Patroclus Selflessness Of Achilles

Patroclus, in contrast to Achilles, thinks constantly of the fate of the whole Greek army. In fact, he is driven by compassion for the plight of the army to fight, not by any potential glory like Achilles. To further prove his inherent humility, when he fails to sway Achilles to fight, he suggests wearing Achilles armor, instead of his own, to inspire the army in battle. So he suggests “And give me your own fine armor to buckle on my back, so the Trojans might take me for you” (Iliad 16.46-47). In doing this he relinquishes all potential glory in battle, which will inevitably be attributed to Achilles. His attitude toward fighting is not based in pride and glory for himself, but an overall victory and glory for his country. Patroclus epitomizes

Had Achilles joined with him or, on a larger note, not have asked for Zeus’s wrath against the Achaeans, his one companion might not have faced such a bitter end. It can no longer be a trivial battle of glory for Achilles, because it is now a personal cause to him. Patroclus’s selflessness is what aids in remedying Achilles’s attitude. Just as Patroclus humbled himself for the Greek army, so Achilles finally admits to how his selfishness negatively impacted his fellow Greeks. “How many fewer friends had gnawed the dust of the wide world, brought down by enemy hands as I raged on and on” (Iliad 19.69-70). It is this compensation for his own flaw that provides him with a purpose to fight and a motivation to work toward bettering himself, as a way of honoring Patroclus’s

The king’s close and well known bond with his daughter heightens the importance of his decisions, however, he struggles to make any such concrete choices. His constant waffling between decisions represents the absence of an important quality of leadership, decisiveness. After eventually choosing power over his own blood, he distances himself and is not direct with his own family due to his ultimate decision and even blatantly states ““I work out clever schemes to deal with those I love” (Iphigenia at Aulis pg. 244). In saying this, he essentially admits to his immaturity, as a true patriarch would lead his family with openness and honesty. Refusal to accept the consequences and criticisms for his decisions thus translates to an overarching sense of immaturity. There is a lack of respect between Agamemnon and his wife and, more importantly, his daughter (that is more central between Achilles and Patroclus) due to significant power dynamic and even more so due to their gender division. It becomes more apparent that he doesn’t consider Iphigenia’s opinion as he never asks for it. Though she has many potential lessons to offer him, he could not be bothered to listen. Clytemnestra is well aware of her husband’s immaturity as a father and calls them to light, (as he only addresses her) when she says “You, good strangers, you, my child, your