Iliad Assignment

1. What does Patroclus propose to Achilles and what is Achilles’ response? Why does Achilles grant Patroclus’ request?

Patroclus asks if he can go and fight, he wants to fight at Achilles. Achilles says that it is ok, he says that he wants him to go fight to get the troops moral boosted. He also wanted Patroclus to take the Midrimydons with him, because they needed to fight. They needed death. To me, Achilles is making an incredibly stupid mistake, why is he sending his lover to go fight, as him??? Everybody knows of Achilles strength so everybody will fight their hardest. Also Hector wants to kill Achilles to prove his strength, so Patroclus is dead, for sure as the chapter title states.

2. On p. 413 line 35 (approximately), Patroclus tells Achilles that Achilles is “cursed in [his] own courage.” What does Patroclus mean by that and do you agree with him?

Well, I am not 100% sure what this really means. To me it seems that his courage curses him, meaning that being brave will be his end. I am not sure if I agree with this or not, because I know he dies, I also know why he goes and fights. It is because Patroclus dies as the chapter clearly states, that is why he goes to fight. He dies because he is avenging his lover, Patroclus, so I guess he is being courageous and it is the cause of his death. But we can never really know, he gets takes down with a cheap shot, arrow through the heel. I cant say if I disagree or not.

3. Either ask questions about the text or write down vocab words from the text with definitions.

The question that I have is, why is Achilles sending Patroclus to go fight? Why is he sending him to go fight against the Trojans and Hector? He could die so easily, and he does. I dont get this.
Goodbye