The term “Achilles’ heel” refers to a single weakness that can lead to a downfall despite overall strength. It can be physical or metaphysical, and has been used to describe historical figures, politicians, and characters in literature. The original Achilles’ heel was a physical weakness that led to the warrior’s death when an arrow struck his heel. In the Harry Potter series, Voldemort’s Achilles heel was his inability to love and make friends, which ultimately led to his defeat.
In Greek mythology, Achilles was a mighty warrior who had only one weak point: his heel, which was where his mother held him by his thumb and forefinger when she plunged him into the River Styx, thus making him invulnerable wherever the water touched him. Achilles finally met his downfall when an arrow struck his only weak area – his heel – and the term Achilles’ heel was born out of history. An Achilles heel is a single weakness despite overall strength, generally leading to one’s downfall, and can take the form of a physical weakness or some other form of mental, logical, spiritual, moral, or otherwise metaphysical deficiency.
Achilles’ heel generally refers to a single weakness, a vulnerable spot in the midst of intense strength or general fortitude. This trait is the only one that can lead to the ruin of the person – or more often of the character. While the Achilles’ heel has become a bit of a cliché in filmmaking and writing, particularly in the world of superhero comics, its metaphorical implications hold true in many social situations. An Achilles heel has rightly been used in reference to wars, politicians, spiritual leaders, and countless other historical figures and events.
The Achilles tendon connects the calf muscles with the heel of the foot. If severed, the injury would most likely not be fatal, even if it would be painful and debilitating. In the case of Achilles, the arrow with which he was shot was most likely poisoned, and since it hit his only invulnerable spot, it led to his death. As a medium of Deus ex Machina, Achilles’ Achilles heel was, quite literally, his heel. Elsewhere in the literary world, an Achilles’ heel doesn’t necessarily take on the role of physical limitation, nor does it always lead to the death of the character; many characters meet their demise through extreme greed, thus finding themselves impoverished at the end of the story despite their great wealth at the start of the story. Their Achilles heel, in this regard, is their pursuit of wealth, which has not led to their death but rather their downfall.
A very recent literary example of an Achilles heel is found in the Harry Potter book series, written by JK Rowling. Voldemort, the main villain of the series, seems omnipotent and generally more gifted as a wizard than any other character in the books. His only weakness, however, is love: his Achilles heel is his inability to love and make friends. Using this weakness, Harry Potter ultimately defeats the powerful wizard and Voldemort succumbs to his Achilles heel.
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