The Needs of the Kingdom: Comparing and Contrasting the Leadership of Agamemnon and Priam Isabel Ruch College

In Homer’s Iliad, readers can observe the dueling and opposite nature of the personalities and characters of Agamemnon, king of the Achaeans, and Priam, king of Troy. Some may wonder, if when a king must choose a method of ruling his people, is it more beneficial to be caring and methodical but possibly weak like Priam or irrational and angry but passionate like Agamemnon? This answer is not always clear, because although one king may win the war, a victory is not completely telling of the state and well-being of his subjects. What is best for the prestige of a nation is not always best for those living in it. That being said, this essay will investigate scenes involving pivotal moments of leadership for Priam and Agamemnon that occur early in the story so that the effectiveness of their guidance is not tainted by the outcome of the war. In what follows, we will explore books 1-9 to demonstrate that the gentle and steady ways of Priam far surpass Agamemnon’s fiery inconsistency, as seen in the vastly different outcomes of decisions they make, thereby revealing the goodness of a leader who values his people’s needs above his own.

From the first pages of the story, Agamemnon comes across as somewhat of a troublemaker, acting in...