Patroclus

Achilles cares not for the war and doesn’t feel compelled to fight for Greece, but would fight for his own glory, and even share it with Patroclus. This in itself shows a different side of Achilles, perhaps hinting that Patroclus serves as a person who is capable of humbling him to some extent. Their close relationship only makes Patroclus’s death more important in Achilles’s recognition of his own flaws. This same familial relationship exists between Agamemnon and Iphigenia, but in an even deeper sense due to their more direct connection. His close and well known bond with his daughter heightens the importance of his decisions, however he struggles to make any such concrete choices. As a leader, he is expected to put his country before everything, but is constantly seen waffling between his duties and desire for power over anything. 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” (pg. 244). His lies and deceit toward his family call into question his earlier claims of love for his children, including Iphigenia. The king is purely incapable of being direct with his wife and daughter, exhibiting a broken relationship and …show more content…
Not only does she accept her fate, but takes control of it. She recognizes that the situation at hand is far more complex than it appears and eventually sees her sacrifice as a way to serve her people. Her conversion from initial fear to confident acceptance represents an almost unthinkable amount of maturity. Her newfound maturity is perfectly exemplified when she declares “Ten thousand men grip the galley oars. Their country has been hurt and they are brave enough to be warriors against the army and die for Greece. Is my life to be the only obstacle? Would that be fair? How can I defend it?”