The Iliad and the Fate Of Patroclus
Throughout The Iliad Of Homer, the constant theme of death is inherently
apparent. Each main character, either by a spear or merely a scratch from an
arrow, was wounded or killed during the progression of the story. For Zeus' son,
Sarpedon, it was a spear through the heart, and for Hector, it was the bronze of
the mighty Achilles through his neck which caused his early demise. It seems
that no one could escape an agonizing fate. Of these deaths, the most
interesting and intriguing death of all is that of Achilles' dear friend
Patroclus. Although his life was taken by the mighty Hector's spear, who was
truly liable for his death? The intricate story line of The
Iliad makes many possible answers available, but only one possibility
accurately explains the actions and events that led to this gruesome episode.
Patrocles was responsible for his own death.
First of all, Patrocles was responsible for his own death because he
requested his insertion into the battle, fully knowing that the Achaeans were
being unmercifully defeated. In Book XVI , Patroclus said,
" Send me forth now at the head of the Myrmidon host
That I may be a light of hope to the Danaans.
And let me strap on my shoulders that armor of yours
That the zealous Trojans take me for you and quickly
Withdraw from the fighting."
Because Achilles refused to help the Achaeans battle the Trojans, a
discontented Patroclus took the matter into his own hands by requesting
activation into battle disguised as Achilles in the hope of sending the Trojans
into a full retreat from the sight of him. It is apparent that Patroclus was
willing to fight although the odds were greatly against him. His vehemence
towards the Trojans coupled with his disappointment of Achilles gave him the
drive to conquer the Trojan army with or without the aid of Achilles. In doing
so, Patroclus took an enormous risk that the Trojans would fall for his trick, a
risk with his life as the stakes. Essentially, while pleading to Achilles for
battle, it was his own dark death for which he plead.
Star Appliance is looking to expand their product line and is considering three different projects: dishwashers, garbage disposals, and trash compactors. We want to determine which project would be worth doing by determining if they will add value to Star. Thus, the project(s) that will add the most value to Star Appliance will be worth pursuing. The current hurdle rate of 10% should be re-evaluated by finding the weighted average cost of capital (WACC). Then by forecasting the cash flows of each project and discounting them by the WACC to find the net present value, or by solving for the internal rate of return, we should be able to see which projects Star should undertake.
At first Achilles had a set of clearly defined goals, he was to fight side by side with the Achaeans, sack Troy, and, by doing these things, gain honor and wealth. As the war progressed a series of events took place that forced Achilles to step out of the fight. While he was inactive and had time to contemplate, he came to the realization that he had been fighting for nine years for the sake of a man whose woman has been stolen; now that his woman had been stolen no one fights for his sake. He also realizes that there are other, less risky ways of obtaining wealth and honor, including sending Patroklus out in his armor. Another thing he ponders on, but doesn't seem to take seriously, is whether or not honor is really worth the struggle.
He instilled fear in the Trojans as he killed their leader and drove the rest of the Trojans away from the ships. Granted Patroklos is currently following the rules right now, he is still power driven. He let the identity of the armor get to his head. Without the armor, he is Patroklos, but with the armor he is still Patroklos, is he not? The person has not changed, but his actions have. If Patroklos really wanted to do good for the Achaians, he could have potentially used his armor and done the same thing. He could have asked Achilleus for just his men and horses but not his armor. It would have sent the same message to the Trojans. The Trojan men would know they are up against Achilleus’ men, but led by Patroklos. To do what he did, Patroklos needed to wear the armor. He desired the sense of fear around him. Patroklos wanted the Trojans to fear him, but they did not know they feared Patroklos. The Trojans thought they feared Achilleus. Achilleus did not force the armor to Patroklos, Patroklos asked for it. Patroklos yearned for Achilleus’ strength and power and used his armor to attain it. Under all the armor, Patroklos acted as a coward, not a
Often times when one hears the word “change” in any aspect of life, they are often, put off, and intimidated by the word itself and the intended implication. This is a normal and understandable reaction for anyone engaging in any type of change. In terms of organizational change, this type of behavior often seen as, but is not limited to pushback, resistance, lack in productivity, turnover, drop in overall customer service, etc by team members. Thus, as organizational leaders, it is our responsibility to ensure that any change management implemented is smooth and has lasting benefits; by considering the impact on the organization as a whole and most importantly, the impact it will have on the team members within the
Hector answered, “Wife, I too have thought upon all this, but with what face should I look upon the Trojans, men or women, if I shirked battle like a coward? I cannot do so: I know nothing save to fight bravely in the forefront of the Trojan host and win renown alike for my father and myself. (142)
Achilles agreed that Patrokolos should wear his armor into battle, this decision along with the fact Achilles was no longer fighting, ultimately caused Patrokolos’ death. When Patrokolos died at the hands of Hektor, two things happened. First, being distraught over his friend’s death, Achilles feels responsible/ Guilt ensues but is channeled to more anger. Hektor, the slayer of Patrokolos now becomes the target of Achilles rage. Achilles is ready to fight, but more accurately ready for revenge. Achilles said, “I will not live nor go about among mankind unless Hektor fall by my spear, and thus pay me for having slain Patrokolos son of Menoetius,” (The Iliad, Chapter 18, Lines 89-91). When Achilles decided to fight, the fate of Hektor was already decided. Also, because he decided to fight, many more Trojans died. His fury with all of Troy was unleashed. Achilles killed and killed. The carnage was
In today’s ever changing world people must adapt to change. If an organization wants to be successful or remain successful they must embrace change. This book helps us identify why people succeed and or fail at large scale change. A lot of companies have a problem with integrating change, The Heart of Change, outlines ways a company can integrate change. The text book Ivanceich’s Organizational Behavior and Kotter and Cohen’s The Heart of Change outlines how change can be a good thing within an organization. The Heart of Change introduces its readers to eight steps the authors feel are important in introducing a large scale organizational change. Today’s organizations have to deal with leadership change, change in the economy,
Patroklos, still wearing the armor of Achilleus, proceeds to fight against the Trojans after killing Sarpedon. However, Zeus isn’t finished with him yet, as Homer describes Zeus as “stronger than man’s mind.\ he terrifies even a warlike man” (16.688-689). Zeus sends Apollo to fight for the city of Troy, who then heckles Patroklos from atop the tower:
Changing situations throughout the world affect all organizations in business today. Therefore, most organizations acknowledge the need to experience change and transformation in order to survive. The key challenges companies face are due to the advancements in technology, the social environment caused by globalization, the pace of competition, and the demands regarding customer expectations. It is difficult to overcome the obstacles involved with change despite all the articles, books, and publications devoted to the topic. People are naturally resistant to fundamental changes and often intimidated by the process; the old traditional patterns and methods are no longer effective.
Organizational change is a very big risk for organizations. The process of change can be very difficult for employees as well as the leaders implementing the changes. The changes are usually planned to improve the company. However, sometimes change can destroy a company when things don’t go as planned. From a change in management to a change in the company structure, or way of doing daily task, organizations must carefully execute the process of change and use change strategies that will ensure success.
The purpose of this paper is to discuss organizational change and the management of that change. I will talk about the different drivers of change, the factors a leader needs to weigh to implement change effectively, the various resistances a leader may encounter while trying to implement change, and how various leadership styles will effect the realization of change. I will also discuss the knowledge I have gained through the completion of this assignment and how I think it might affect the way I manage change in my workplace.
The death of Patroklos touched Achilles in many ways that changed and shaped his character. Many emotions were a result of his death such as love, loss, anger, and sadness. Patroklos was a dear friend to Achilles and when a mix of divine intervention and Hektor cut Patroklos down grief and the desire to avenge his dear friends death consumed Achilles. This switched his anger from King Agamemnon to Hektor, the man who slew his dear friend. This anger drew Achilles to avenge the death of his friend, to kill Hektor.
Crys Tel is facing external and internal forces which require attention to change. The external force requires Crys Tel to look into widening its market share by increasing product offerings. The internal force that is causing a need for change is departmental fragmentation; there is no cohesiveness with departments. Crys Tel may face resistance to change. The following top ten reasons explain why People usually resist change. An individual's predisposition toward change is personal, people fear surprise and fear of unknown, there is a climate of mistrust, fear of failure, loss of status or job security, peer pressure, disruption of cultural traditions or group relationships, personality conflicts, lack of tact or poor timing, and non-reinforcing reward system. Crys Tel has gone through constant change since it was founded. Crys Tel employees did not have a problem with change but they have to work on the department's weak and strong parameters which will have an impact on the company's business. The following models for change has helped Crys Tel successfully manage change implementation.
Change in an organization occurs when an organization identifies an area of where necessary change must be undertaken, examines it thoroughly and adapts to it. This may lead to gaps where employees may not adapt to a certain change and therefore it is important that an organization takes into considerati...
The capital structure of a firm is the way in which it decides to finance its operations from various funds, comprising debt, such as bonds and outstanding loans, and equity, including stock and retained earnings. In the long term, firms seek to find the optimal debt-equity ratio. This essay will explore the advantages and disadvantages of different capital structure mixes, and consider whether this has any relevance to firm value in theory and in reality.