Futility and Longing in the Grief of Achilles: Lecture by Emily Austin (University of Chicago)

This lecture examines the futile longing at the heart of Achilles' grief and its relation to vengeance. Although other heroes claim that killing an enemy has "eased their grief," the story of Achilles reveals the futility of such endeavors. The talk explores the desires spurred by death, the "aimlessness" of grief-driven action, and the final release from cycles of vengeance at the end of the poem.