Manipulation of desires in The Iliad.

In Book IX of The Iliad by Homer, Agamemnon gives gifts to Achilles to get help. Therefore, Agamemnon tries to bribe Achilles into following his agenda. By giving specific gifts to fulfill personal desires, apparent weaknesses are opened up in an attempt to manipulate them. The first desire, sex, targets instinct and is represented by the gifts of women; the second desire, pride/honor, targets ego and is represented by political power and control over …

…agenda, chooses the right gifts to bribe Achilles, he fails to acknowledge one important factor; Achilles also has an agenda. Gifts may work in achieving someone's sometimes, but if the victim of manipulation is determined to stay on his path, the gifts are worthless. Works Consulted Homer, The Iliad. Chapman, George. Hertfordshire. Wordsworth Classics, 2003. Roles of Men, Women, and Children in Greece. "http://oncampus.richmond.edu /academics/as/education/projects/webunits/greecerome/Greeceroles1.html" Spring, 1998.