Student A wrote back a few days later. Notice how s/he is now clearer about what Malouf is on about. S/he's still a little confused about who is who - that is natural when reading about stuff that is complex and new ...
hey Barry, iv been reading more of ransom and what I can make out is:Achilles didn't want to fight the Greeks so Patroclus did and wore Achilles armor.Patroclus went out to fight and hector killed him.Achilles went out to find Hector for revenge and killed Hector but then tied him to the back of horses and tortured him in front of the people of Troy. is that pretty much right so far?
My Reply:
HI Student A
Hope you had a good Christmas. Is that you who has joined the blog? If so, well done.
In answer to your question: is that pretty much right so far? You have almost got it.
Achilles was one of the Greeks - they were fighting Troy (the Trojans).
Achilles decided to STOP fighting because King Agamemnon (one of the Greek kings in the alliance of Greeks that were fighting Troy) ... because Agamemnon took a young woman away from Achilles.
Patroclus was Achilles 'cousin' - they were the closest of friends (There's a story - told in RANSOM - about how Patroclus came to live with King Peleus (Achilles' dad) and with Achilles).
So Patroclus persuaded Achilles to let HIM fight, wearing Achilles' armour. [The Trojan's were very afraid of Achilles because of his ferocity as a fighter.]
At first Patroclus was successful, killed Trojan's and driving them back ... but then Hector stood up to him (thinking Patroclus was actually Achilles) and killed him.
The rest is right on the money. What Achilles did to Hector's body was a sacrilege - it was an act of total and utter disrespect. The Greeks and the Trojans both believed that the dead deserve to be treated with reverence and great respect. Achilles was showing he deepest disrespect, treating Hector's body like meat, like something to be degraded and despised.
The torture was actually a torture of King Priam (the Trojan king) and the torture of the people of Troy. Imagine what it would be like to see your enemy treat the body of YOUR parents or your closest friend like that!
Hope that all makes sense.
It's really good that you are coming up with "versions"/ "interpretations" of what is happening in the novel and then checking them out with me. That is the way to build a deeper understanding of the novel.
Keep it up,
Barry
HI Student A
Hope you had a good Christmas. Is that you who has joined the blog? If so, well done.
In answer to your question: is that pretty much right so far? You have almost got it.
Achilles was one of the Greeks - they were fighting Troy (the Trojans).
Achilles decided to STOP fighting because King Agamemnon (one of the Greek kings in the alliance of Greeks that were fighting Troy) ... because Agamemnon took a young woman away from Achilles.
Patroclus was Achilles 'cousin' - they were the closest of friends (There's a story - told in RANSOM - about how Patroclus came to live with King Peleus (Achilles' dad) and with Achilles).
So Patroclus persuaded Achilles to let HIM fight, wearing Achilles' armour. [The Trojan's were very afraid of Achilles because of his ferocity as a fighter.]
At first Patroclus was successful, killed Trojan's and driving them back ... but then Hector stood up to him (thinking Patroclus was actually Achilles) and killed him.
The rest is right on the money. What Achilles did to Hector's body was a sacrilege - it was an act of total and utter disrespect. The Greeks and the Trojans both believed that the dead deserve to be treated with reverence and great respect. Achilles was showing he deepest disrespect, treating Hector's body like meat, like something to be degraded and despised.
The torture was actually a torture of King Priam (the Trojan king) and the torture of the people of Troy. Imagine what it would be like to see your enemy treat the body of YOUR parents or your closest friend like that!
Hope that all makes sense.
It's really good that you are coming up with "versions"/ "interpretations" of what is happening in the novel and then checking them out with me. That is the way to build a deeper understanding of the novel.
Keep it up,
Barry
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