Book 22 Response

Though Achilles is painted as a heartless butcher in Book 22, I think his treatment of Hector is heroic so far as the Greek hero is deemed honorable by fulfilling the commands of his superiors in battle. Achilles appeases both Agamemnon and Athena by, respectively, taking out an opposing hero (Hector) in an enemy territory and softening up the city's (Troy's) defenses, as well as dutifully carrying out the wishes of his goddess-mother for Hector to be killed. Both Agamemnon and Athena are his superiors in political and existential stature, and likewise, their tight control over his fate evince another reason that Achilles' behavior in Book 22 is heroic: simply because he accepts this fate and gives into its direction. By befitting his attitude and behavior to the situations manifested largely by Athena and Agamemnon, Achilles acts not out of vengeance towards Hector, but out of necessity to maintain his own and the Greek's heroic principles. Finally, Hector's death is absolutely ethical, as he provoked Achilles into a battle to the death and failed to defend himself against it. While Achilles' denying him his last wish was extremely cruel and certainly unethical, I cannot believe it detracts from his ultimate heroism. If anything, the Greeks would celebrate such an act of war in light of the fact that it came at the expense of their enemy and it glorified the hero responsible.