When researching the heroes of classical literature it is impossible to ignore Achilles from Homer's Iliad. From the moment his mother Thetis immersed him in the River Styx, rendering his body virtually invincible, it was obvious that the Greeks had a hero in the making (Achilles, 173). His physical strength and tenacity in extinguishing Trojan society are untouched by any other figure in mythology (Achilles, 173). In the Iliad Achilles is not just a hero, but a tragic hero who experiences a fall and realizes that it is the direct result of his actions. Along with this basic definition of what it means to be a tragic hero, there are also three characteristics worth noting. Tragic heroes display “fatal ignorance,” are “driven by will or circumstance,” and are involved in a “binding obligation” (Merriam-Webster's Encyclopedia of Literature, 1126). These three aspects can be summarized in the idea that tragic heroes commit one or more mistakes, resulting from ignorance or personal impediment and are forced to experience their mistakes in the form of a fall. Achilles in Homer's Iliad is a tragic hero because he displays "fatal ignorance", is "driven by will or circumstance", and is involved in a "binding obligation" throughout the poem. Achilles is a tragic hero because he shows ignorance towards his surroundings in the Iliad. At the beginning of the epic, "Achilles is presented with not one but two fates: to die gloriously in Troy or to live anonymously at home" (Harris, 262). With this decision Achilles decides to join the Greek forces and go to war against Troy. This, of course, guarantees his early death and demonstrates how illogical and unstable his mind was during this period, as h...... middle of paper... made bad decisions that led to his downfall and could have easily avoid premature death in the Trojan War; this makes him a tragic hero in the Iliad. Works Cited "Achilles". Epics for students. Ed. Maria Lazzari. Detroit: Gale, 1997. 173. Print.Hamilton, Edith. Mythology: Timeless tales of gods and heroes. Warner Books ed. New York: Warner, 1999. Print.Harris, Stephen L. and Gloria Platzer. Classical mythology: images and insights. 2nd ed. Np: Mayfield Publishing Co., 1998. Print.Homer. The Iliad. Trans. WHD Rouse. New York: New American Library, 2007. Print.Knox, Bernard. "Achilles." Criticism of classical and medieval literature. Ed. Lynn M. Zott. vol. 61. Detroit: Gale, 1990. 129-50. Literary Resource Center. Network. October 11, 2015. Merriam-Webster Encyclopedia of Literature. Springfield: Merriam-Webster, 1995. Print.