Hektor And Achilleus Comparison Essay

In The Iliad, Hektor and Achilleus both follow the warrior code, just in different manners. Hektor feels that if he does not fight he is being selfish, he is letting down his fellow warriors, and that he is dishonoring himself. “yet I would feel deep shame / before the Trojans, and the Trojan women with trailing garments, / if like a coward I were to shrink aside from fighting.” (117-119 Book 6). He feels as if he needs to fight for his people, making him unselfish. Achilleus on the other hand does not fight, making him selfish. The swift footed Achilleus is angered by the Greek warrior leader, Agamemnon. He believes it is unfair that Agamemnon can take his war prize Briseis, which Achilleus has rightfully earned. “I am minded no longer / to stay here dishonored and pile up your wealth and your luxury.”’ (166-167 Book I). …show more content…
Secondly, Hektor has come to terms with his fate being decided that he may die in battle. While, Achilleus does not like to accept the fact that he is mortal, and not a god. “No man is going to hurl me to Hades, unless it is fated, / but for as fate, I think that no man yet has escaped it.” (163-164 Book VI). Hektor is telling Andromache that no one is going to kill him if it is not his fate, although if it is his fate, he accepts this. Hektor has come to peace with the god's choosing his fate whether good, or bad. Meanwhile. Achilleus has a hard time with the fact that if he goes to battle, he can be killed because he is only mortal. When Agamemnon and Achilleus were arguing, Agamemnon would make comments on how Achilleus was below him, and did not have as much power as he