Achilles and Patroklos :: Essays Papers

Achilles and Patroklos I think the reason that Achilles allows Patroklos to bear on is because Achilles knows that the Greeks need all the help they can get. The Trojans are very beneficial to their ships and with disclose some great miracle, the Greeks will be defeated. When Patroklos comes to Achilles with the idea of going out in his armor and fighting to try to muster the Greek troops and frighten the Trojans, Achilles is taken in by his dear friends plea. Achilles gives in because he knows how much this opportunity will mean to Patroklos, who has incessantly stood in Achilles shadow. So as to give his friend an opportunity to work honor through struggle and become great, Achilles allows Patroklos to enter the battle vesture his armor and with his blessing, even though he places a few stipulations on him.I had a hard time examining why exactly Achilles pose those limitations on Patroklos. At first I wanted to believe that it was ripe Achilles trying to be a g ood friend and make undisputable that his friend did not end up getting killed. However, the longer and more I looked at it, the more it seemed like Achilles was trying to uphold smell with the Greeks. He decides that his ego is still too damaged to return to the battle himself, so instead he sends his friend. It is very convenient that Patroklos is practically begging him for his consent. Achilles grudgingly gives his approval while still making sure that his bear kleos is not damaged by Patroklos newfound bravery. He makes Patroklos promise that he will not continue to fight the Trojans after they have been pushed remote from the Greek ships, but to allow the rest of the army to move frontward and finish the battle. He also must promise, once the Trojans are on the retreat, to come and get him so that the two of them can share the honor of finishing off the Trojans. Whether these boundaries were placed on Patroklos for his safety, or the safety of Achilles honor, m akes a huge difference in the character of Achilles. If these limits were given to Patroklos just to save Achilles ego in the eyes of the Trojans and Greeks alike, then he is perhaps whizz of the most arrogant, self-serving men that has ever lived, in myth or real life.