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How Did Patroclos Change The Course Of Life

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In certain chemical reactions, there are compounds known as intermediates. These are compounds that are both formed and consumed in the reaction. So intermediates aren't present in the beginning nor the end, but they are essential to a successful reaction. If the war between the Trojans and the Achaians was a chemical reaction, then Patroclos would be the intermediate. He didn't fight in the beginning of the war and was killed before the end, but he was an essential part to the success of the Achaians. Patroclos changed the course of the war and the story as he saved the Achaians from certain defeat in battle, and his death provided an incentive for Achilles to aid the Achaians in battle. Patroclos first changed the course of the epic through his actions on the …show more content…

In this moment it was clear that Patroclos' death would completely change the course of the story. Hector's Trojans, backed by Zeus himself, had held a heavy advantage throughout the course of the war. The advantage was so clear that King Agamemnon had even considered stopping fighting and returning home. It was clear that Achilles' unwavering anger towards the king would not subside anytime soon, and the outlook for the Achaians was bleak. However, Patroclos' death completely changed the scene. Achilles' great anger towards Hector outweighed that towards Agamemnon, and he decided to fight on the behalf of his best friend. When Achilles did so, the tide of the war completely changed. Achilles butchered masses upon masses of Trojans, with a multitude of others fleeing the battle out of pure fear. He would also slay the great Hector, avenging his friend's death. Patroclos' death served as an impetus to bring Achilles into the war; if Patroclos didn't fight and was never killed, Achilles wouldn't have joined the war and the Achaians would have most likely fallen to the

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