stop his excessive grief over Patroklos and insane mistreatment of Hektor's body.