Had he not fallen upon the retreating Trojans, killing them wantonly, he might not have fallen afoul of Zeus's wrath. His own arrogance and desire for glory proved his downfall. Finally, if
Achilles is bound to the prophecy through his desire for fame, to be remembered and loved by history, even at the cost of his conscience and, in the end, even Patroclus. This desire is his fatal flaw, or hamartia, and fuels his actions at every step even at the cost of his morality.
It can be argued that Achilles's fatal flaw is that of hubris, excessive pride and overconfidence. This is what prevents Achilles from making amends with Agamemnon when he steals Briseis from him, refusing to accept his offer of recompense for the humiliations he inflicted upon him.
The flexibility of his character (in comparison to the epic's traditional heroes) and the misuse of his valiant death (by the epic's traditional heroes) effectively paint Patroclus as The Iliad's true tragic hero.
But even after Agamemnon offers to return Briseis, along with numerous other gifts, Achilles remains angry, indicating that one of Achilles' major character flaws is his excessive pride.
Later non-Homeric tales suggest that Patroclus was Achilles' kinsman or lover. Another non-Homeric episode relates that Thetis dipped Achilles as a child in the waters of the River Styx, by which means he became invulnerable, except for the part of his heel by which she held him—the proverbial “Achilles' heel.”
Patroclus is a dynamic character. At the beginning he is weak and shy; because he is rejected by so many people, he is desperate for love. His relationship with Achilles gives him self-confidence and gradually we see a principled young man with compassion for others.
Patroclus's Last Words
''...had twenty such men as you attacked me, all of them would have fallen before my spear. Fate and the son of Leto have overpowered me, and among mortal men Euphorbus; you are yourself third only in the killing of me.
After leading the Greeks in battle against the Trojans, disguised in the armor of the great Greek hero Achilles, Patroclus is killed by the warrior Hector, fulfilling a prophecy made by the god Zeus. Enraged at the death of his dear friend Patroclus, Achilles is driven to seek vengeance.
Additionally, we know he is a Greek and hails from Opus, where he was a prince and the son of Menoetius. However, he never mentions his race or the color of his skin. Thus, while the audience knows that he has, generally, a dark coloring, his race is left up to the imagination.
Hercules: His fatal flaw is his wrath. This flaw has led him to kill his own family, which caused him to the Twelve Labors. After that, he pushed an innocent boy off a cliff, causing him to work for the queen.
Thetis had taken her son Achilles to the island of Scyros to prevent him from accompanying the Greek army to Troy. Disguised as a woman, Achilles lived on Scyros among the daughters of King Lycomedes until the Greeks discovered his whereabouts and sent Odysseus and Diomedes to the island to fetch him.
Achilles is killed by an arrow, shot by the Trojan prince Paris. In most versions of the story, the god Apollo is said to have guided the arrow into his vulnerable spot, his heel.
Patroclus is best known for being one-half of the most epic bromances ever to grace Greek mythology. He is a strong warrior, a powerful sorcerer, a loyal friend, and a fantastic healer. A few years after his birth, Patroclus' father went to war with King Peleus of Phthia – and died in battle.
A former prince and Achilles's lover, Patroclus is the novel's narrator. He is fundamentally kind, which leads his father to dislike him. Patroclus's mother was intellectually disabled, and his father believes that both Patroclus and his mother were weak.
Patroclus is a figure from Greek mythology who fought in the Trojan War and was most famous for his close friendship with the Greek hero, Achilles. He followed Achilles to Troy and would ultimately die because of him and his actions.
In it, Achilles and Patroclus do have a sexual relationship. Here is one short excerpt from their younger days, before the Trojan War began: "I was trembling, afraid to put him to flight. I did not know what to do, what he would like.
Achilles did not allow the burial of Patroclus' body until the ghost of Patroclus appeared and demanded his burial in order to pass into Hades. Patroclus was then cremated on a funeral pyre, which was covered in the hair of his sorrowful companions.
One of Patroclus's strengths makes it into both accounts: he does not possess extraordinary strength or magical powers but, crucially, is able to criticise and act against Achilles' wishes.
The leading warriors on both sides engage in this fight, and two gods, Apollo and Athena, also join. While this is going on, Hektor attempts to capture Achilles' horses, but they escape back to the Achaian camp. Finally, the body of Patroklos is rescued and is safely carried back to the Achaian camp.
Heartbroken and jealous of Achilles's love for Patroclus, Deidameia summons Patroclus to have sex with her, which he does; he notes that she seemed to want something more from him, which he was unable to provide.
– How Old Are Achilles and Patroclus? Achilles and Patroclus were 15 years old when they were killed in the Trojan war. They both were very close to each other and after their deaths, their remains were buried together to give their friendship an eternal life together.
His eyes were unwavering, green flecked with gold.
Centuries later, various Greek texts presented Achilles and Patroclus as pederastic lovers (a common practice in Greek society where an older male and younger male form a sexual relationship).
The rage that follows from Patroclus' death becomes the prime motivation for Achilles to return to the battlefield. He returns to battle with the sole aim of avenging Patroclus' death by killing Hector, despite a warning that doing so would cost him his life.