Achilles Pursuit Of Honor

Achilles resists his comrades request to return to war because of his condemnation of honor and glory. He places larger emphasis on his own life, rather than his duty to the Aegeans. Homer’s use of tone and diction illustrate Achilles’ negative feelings towards the concept of gaining honor. According to Achilles, the reward of honor is not as important as it is perceived. The language displays how he generalizes everyone at equal standings. By generalizing everyone as equals, he belittles himself and shows his own insecurities. Achilles is terrified of dying and does not want to risk it all for any honor he may receive from the war. As a result, later in the poem, Achilles’ defiance leads to guilt of the death of his dear friend, Patroclus.
Hector and Achilles both view the ethical code in contrasting ways. Hector believes and upholds the importance of honor, while Achilles doubts its relevance in life. The two warriors’ different motivation changed how they fought. Hector’s motivation for obtaining honor, his friends and family, show the duty he has to defend Troy. Duty, according to Homer, gives Hector purpose to life. Priam’s son has a stronger mind-set than Achilles when it comes to insecurities. While Hector acknowledges his fate by focusing on his obligation in obtaining the honor for his people, Achilles lets his fear of death and rage towards Agamemnon consume his actions. However, later in the poem, Achilles returns to battle after the death of Patroclus. Vengeance becomes the main focus of Achilles due to the guilt he feels about his dear friend’s death. He feels that he needs to defend Patroclus’ honor. As a result, Achilles refers back to the ethics and honor once he recognizes the guilt he feels. His return to believing in ethics provides Achilles with a purpose. Even though the two men’s opinion and motivation concerning honor vary, Homer emphasizes the differences to show its importance on the characters’ purpose in