I have never read “The Illiad” or any concrete historical text regarding the Trojan War. However, I only have a relative idea of Greek mythology regarding certain characters and storylines prior to consuming both works. I initially read “Circe” by Madeleine Miller and really liked it. I understand TSOA was written prior to “Circe” and may have been her first book. As a whole, I didn’t enjoy TSOA as much. The premise of the book was to paint Achilles as a more sympathetic, grounded figure through the eyes of a companion, a confidant. However, I found Patroclus to be such a passive bystander, like things just happen to him and he just takes it. All he can do is initially be attracted to Achilles from afar, eventually become more intimate with him, and go on to serve as a voice of reason and a conscience. However, I do enjoy his interactions with Briseis; in an ideal world, the two of them could’ve gotten together for a happy ending and find some solace from the craziness that was the Trojan War.
I did not fully comprehend the escalation of Patroclus who was initially supposed to ride into battle as Achilles’ decoy but then started “feeling the battle” as he killed several soldiers, Sarpedon (a son of Zeus on the Trojan side), and was brazen enough to scale the Troy’s city walls, only to be knocked down by Apollo. All this in a short span from a supposedly timid character who did not really have an aptitude for fighting. However, I do like the battles and matchups prior to the war’s climax, such as Hector vs. Ajax and Achilles vs. Sarpedon. After Patroclus’ death, I found it odd for the story to continue to be told in first person from his perspective; they may justify it with him being a spirit or a ghost, but I feel like it was just an excuse for the story to continue being told and for the book to be concluded. Throughout the book, Thetis tried to be the driving wedge between Patroclus and Achilles but demonstrated that she did truly care for her son and wanted his legacy to live on in a more positive light. I also found it quite odd that Achilles’ son Neoptolemus is just some preteen punk that shows up out of nowhere towards the end of the book and serves as the factor that ends the Trojan War, all the while being resistive to Odysseus when it comes to honoring his father’s legacy; not to mention he also killed Briseis. I know the entire story is supposed to be some sort of tragic myth, but it was quite jarring how almost no one really has a happy ending
I’m not going to summarize the movie “Troy”, but I do find its contrasts to the book quite interesting
· Achilles does not seem to know that according to a prophecy, he is destined to die, likely after Hector is killed; he just goes about his daily life
· Achilles comes across as a nonchalant player, with his harem of naked ladies in the tent with him before he was called to battle at the beginning in the movie
· Of course, the movie downplayed the relationship between Achilles and Patroclus, but all in all, they did not seem as close or serve as each other’s confidants or emotional support. Achilles calls him his “cousin”; not sure if that was a term of endearment because they grew up together
· Achilles was supposedly invulnerable because he was dipped in the river Styx (except his heel); however, in the book, they did not mention shooting him in the heel as he died from being shot through the chest by Paris
· I knew Agamemnon was aggressive and egotistical. The book scene where he sacrificed his daughter was jarring. Though the movie did not show his refusal to return Chryseis which resulted in a plague upon the Greek army.
· The book did not mention Priam going to Achilles’ asking for his body back
· The book did not mention the duel between Menelaus and Paris, which Paris loses then runs back to his brother Hector like a wussy then Hector has no choice but to kill Menelaus
· The book also did not mention Briseis being the one who kills Agamemnon nor Agamemnon killing Priam
· Honestly, throughout both mediums, Odysseus seems like the only sensible one as he just wants to lead the men, win the war, then go home to his family
· It was confusing and somewhat off-putting to see Briseis as a captured foreigner who begins to share a language and help other captured POW accommodate as she bonds with Patroclus in the movie. However, in the movie, her fate is subject to the egos of Agamemnon and Achilles, and she becomes Achilles’ lover. So is the real Achilles heterosexual, homosexual, or bisexual?
· The movie ignores the fact that Achilles has a son who was hidden in secret; it also doesn’t include Hector’s younger brother attempting to fight Achilles only to be dispatched easily
· What was most surprising was that the book did not mention usage of the Trojan horse which ultimately led to the fall of Troy
· Just a criticism of the movie: how could Troy have little to no security, even after a night of partying? No one was patrolling the streets, the wall, or the Trojan horse. Meanwhile the Greek soldiers just sneak across the wild open field in the dark, while the soldiers in the Trojan horse manage to quietly open the gates
· Honestly, all of this conflict was Paris’ and Helen’s fault, both who learned absolutely nothing and got away scot free in the end. It didn’t help that Hector and Priam were enablers also
Long story short, it is an old epic tale with many iterations and interpretations, and this is just my take based on the two works I consumed.
by thunderdragon517