Achilles' desecration of Hector's body is a grotesque and elaborate moment in the story of the Iliad, while all the other bodies killed in the epic are either brought back by their companions or left to the vultures. His treatment of the body is obscene; even the gods are horrified by this and ultimately have to stop him. This brutality is difficult to understand in a society focused on ceremony, glory and strict adherence to the rules of behavior in battle. However, it is clear that Achilles' behavior is not ostentatious, nor gloating. When Achilles defiles Hector's body, he is contaminating the representation of the passionate anger that has defined his character thus far in the epic: anger at sovereignty, anger at his lost companions, anger at the murder of his best friend and anger towards his companions. destiny, an early death with glory or a long life without. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay At the beginning of the epic, Agamemnon and Achilleus have an altercation, in which Achilleus disagrees with Agamemnon's attitude towards the return of Chriseis, and he in turn takes Briseis, the prize of Achilleus. This begins Achilleus' tragic rage. “Thus he said, and wrath came upon the son of Peleus… /considering whether to draw the sharp sword from his thigh, driving away/ all who stood in the way, and slay the son of Atreus” (Homer, 1.188-191 ). In this moment, not only does Achilles become the furious spectator he will be for eighteen books of the epic, but he develops an image of Agamemnon as a leader who lacks consideration for consequences, forever changing Achilles' mindset. or carry out commands, and with this Agamemnon loses a great fighter for himself and for all the Achaeans, as when Achilles says: "For surely with a ruinous heart he makes sacrifices / and has not enough ingenuity to look behind and before him / that he Achaeans fighting alongside their ships will not perish" (1.343-345). With this, the stage is set for the tribulation. The king's reckless acts will lead not only to the wrath of Achilles, but also to the death of hundreds of Achaeans and, ultimately, Patroclus. In this light, Achilleus' defilement of Hector's body is a defilement of poor leadership, willful acts of selfishness, and authority as a whole. In the fighting before Achilleus returns to battle, the Trojans have many days of success. Without Achilleus, along with Zeus' support for the Trojans, the Argives suffer countless casualties and are continually pushed back to their ships. Even their leaders and most skilled fighters are wounded in the war. Although there are times when they temporarily recover, the Achaeans suffer great losses in both numbers and respected members of their troops. Although Achilleus withdrew from the fighting early, he undoubtedly feels the effects of these losses on his ship. He shows his concern by sending Patroklos to get a status report and identify a corpse he sees brought back from battle. When Achilleus finally enters the fight and faces Hector outside Troy, he says: "You will pay in one sum for all those sorrows of my companions whom you killed with the fury of your spear" (22.271-272). In this way, the desecration of Hector's body is a desecration of the countless deaths of Achilleus' companions and friends. The next, and most obvious, reason for Achilleus' actions is the death of Patroclus. When Achilleus hears the news, he must face incredible pain and guilt, as he declares: "The spirit within me does not push me to continue living and being among men, except on condition that Hector, 1951