Achilles, Martin Luther King Jr., and their views on justice and honor.
Achilles and Martin Luther King Jr. are two characters that, upon hearing their names, seem strikingly different and positively contrasting. One of them is a more modern figure in society, while the other is more of a Greek mythological persona. However, there is one essential difference between their characters.
Martin Luther King Jr. is an eloquent leader of the African-American civil rights movement. He is recognized for his role in helping African-Americans stand up for themselves when they were unfairly treated and rise above the negative stereotypes perpetuated by white people. King is an icon and a role model to those who face discrimination based on their color or race.
Throughout his life, King believed that justice was a virtue that everyone should follow, regardless of their background. He believed in honoring every human being, regardless of their race or culture. Every person has a mind, heart, body, and soul that deserves respect and honor.
King did not only believe in justice for those who faced racial discrimination but also economic justice and peace for all people. He fought for equal rights not only for colored people but also all disadvantaged Americans.
Achilles, known in his time as one of the mightiest and most fearless warriors, was strong in both will and body. He was also known for his supposed immortality except for his heel. In The Iliad, Achilles disagreed with the way Agamemnon ruled the Greek nations. He did not even consider Agamemnon to be “his king” because he was a very proud man. Instead, he would rather fight for himself and for the people of Greece and lead his own army than fight alongside a tyrant.
For Achilles, honor meant being remembered as the greatest warrior that has ever lived throughout history. To achieve this glory, dignity, and worthiness in winning wars was what drove him to fight in the Trojan War. He did not fight for Agamemnon’s benefit but rather to take immortality from this war’s hands since he knew it would be told and last for a thousand years.
Justice was also an important term in Achilles’ life. When Agamemnon wanted to conquer Thessaly by pitting their best warrior against his own best warrior instead of having too much bloodshed on both sides, he called upon Achilles who didn’t show up at first since he was asleep back at camp. This angered Agamemnon when they finally met up at war which then angered Achilles because it seemed like he were being belittled or treated like a slave.
However, after being convinced to stay by reminding him that fighting would save many soldiers from injury or death along with saving many families from heartache; Achilles fought knowing that rationality, reasonability and justification behind his decision were justifiable compared to letting all these men suffer without any help from him.
In conclusion, justice meant fairness and equality that people deserved according to Achilles’ beliefs while honor meant achieving glory throughout history as the greatest warrior that has ever lived.
These two characters were both true heroes in their own way. In my opinion, they looked at honor differently but viewed justice similarly. Martin Luther King Jr. saw honor as a goal and a dream that he wanted to achieve for all people, not just himself. Achilles, on the other hand, saw honor as a personal desire and aspiration of his own, striving to have it for himself more than any other man.
Despite their differing views on honor, their ideas of justice were not so dissimilar. They both believed that justice was for everyone and that all people had the right to fair treatment. While King fought for justice for disadvantaged Americans and Achilles brought justice to many Greeks’ lives, they both pictured this virtue similarly: something everyone deserved.
