History Literature / TheSongOfAchilles

* ArcherArchetype: Discussed in-universe, Patroclus mentions that archers are usually considered to be cowards, but no one would say this about Philoctetes, the last surviving companion of Heracles, [[MasterArcher whose bow and arrow skills are legendary.]]

** Pyrrhus is quite certain that his name will be as great or greater than his father's, and when Odysseus tries to convince him that reputation isn't everything, half-jokingly saying that in future centuries even ''his'' name will be better known than Pyrrhus', Pyrrhus is contemptuously dismissive. Meanwhile in literary circles Pyrrhus is still introduced as "Achilles's son" and the average person today might not have even heard of him (in particular he isn't even ''mentioned'' in ''Literature/TheIliad,'' the most famous narrative of the Trojan War) while Patroclus is far more well known and [[Literature/TheOdyssey Odysseus has a good claim to eclipsing Achilles himself]].

** Pyrrhus is quite certain that his name will be as great or greater than his father's, and when Odysseus tries to convince him that reputation isn't everything, half-jokingly saying that in future centuries even ''his'' name will be better known than Pyrrhus', Pyrrhus is contemptuously dismissive. Meanwhile in literary circles Pyrrhus is still introduced as "Achilles's son" and the average person today might not have even heard of him (in particular he isn't even ''mentioned'' in ''Literature/TheIlliad,'' the most famous narrative of the Trojan War) while Patroclus is far more well known and [[Literature/TheOdyssey Odysseus has a good claim to eclipsing Achilles himself]].

** Pyrrhus is quite certain that his name will be as great or greater than his father's, and when Odysseus tries to convince him that reputation isn't everything, half-jokingly saying that in future centuries even ''his'' name will be better known than Pyrrhus', Pyrrhus is contemptuously dismissive. Meanwhile in literary circles Pyrrhus is still introduced as "Achilles's son" and the average person today might not have even heard of him (in particular he isn't even ''mentioned'' in the Illiad, the most famous narrative of the Trojan War) while Patroclus is far more well known and [[Literature/TheOdyssey Odysseus has a good claim to eclipsing Achilles himself]].

** Right at the end of the book we learn that [[spoiler: it was prophesied that Thetis' son would be greater than his father, so the gods got around the threat it could pose to them if she were impregnated by a mighty god by having the mortal Peleus father her son]].

* TheReasonYouSuckSpeech: [[spoiler:Achilles tells Briseis to get away from Patroclus' body, which she is in the middle of washing for burial. She does not get away, or get out. Instead she asks 'Do you think you are the only one who loved him?' and when Achilles starts screaming at her, she flat out tells him he didn't deserve Patroclus and that ''he's'' responsible for the death of his beloved thanks to his arrogance and selfishness, and she hopes Hector kills him.]]

* ADateWithRosiePalms: During their stay with Chiron in Pelion, Patroclus mentions sneaking off in the mornings and during Achilles’s spear-throwing practice under the pretense of practicing the flute. Inevitably, it always results in this, and he alludes to imagining having sex with Achilles while he’s doing it.

* TriangRelations: Twice, both type 4. The first occurs with Deidameia's [[spoiler: marriage and subsequent pregnancy]] to Achilles, while the second occurs with Briseis and Patroclus.

* AmbiguousDisorder: It's heavily implied that Patroclus' mother has some form of mental disability, though the specifics are (understandably for the time period) never spelled out.

->'''Achilles:''' "I know. They never let you be famous ''and'' happy." He lifted an eyebrow. "I'll tell you a secret."\\
'''Patroclus:''' "Tell me." I loved it when he was like this.\\
'''Achilles:''' "I'm going to be the first." He took my palm and held it to his. "Swear it."\\
'''Patroclus:''' "Why me?"\\
'''Achilles:''' "Because you're the reason. Swear it."

* DevelopingDoomedCharacters: Patroclus and Achilles are vastly well known characters of Greek Myth, and so is their tragic fate, dying one after the other, but the novel goes to great length to develop their character and relationship to each other.

* DrivenToSuicide: Patroclus makes it clear in his narration several times that he had no intention of outliving Achilles for long, not realizing that this wouldn't be necessary. Achilles reacts similarly to Patroclus' death, only fighting after he successfully kills Hector in search of someone who can kill him.

* MamaBear: Thetis wavers between this. On one hand, she's fiercely protective of her son. On the other, it's hard to tell whether she's protective because she truly cares for him or she just wants his fame. It is shown in the end, though, that she regrets at least some of her actions and wishes that Achilles had lived.

* NoSell: Thetis tries to obliterate Odysseus to stop him from recruiting Achilles - but as the former is protected by Athena, nothing happens.

* ParentalSubstitute: Patroclus takes to calling himself Chironides, the son of Chiron, instead of his own father's name.

* SensitiveGuyAndManlyMan: Patroclus dislikes fighting and violence; he is often empathetic to other people's needs and is known for his kindness. Achilles is the physically more able of the two and a model warrior.

* SingleTargetSexuality: While Patroclus displays a very passing interest in women, Achilles is never shown as anything but completely and utterly Patroclus-sexual. Patroclus also concludes that his love for Achilles precludes serious attraction to anyone else — it's just that unlike Achilles, he can imagine pursuing other relationships, albeit quite briefly and abstractedly.

* SleepsInTheNude: This is considered a norm in summer. Patroclus finds this torturous once he's sixteen and shares a bed with Achilles.

* TogetherInDeath: PlayedForDrama. [[spoiler: Patroclus dies first, but without a proper burial and a marked headstone, he can't go on to the Underworld. Then Achilles dies, and gets the burial and headstone... so ''he's'' in Hades, but Patroclus isn't. Finally played straight, see SurprisinglyHappyEnding.]]
* TooGoodForThisSinfulEarth: Patroclus. A prophecy states that Hector will die after the best of the Myrmidions does. This makes a dilemma, as Achilles is widely believed to be this, and his death is meant to happen after Hector's own. Then it is revealed it was in fact soft spoken, loyal and kind Patroclus who was meant to die first all along.

* YouShouldHaveDiedInstead: [[spoiler:Agamnemon tries to console Achilles about Patrcolus' death by saying that in his final fought he had slain a demigod. Achilles only answer is that he would rather Patroclus let the army of men die instead of him.]]

* EtherealWhiteDress: Patroclus describes seeing Thetis like this on the battle field, watching Achilles. He notes that he can barely see her or understand her facial expression, so she very much seems like a ghost.

* GoneHorriblyRight: Thetis raised Pyrrhus to be an even better version of his father. The result is an exceptional warrior... who is so cold and sadistic that the Greek leaders, despite being utterly jaded by ten years of warfare, are horrified by him. Even his own grandmother seems to be appalled by him in the end.

* HappilyMarried: Odysseus truly loves his wife Penelope. Patroclus says this kind of marriage is "as rare as cedars in the east."
* HelplessObserverProtagonist: Patroclus becomes one at the end of the book, [[spoiler:dying in battle and being forced to watch as a spirit as his lover Achilles goes mad with grief and fulfills the prophecy that leads to his death. He then sees Achilles' sociopathic son come in, kill Briseis, and disrespect Achilles' final wishes by refusing to put Patroclus' name on their grave, [[BarredFromTheAfterlife keeping Patroclus from joining Achilles in the Underworld.]]]] He is still able to communicate with Thetis.

* IronicName: "Patroclus" means "Father's Glory" - ironic because Patroclus is the biggest possible disappointment to his father.
* ItsAllAboutMe: Not quite, as Achilles does genuinely love Patroclus, but his indifference to the suffering of the common soldiers, and his willingness to let Briseis be raped by Agamemnon because it will give him an excuse to kill him, horrify his lover. [[spoiler:When Patroclus is killed in an attempt to salvage Achilles' standing and glory, a heartbroken and furious Briseis accuses Achilles of caring more for Patroclus dead than he ever did when he was alive, and that he only loves himself.]]

* TheMedic: Patroclus' time studying with Chiron makes him a knowledgeable doctor, and he has a knack for surgery. He feels connected to the men that he heals, a connection that Achilles doesn't get.

* MyBelovedSmother: Thetis is on the...overbearing and controlling side, towards Achilles. Not to mention her very obvious disapproval of Patroclus, whom she regards as unworthy of her son. [[spoiler: She relents, kind of, at the very end.]]

* TheNeidermeyer: Downplayed; Agamemnon isn't ''hated'' by his men, nor is he cowardly or incompetent, he is just not revered the way Achilles is, nor as brilliant as Odysseus, and his own massive ego cause huge problems for everyone. This insecurity causes him to come dangerously close to becoming this trope fully, and he is very lucky that Achilles' own hubris and stupidity cause him to overreach and disgrace himself first.

* TheResenter: Patroclus starts out this way towards Achilles, but he soon gets over it.

* AbusiveParents: Patroclus' [[{{Jerkass}} father]] constantly criticizes him and effectively disowns and exiles Patroclus when he's not even a teenager. His mother is clearly mentally disabled (though what kind of disability she has [[AmbiguousDisorder is unclear]]) and thus is unable to raise Patroclus or do anything about her husband's harsh treatment of their son.

* AdaptationalHeroism: Achilles didn't claim Briseis purely to save her from rape in the Iliad. There's no indication he treated her any differently from how the others treated their slaves.

* AmbiguouslyBi: Though Patroclus loves Achilles unconditionally, his attachment to Briseis seems a little more than platonic. (For instance, he fantasizes about having a child with her.) He also has sex with a woman at one point, and, while he is not romantically attracted to her, he does admit that he finds her body arousing.

* ArcWords: [[spoiler:"What has Hector ever done to me?"]]

* AscendedExtra: Patroclus, who was not one of the truly major characters in the Illiad, is the narrator of the book and a central character. Briseis is also given a larger role in the story as the voice of the women who were claimed by Achilles to avoid being raped by the other Greek warriors.
* AttackAttackAttack: This lets Patroclus down ''badly'' when he dons Achilles' armour. It's the first time he's been in battle since the early days of the war when he was a terrified nobody being protected by Achilles, and the adrenaline rush that he experiences as Trojans flee him and Greeks cheer him (assuming a god isn't influencing him more directly) make him reckless.
* AttractiveBentGender: While disguised on Scyros, Achilles as "Pyrrha" is apparently not only a convincing woman but also a very attractive one. Probably that divine blood at work. (Then again, it is the smitten Patroclus doing the narrating, so...)
* BarredFromTheAfterlife: [[spoiler: Patroclus is unable to enter Hades and be with Achilles because his name was left off the funeral monument, at least until Thetis relents and carves his name onto it.]]

* BungledSuicide: Achilles' immediate reaction to seeing Patroclus' dead body is to reach for his knife to slit his own throat, but since he had previously given the knife to Patroclus, he fails to do so.

* DeathSeeker: [[spoiler: Achilles, after Patroclus' death. He only keeps fighting because he wants to meet someone who can kill him, and even makes the work easier by using continuously less armos. By the time he finally dies, he is bare chested in the battlefield, and only dodges attacks out of reflexes he can't help.]]

* DidYouJustPunchOutCthulhu: While pursuing Hector, Achilles' path is barred by a god. Even though it is a minor river god rather than one of the Olympian heavyweights, it is still impressive that Achilles is able to wound him badly enough that he has to retreat.

* EvilRedhead: Pyrrhus, Achilles' son, has unnaturally bright red hair and is very likely a sociopath.

->'I know. They never let you be famous ''and'' happy.' He lifted an eyebrow. 'I'll tell you a secret.'\\
'Tell me.' I loved it when he was like this.\\
'I'm going to be the first.' He took my palm and held it to his. 'Swear it.'\\
'Why me?'\\
'Because you're the reason. Swear it.'

* CreepyChild: Pyrrhus very much qualifies. See TroublingUnchildlikeBehavior for more information.
* DeathSeeker: [[spoiler: Achilles, after Patroclus' death.]] He only keeps fighting because he wants to meet someone who can kill him.

* DevelopingDoomedCharacters:

* DueToTheDead: Since the book is set in ancient Greece, correct funeral rites are of utmost importance. It becomes an important plot point later when [[spoiler: Patroclus is unable to join Achilles in the underworld because he has not been buried properly; and at the end of the novel Patroclus fears that Briseis may never be able to find rest, since Pyrrhus kills her when she tries to flee him and her body is lost to the ocean]].

* EvilRedhead: [[spoiler: Pyrrhus, Achilles' son,]] has unnaturally bright red hair and is very likely a sociopath.

* {{Foil}}: Pyrrhus is what Achilles might have been without the redeeming traits Patroclus brings out in him. They have similar levels of combat skill, bloodlust and glory-seeking behaviour, but Achilles genuinely loves Patroclus and accepts his guidance in being a better man, while Pyrrhus is a sexual sadist who refuses to accept advice from anyone.

* ForegoneConclusion: Anyone who's read ''The Iliad'' knows that [[spoiler: Patroclus will die to save Achilles' glory, and Achilles will go mad with grief, kill Hector in revenge, and then be killed himself.]]

* GoneHorriblyRight: Thetis raised Pyrrhus to be an even better version of his father. The result is an exceptional warrior...who is so cold and sadistic that the Greek leaders, despite being utterly jaded by ten years of warfare, are horrified by him. Even his own grandmother seems to be appalled by him in the end.

* HistoryRepeats: At the end of the book, [[spoiler: Patroclus as a ghost learns that Pyrrhus abducted and raped the bride of Agamemnon's son, much as Paris abducted Helen; [[GeniusBonus if you're well-versed with the Classics, you'll know that bride is Hermione, Helen's daughter.]] And like Paris, Pyrrhus is killed for his crime. It's also a repetition of the rivalry between Achilles and Agamemnon over a woman, only this time Orestes is the one who's justified in his wrath and wins their conflict.]]

* HotBlooded: Achilles has the potential (he often reacts defensively and aggressively when threatened).

* ItsPersonal: Achilles ultimately kills Hector because he [[spoiler: killed Patroclus]], and he has become a DeathSeeker who wants to accelerate the prophecy that Hector must die before him. Plus, he wants ''revenge''.

* KarmicDeath: [[spoiler:Pyrrhus is certain his name will be as great or even ''greater'' than his father's, while both in this story and in classic mythology he dies incredibly young, meeting a shameful end when he kidnaps and rapes the bride of Orestes, who kills him for it. Pyrrhus says to Briseis, when she asks him what he would have of her, ''"Whatever I want,"'' and kills her when she attacks him and tries to escape; Patroclus's shade remembers Pyrrhus' words when he hears of the circumstances of the boy's death, emphasising how his cruelty both ruled and doomed him.]]

* MeaningfulName: "Patroclus" means "Father's Glory" - an IronicName because Patroclus is the biggest possible disappointment to his father.

** Patroclus later tries to be this with Achilles (a lot) and successfully with Agamemnon (once) when the latter is too stupid to realise that raping Briseis will give Achilles an excuse to kill him. Agamemnon realises what thin ice he's on not only Patroclus spelling out what will happen, but also the realisation that since nobody else told him this themselves (even though someone like Odysseus would most certainly have figured it out), it means the others are desperate enough to want him out of the picture.

** Poor Andromache is also claimed by Pyrrhus, meaning she has to submit to the son of the man who killed her husband...and who also viciously killed her baby son ''in front of her.'''

* ItShouldHaveBeenYou: [[spoiler:Agamnemon tries to console Achilles about Patrcolus' death by saying that in his final fought he had slain a demigod. Achilles only answer is that he would rather Patroclus let the army of men die instead of him.]]

* MoralityPet: Patroclus is this to Achilles. It's not that the demigod is a villain, but he doesn't care about most things the way normal humans do, except for how much he loves Patroclus. It is at his lover's request that he begins taking in the women to save them from becoming sex slaves.