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The Song of Achilles Information
| Book Name: | The Song of Achilles |
| Author: | Madeline Miller |
| Pages | 284 |
| Language: | English |
| File Type: | PDF/ePub (Downloadable) |
| PDF Size: | 802 KB |
| ePub Size | 283 KB |
| Also Read | The Words I Wish I Said Pdf Free Download (EPUB) |
Achilles, “the best of all the Greeks,” is the handsome, powerful, and fast son of the vengeful sea goddess Thetis and the fabled king Peleus. Exiled from his country for an act of horrific brutality, Patroclus is a young and awkward prince. They risk the wrath of the gods by becoming inseparable after being thrown together by chance.
All the heroes of Greece are called upon to lay siege to Troy in Helen of Sparta’s name after hearing the news of her abduction. They have been taught in the arts of war and medicine by the centaur Chiron. Achilles, lured by the prospect of glory, joins their cause, and Patroclus, divided between loyalty and terror, eventually joins him. They have no idea that the harsh Fates will put them through an unimaginable ordeal and need an unthinkable sacrifice.
Introduction
Peleus, a small child who is both a king’s son and a king’s son, is the protagonist of this tale. He has a small stature and a bullish build, and his father didn’t find out about his mother’s humility until the big day. Peleus was a plain kid, but her father had promised her inheritance to her future spouse. He was born little and frail, incapable of great speed or strength. Because he wasn’t unwell, his father had doubts about him.
Men from all throughout Thessaly and Sparta congregate for the king’s generation’s games, where our tale unfolds. The races are hosted by the monarch, and the athletes, whose skin tones range from nut brown to white, spread out on the track in the hot heat. The winner receives a dusty green garland of leaves from a bull that has been slain. The race begins with the youngest boys competing, and one of them comes out on top.
Peleus, the child’s father, finally catches up to his son at the conclusion of the narrative and embraces him since the youngster is too slow to run with the younger kids. The boy’s dad has a lot of respect for Peleus’s wife and his son’s sluggishness. Without the garland, the boy’s hands seem hollow, yet his face is beaming with joy.
Peleus, his parents, and his mother all make brief appearances throughout the narrative. To make up for his father’s absence, he was skipping stones for her on the beach. Much time has passed, and the beach and shoreline are no longer recognisable.
About The Author Madeline Miller
Madeline Miller is a native New Yorker and native Philadelphian who was born in Boston. She obtained her BA and MA in Classics from Brown University. She has spent the last decade instructing and mentoring high school pupils in Latin, Greek, and Shakespeare. She has also attended the Committee on Social Thought at the University of Chicago and the Dramaturgy programme at Yale School of Drama, where she learned about the process of reimagining classical works for contemporary audiences. Presently, she is based in Cambridge, MA where she teaches and publishes her writing. Her debut novel is The Song of Achilles.
The Song of Achilles Book Summary
Instead of crafting a restricted version of the story that reeked of homophobia, like the movie producers of Troy (2004) did, Madeline Miller stuck loyal to the homosexuality of Homer’s Iliad. Passionate love between Achilles and Patroclus led to the downfall of both men. Soul partners, rather than first cousins or brothers in arms. The LGBT community was disrespected by the film Troy’s watered-down version of this. Just that. No less than that.
Neither man wasted time trying to force his feelings on the other. It was given eloquently and gradually built up. Friends since childhood, Patroclus fell in love with Achilles at first sight. He feared being separated from him. Two have a shared history of childhood, rivalry, education, and growth. They started depending on one other constantly. Their sexual bond developed organically as they continued to act sexually together.
They had problems, but that’s normal for any relationship. The two had their disputes. They fought and argued, but it was out of genuine concern for one another. Achilles didn’t think this battle was worth his reputation, and Patroclus wanted to stop it. So, Patroclus does something both courageous and foolish: he goes against the wishes of his lover and seeks to end the conflict with a single blow from his sword. However, he is not like Achilles; he is not a war deity. He was hopeless, overmatched, and in over his head.