The Iliad, as it is more about the Greek hero Achilles than any other particular person, portrays the Achaean in a surprisingly shocking light at times throughout the story. In his encounter with Lycaon, who had previously been taken prisoner by Achilles long ago, Achilles demonstrates how far his warlike behavior can go. Yet it is equally surprising that he is capable of impressive compassion, as he is depicted elsewhere in the Iliad. However, what appears to be an almost unbelievable fluctuation in attitude and mood is far from inexplicable or contradictory. In fact, there is a well-defined regularity in Achilles' actions and behaviors, to the point that it can be systematically classified. Achilles is not a loose cannon or an unpredictable firebrand. The method of his madness can be applied to his encounter with Lycaon as to any episode in the Iliad. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay It is in scroll XXI, at the height of his vengeful and destructive advance, that Achilles meets Lycaon. He has just captured twelve soldiers for sacrifice, and at the exact moment he reaches Lycaon he is "thirsty for more blood" (33). Lycaon begs Achilles to have mercy on him. He says he was previously captured by Achilles and had precious little time to enjoy his regained freedom. He also distances himself from Hector, who he knows is at enmity with Achilles because of the death of Patroclus. Almost desperate, Lycaon falls to his knees, declaring himself a "suppliant" to Achilles (64). Achilles' reaction in this case is, along with the desecration of Hector's body, among the darkest and most belligerent moments of the Iliad and The Iliad. The development of Achilles as a character. He kills Lycaon with the sword "sunk...to the bottom" (114). Then he says without hesitation: "You lie there among the fish, who will lick the blood of your wound and rejoice over it; your mother will not lay you on any coffin to mourn you, but the whirlpools of Skamandros will carry you into the wide bosom of the sea .There the fish will feed on Lycaon's fat as they dart beneath the dark ripple of the waters...Nevertheless you will perish miserably until there is none of you who has not paid in full for the death of Patroclus and for the devastation you have provoked among the Achaeans whom you killed while I kept away from the battle" (114-136). Lycaon's absolute contempt for respect for the body illuminates the depths of cruelty of which Achilles finds himself capable. But in contrast to his kindness in Scroll XXIV, when Priam comes to request Hector's body, this might seem inconsistent. When he meets Priam, Achilles openly weeps and even seems empathetic to the loss of the great patriarch. How can we explain this disparity in attitude? The point that must be made about the Lycaon episode is that it must be seen in its context. Achilles is on a rampage and kills as many men as possible on the battlefield. This is the key on the battlefield, Achilles is a warrior in the true sense of the word. He fights exclusively in the sense that each field encounter can only be resolved one way, usually to the death. When Lycaon attempts to reason and negotiate, Achilles rebukes him sternly: "'You idiot... don't talk to me about ransom'" (97). You could say that Achilles is in "warrior mode". While a more typical soldier might in fact devote himself to negotiation on the battlefield, Achilles has demonstrated throughout the Iliad that he is the quintessential warrior, his armor is the best, his skill is the best and his legend is the most fearsome. So it is entirely natural and indeed expected that Achilles, of all people.