User:SpencerPaddock/Evaluate an Article

Which article are you evaluating?
Achilles

Why you have chosen this article to evaluate?
I have chosen this article to evaluate because I am familiar with the mythological character of Achilles and the way he is portrayed in the Iliad, and I find him to be a fascinating character so I have personal interest in this article.

Evaluate the article
The lead section of the article begins with a good sentence that indicates where the character is primarily featured in mythology and general information about him. One shortcoming of the lead section is that the author reports points which can be considered subjective, such as claiming that Achilles' greatest feat in the Iliad is killing Hector, and does not provide references for these claims. I would improve this by giving reference for a reliable author of a peer-reviewed source who writes about Achilles' feats and attributes.

The section on the Iliad seems to be missing a great deal of sources for the events that happen during the story. I would recommend that citations be added to show where in the Iliad the events take place. A piece of information that is missing in this section is that Achilles gave his blessing for Patroclus to lead the Myrmidons into battle, but not to try and attack the wall, which Patroclus disobeys. There is also an instance where the author starts to make a personal argument by saying that Achilles' anger seemed to defy fate. The article would be improved by omitting this statement focusing on just the facts.

The author should put more emphasis on the section devoted to the relationship between Achilles and Patroclus. I would recommend that the author seek out more sources and references that discuss this relationship, as it is a critical aspect of Achilles' character in the Iliad. The author acknowledges that the relationship is important but does not elaborate as much as they should.

The article contains many sources, which are reasonably up to date and are from reputable publishers. One source that was absent that I would recommend the author consider is the Oxford Classical Dictionary which is a fantastic source for people and characters from the ancient world. The links provided are functional.

The article does contain poor grammar in some areas, primarily concerning word order and the professionalism of the writing. Some aspects of the article appeared to include the author's personal view on some of the topics discussed. This is not brought up in the Talk section of the article, but I think the sections which could be improved are able to be noticed, especially if read aloud.

The article is organized well, with many subheadings to keep the reader informed of what topic is being discussed in each section. The article does get long-winded in some sections and I think it could be streamlined to draw more attention to the important pieces of information.

The pictures included in the article are a good representation of the art in which Achilles appears and they are cited correctly so far as I can tell. The pictures illustrate how Achilles as a character was received by artists in historical eras beyond antiquity.

The article has been rated as C-Class, and is listed as formerly being a featured article candidate as well as a level-4 vital article. The article can be improved by increasing the number of citations in its body, as well as providing more details about the relationship Achilles had with Patroclus and the themes that Achilles represents in the Iliad.