In the Iliad, an epic poem by Homer, Achilles is well-known as the hero for avenging his friend Patroclus' death. After he killed Patroclus, Hector committed a vile act and did not properly bury him. Although Achilles has a good reason to kill Hector for what he has done, I believe he goes too far. A good hero is supposed to be a role model, and Achilles let his feelings get the best of him. First, he and the Greeks repeatedly stabbed the body of Hector. Then, Achilles openly defiled the body by dragging it behind his chariot. Achilles may have had a good reason for doing this, but I believe it was not the right way to handle the situation. For this reason, I believe Achilles is not a true hero, just a willful friend bent on revenge.
Literature Class of 2014
Fyffe Senior bloggers worked on Battle of the Royal Epics
I agree with your opinion Trace, concerning Achilles' revenge. Even though Hector kills Patroclus, Achilles should be a better role model, instead of letting his feelings of revenge get in the way. Hector deserves a punishment but Achilles takes it to the extreme by dragging his body behind a chariot and letting all the Greeks stab his body.
ReplyDelete