Trojan War Research Paper

Heroes of the Trojan War:

What is a hero really? Everyone has their own beliefs about what a hero is, but the beliefs greatly vary from each other. In the movie Troy for example, lots of people think that Achilles is a hero because he is such a great warrior. In reality though, someone needs to be a lot more than a great weapon-handler to be a hero. A hero is a man of distinguished courage or ability, admired for his brave deeds and noble qualities. A hero is a person who is regarded as a model or ideal person; in the time of the Trojan War, that would have been a warrior or king of special strength, courage and ability. A hero puts others first, and sacrifices his own needs and wishes for the good of humanity. With that whole definition …show more content…
He may not be a warrior sort of hero, but there is more than one type of hero in the world. Paris cared not for honoring his country by winning battles against fierce opponents. He was concerned with righteousness, honesty and being trustworthy. Paris seemed to be guided by his conscience. Most importantly though, was his passion; for after all, the Trojan War really broke out over a passion between him and Helen. Paris seemed to believe that everyone was good, that no one would cheat or lie in war. Paris was also naïve to a certain degree. Partway through the war, Paris is taken back by the gist of it all; that many men were dying because he and his love could not stand to be separated. That such a beautiful thing like love could start so terrible a war. It was an ugly end to a lovely beginning. Paris tries to admirably end the war right then by challenging Menelaus to send out his best warrior so that they can fight one-on-one. He didn't think about what would happen if he lost, he just tried to do what he thought was right. That's the way it always was with Paris. He did what he wanted and tried to bring honor to his family and country while he did it. If that didn't happen, it wasn't the end of the world, but he tried his best. Paris tried to justify his actions in the war, by telling himself that he is just protecting his family. That same justification led him to kill Achilles, the …show more content…
Patroclus didn't think about the odds or strategies. He thought about honor and dignity, about bravery and valor. Patroclus was loyal to the army, devoted to Greece and above all, brave. While Achilles lay in his tent moping over not being allowed to run the Greek army the way he wanted to, Patroclus disguised himself as Achilles and took over leading the army for him. Warriors of Ancient Greece could not face the perilous journey home without a chance of getting some honor and fame, and Patroclus gave them that chance, by leading them into battle. Patroclus realized that pride could be a strong motivator, and used it to his advantage. Patroclus knew that the Greeks were outnumbered and disadvantaged because they didn't know the land well. He realized that only with all the Greek soldiers could there be a chance of defeating the Trojans and Patroclus didn't want to see such shame of defeat fall onto Greece. He did the best he could for Greece and tried to bestow some honor on his fellow warriors at the same time. Patroclus was so loyal to his country that even when the fierce warrior and prince of Troy, Hector, started to fight him, he didn't admit defeat by saying that he wasn't actually Achilles. Instead, Patroclus fought on and bravely died a tragic death that wasn't meant for him. It's amazing actually how a man like Patroclus could have such a