[The Song of Achilles] Achilles/Patroclus | peripeteia: the point of no return
Title: peripeteia: the point of no return
Summary: In which Achilles is a PITA, there are lots of Patroclus feeeeeels, and everyone dies.
Fandom: The Song of Achilles
Characters/Pairings: Achilles/Patroclus
Genre: Romance, angst/tragedy
Rating: G
Warnings: N/A
Author's Notes: For round 11 of waywardmixes; theme: mythology.
The Song of Achilles: Madeline Miller retells the story of Achilles and Patroclus in her novel, taking elements from Homer's Illiad and other Greek sources. Many of the plot points remain the same (Achilles is a huge dick and Patroclus suffers because of said dickishness and everyone dies), but I view the novel as a giant fanfic on their relationship because Miller does change a few things (e.g. Achilles and Patroclus are not cousins). It's a poetic (first-person) narrative of their relationship from boys to young men (friends to companions to beloveds), and I LOVE IT A LOT SOB. It's a story about destiny and fate and tragedy and brotherhood and love and HOW NOT TO BE A GIANT DICK.
[More about Achilles. Spoiler: HE IS A DICK.]
Achilles: Achilles is a grade-A dick. He is the son of King Peleus and the sea nymph Thetis (who is a bamf in her own right do NOT cross her because omg she is one protective mother and a rightly wrathful hbic), who is essentially promised to be a god (even though he is a man), remembered for his heroic deeds. He is the golden boy of the book, the young fearless leader that everyone follows after. He's fast, gr10 with a spear, and worshipped quite a bit. His dickishness comes about many a time, but especially when the Greeks went to war with the Trojans; he totally unleashes his childish tantrums and pouts while people die, and thus pushes Patroclus to fight in his place. After Patroclus dies at Hector's hand, Achilles RAEGES and kills a lot of people and Hector and drags Hector's body back to rot like a little shit. (He does return it to Hector's father after a while. Still, dick.) And then he dies after more battling.
[More about Patroclus. Spoiler: HE IS THE BEST EVER.]
Patroclus: Patroclus in the book is not Achilles's cousin; he's an unwanted only son who got conned into signing his life away to protect Helen's marriage as a child (WTF ODYSSEUS), got bullied a ton and accidentally killed one of his bullies, and then got sent away to be fostered by Peleus because he didn't lie about it. A+ parenting right there. He's characterised as a peripheral character, a watcher. He's contented to be Achilles's shadow, but shows an aptitude for surgery, and this makes him a bamf during the Trojan War. He is empathetic and compassionate-he helps the female POWs a lot a lot OMG BRISEIS; he takes Achilles's place when the battles turn sour for the Greeks, and Hector kills him, thus leading to Achilles's revenge and eventual death.
In the novel, his narrative continues after his death with him as a disembodied spirit still begging for Achilles to change his dickish ways. Even after Achilles dies, he remains as a ghost, because Achilles's son Pyhrrus (an even bigger asshole) refused to mingle their ashes together as per Achilles's wishes. The novel ends with the realisation that the entire narrative is in fact a mix of Patroclus telling Achilles's story to Thetis in remembrance and celebration of his beloved and their relationship together, and it's only after that that Patroclus finds peace with the help of Thetis and joins Achilles in the Elysian Fields. Patroclus essentially sings Achilles's song (i.e. TSOA), his swan song to Thetis and the world of his love before he leaves for the Elysian Fields, but I understand it as that it's really Patroclus's own song, even though Achilles is in the starring role.
Peripeteia: It's prophesised that death will come to Achilles after Hector dies; it's a recurring reminder in the novel: Patroclus hopes and tells Achilles not to kill Hector, whilst the other Greek warriors ponder why Achilles refuses to kill one of their biggest foes, to which Achilles says, "What has Hector ever done to me?" (KLAXON IRONY FORESHADOWING CREYS KLAXON) So that's the point of no return, when Achilles ignores Patroclus's pleading for him not to be an ass, and that leads to the downfall of my boo Patroclus.
*
Mine is Yours » Cold War Kids
A realistic love runs out of room
I try to talk big but my mouth don't move
Cause I don't own the sun I don't own the moon
They only come out when they want to
They don't care whether I promise you
It's not a grandiose love. It's a simple one. Patroclus devotes himself to Achilles; it's clear from the start. He admires him and envies him at first, then adores him 100%, before he acknowledges his love for this silly child. He can't offer Achilles anything, as a cast-out son, but Achilles accepts him as companion, which means a great deal to Patroclus. I'm rambling, but basically P really really really loves A and shows it, even though A's a PITA. IDK.
*
From Finner » Of Monsters and Men
And the waves that hit his face
Marked the past
And the the farrows on his skin
Oh, how time goes fast
And we are far from home, but we're so happy
Far from home, all alone, but we're so happy
For our boys, when they undergo training with Chiron. A blissful time, a time before the War, before they were aware of Achilles's fate. The song itself was chosen because it's about the sea, and one of the biggest motifs in the novel is the sea-Thetis is a sea nymph, the boys spend time at the beach, and they like to skip stones across the waters.
*
Turn to Stone » Ingrid Michaelson
I know that I'm nothing new
There's so much more than me and you
But brother how we must atone
Before we turn to stone
A nod to the turning of history, to the artifacts that portray the relationship between Achilles and Patroclus. Also a reference to Patroclus's self-doubt and low self-esteem, as well as his struggle with (and eventual acknowledgement of) the fact that they are not allowed to be drifters together: they have duties (especially Achilles but Patroclus too, because he's bound to help get Helen back) that are more important than what they have with each other. Exchanging their happy days for war: destiny/fate solidifies into fact.
*
Changing Seasons » Sea Wolf
I watched you sleeping and could not believe it
You and I beneath shadows on ceiling
You seem so different, so much younger than before
I'm still the impostor with my suitcase on the floor
[…]
I put on the brave face
Left some words on paper legs
Hoping that I would some day come to be
A man you always saw in me
For the quiet moments in Peleus's palace (as companions), in Chiron's cave (as lovers), in the tents (as comrades/beloveds). As mentioned above, Patroclus is a watcher, an observer; he also feels like an outsider a lot (foster son + he's not a warrior at ALL). He proves himself as worthy as Achilles in his own ways-surgery on the battlefield, saving as many female POWs as possible, fighting for Briseis, pleading with Achilles on behalf of the Greeks and later even Hector, and finally dying so as to do the right thing.
*
on tumblr
*
Skip the Charades » Cold War Kids
It was you who were wildest
It was you who floated above us all
I held on with wires
Will you come back down if I let you go?
Let's skip the charades
You're seeing right through me anyway
Can we just speak plain?
We're playing for the same team
But I'm the one that's acting like I'm so strong
You're the one that's acting like nothing's wrong
The later part of their relationship is turbulent because they fight a lot, due to Achilles being an arse (I'M NOT SORRY. HE /IS/ ONE.). Kind of self-explanatory???
*
When Doves Cry » Alex Clare
How can you just leave me standing
Alone in a world that's so cold?
Maybe I'm just too demanding
Maybe I'm just like my father too bold
Maybe you're just like my mother
She's never satisfied
Why do we scream at each other
This is what it sounds like
When doves cry
DUDES. A LOT GOING ON. DEATH, or the fear of death on both sides. Fighting, quarreling. Reference to Peleus, the too-bold father who did unspeakable things to Thetis because gods are MAJOR ASSHOLES. Reference to Thetis, who's always pushing Achilles to chase his right to glory (and to forget about Patroclus). A mix of both Achilles's and Patroclus's POVs.
*
Bleeding Out » Imagine Dragons
I'm bleeding out
So if the last thing that I do is bring you down
I'll bleed out for you
So I bare my skin and I count my sins
And I close my eyes and I take it in
I'm bleeding out
I'm bleeding out for you, for you
First song chosen for this mix L B R. Patroclus dying at the hands of Hector, knowing that his death is going to bring Achilles down. I CAN'T.
*
Gracious » Ben Howard
'Cause I, I adore you so when it all comes clear
The wind is settled, I'll be here, you know
'Cause you said ours were the lighthouse towers
The sand upon that place
Darling I'll grow weary, happy still
With just the memory of your face
Gracious goes the ghost of you
And I will never forget the plans and the
Silhouettes you drew here and
Gracious goes the ghost of you, my dear
Patroclus as spirit. Reference to sun and sand, again two of the many motifs within the novel. After Achilles dies, Patroclus cannot follow because he's troubled by the fact that they're not buried together, and he doesn't find rest. So when he meets Thetis, he tells the story of Achilles (/their/ story-unsaid, but defiantly weaved in, is the song of Patroclus himself).
*
Hallelujah » Jeff Buckley [BONUS]
And love is not a victory march
It's a cold and it's a broken Hallelujah
*
DOWNLOAD | YOUTUBE
Summary: In which Achilles is a PITA, there are lots of Patroclus feeeeeels, and everyone dies.
Fandom: The Song of Achilles
Characters/Pairings: Achilles/Patroclus
Genre: Romance, angst/tragedy
Rating: G
Warnings: N/A
Author's Notes: For round 11 of waywardmixes; theme: mythology.
The Song of Achilles: Madeline Miller retells the story of Achilles and Patroclus in her novel, taking elements from Homer's Illiad and other Greek sources. Many of the plot points remain the same (Achilles is a huge dick and Patroclus suffers because of said dickishness and everyone dies), but I view the novel as a giant fanfic on their relationship because Miller does change a few things (e.g. Achilles and Patroclus are not cousins). It's a poetic (first-person) narrative of their relationship from boys to young men (friends to companions to beloveds), and I LOVE IT A LOT SOB. It's a story about destiny and fate and tragedy and brotherhood and love and HOW NOT TO BE A GIANT DICK.
[More about Achilles. Spoiler: HE IS A DICK.]
Achilles: Achilles is a grade-A dick. He is the son of King Peleus and the sea nymph Thetis (who is a bamf in her own right do NOT cross her because omg she is one protective mother and a rightly wrathful hbic), who is essentially promised to be a god (even though he is a man), remembered for his heroic deeds. He is the golden boy of the book, the young fearless leader that everyone follows after. He's fast, gr10 with a spear, and worshipped quite a bit. His dickishness comes about many a time, but especially when the Greeks went to war with the Trojans; he totally unleashes his childish tantrums and pouts while people die, and thus pushes Patroclus to fight in his place. After Patroclus dies at Hector's hand, Achilles RAEGES and kills a lot of people and Hector and drags Hector's body back to rot like a little shit. (He does return it to Hector's father after a while. Still, dick.) And then he dies after more battling.
[More about Patroclus. Spoiler: HE IS THE BEST EVER.]
Patroclus: Patroclus in the book is not Achilles's cousin; he's an unwanted only son who got conned into signing his life away to protect Helen's marriage as a child (WTF ODYSSEUS), got bullied a ton and accidentally killed one of his bullies, and then got sent away to be fostered by Peleus because he didn't lie about it. A+ parenting right there. He's characterised as a peripheral character, a watcher. He's contented to be Achilles's shadow, but shows an aptitude for surgery, and this makes him a bamf during the Trojan War. He is empathetic and compassionate-he helps the female POWs a lot a lot OMG BRISEIS; he takes Achilles's place when the battles turn sour for the Greeks, and Hector kills him, thus leading to Achilles's revenge and eventual death.
In the novel, his narrative continues after his death with him as a disembodied spirit still begging for Achilles to change his dickish ways. Even after Achilles dies, he remains as a ghost, because Achilles's son Pyhrrus (an even bigger asshole) refused to mingle their ashes together as per Achilles's wishes. The novel ends with the realisation that the entire narrative is in fact a mix of Patroclus telling Achilles's story to Thetis in remembrance and celebration of his beloved and their relationship together, and it's only after that that Patroclus finds peace with the help of Thetis and joins Achilles in the Elysian Fields. Patroclus essentially sings Achilles's song (i.e. TSOA), his swan song to Thetis and the world of his love before he leaves for the Elysian Fields, but I understand it as that it's really Patroclus's own song, even though Achilles is in the starring role.
Peripeteia: It's prophesised that death will come to Achilles after Hector dies; it's a recurring reminder in the novel: Patroclus hopes and tells Achilles not to kill Hector, whilst the other Greek warriors ponder why Achilles refuses to kill one of their biggest foes, to which Achilles says, "What has Hector ever done to me?" (KLAXON IRONY FORESHADOWING CREYS KLAXON) So that's the point of no return, when Achilles ignores Patroclus's pleading for him not to be an ass, and that leads to the downfall of my boo Patroclus.
*
Mine is Yours » Cold War Kids
A realistic love runs out of room
I try to talk big but my mouth don't move
Cause I don't own the sun I don't own the moon
They only come out when they want to
They don't care whether I promise you
It's not a grandiose love. It's a simple one. Patroclus devotes himself to Achilles; it's clear from the start. He admires him and envies him at first, then adores him 100%, before he acknowledges his love for this silly child. He can't offer Achilles anything, as a cast-out son, but Achilles accepts him as companion, which means a great deal to Patroclus. I'm rambling, but basically P really really really loves A and shows it, even though A's a PITA. IDK.
*
From Finner » Of Monsters and Men
And the waves that hit his face
Marked the past
And the the farrows on his skin
Oh, how time goes fast
And we are far from home, but we're so happy
Far from home, all alone, but we're so happy
For our boys, when they undergo training with Chiron. A blissful time, a time before the War, before they were aware of Achilles's fate. The song itself was chosen because it's about the sea, and one of the biggest motifs in the novel is the sea-Thetis is a sea nymph, the boys spend time at the beach, and they like to skip stones across the waters.
*
Turn to Stone » Ingrid Michaelson
I know that I'm nothing new
There's so much more than me and you
But brother how we must atone
Before we turn to stone
A nod to the turning of history, to the artifacts that portray the relationship between Achilles and Patroclus. Also a reference to Patroclus's self-doubt and low self-esteem, as well as his struggle with (and eventual acknowledgement of) the fact that they are not allowed to be drifters together: they have duties (especially Achilles but Patroclus too, because he's bound to help get Helen back) that are more important than what they have with each other. Exchanging their happy days for war: destiny/fate solidifies into fact.
*
Changing Seasons » Sea Wolf
I watched you sleeping and could not believe it
You and I beneath shadows on ceiling
You seem so different, so much younger than before
I'm still the impostor with my suitcase on the floor
[…]
I put on the brave face
Left some words on paper legs
Hoping that I would some day come to be
A man you always saw in me
For the quiet moments in Peleus's palace (as companions), in Chiron's cave (as lovers), in the tents (as comrades/beloveds). As mentioned above, Patroclus is a watcher, an observer; he also feels like an outsider a lot (foster son + he's not a warrior at ALL). He proves himself as worthy as Achilles in his own ways-surgery on the battlefield, saving as many female POWs as possible, fighting for Briseis, pleading with Achilles on behalf of the Greeks and later even Hector, and finally dying so as to do the right thing.
*
on tumblr
*
Skip the Charades » Cold War Kids
It was you who were wildest
It was you who floated above us all
I held on with wires
Will you come back down if I let you go?
Let's skip the charades
You're seeing right through me anyway
Can we just speak plain?
We're playing for the same team
But I'm the one that's acting like I'm so strong
You're the one that's acting like nothing's wrong
The later part of their relationship is turbulent because they fight a lot, due to Achilles being an arse (I'M NOT SORRY. HE /IS/ ONE.). Kind of self-explanatory???
*
When Doves Cry » Alex Clare
How can you just leave me standing
Alone in a world that's so cold?
Maybe I'm just too demanding
Maybe I'm just like my father too bold
Maybe you're just like my mother
She's never satisfied
Why do we scream at each other
This is what it sounds like
When doves cry
DUDES. A LOT GOING ON. DEATH, or the fear of death on both sides. Fighting, quarreling. Reference to Peleus, the too-bold father who did unspeakable things to Thetis because gods are MAJOR ASSHOLES. Reference to Thetis, who's always pushing Achilles to chase his right to glory (and to forget about Patroclus). A mix of both Achilles's and Patroclus's POVs.
*
Bleeding Out » Imagine Dragons
I'm bleeding out
So if the last thing that I do is bring you down
I'll bleed out for you
So I bare my skin and I count my sins
And I close my eyes and I take it in
I'm bleeding out
I'm bleeding out for you, for you
First song chosen for this mix L B R. Patroclus dying at the hands of Hector, knowing that his death is going to bring Achilles down. I CAN'T.
*
Gracious » Ben Howard
'Cause I, I adore you so when it all comes clear
The wind is settled, I'll be here, you know
'Cause you said ours were the lighthouse towers
The sand upon that place
Darling I'll grow weary, happy still
With just the memory of your face
Gracious goes the ghost of you
And I will never forget the plans and the
Silhouettes you drew here and
Gracious goes the ghost of you, my dear
Patroclus as spirit. Reference to sun and sand, again two of the many motifs within the novel. After Achilles dies, Patroclus cannot follow because he's troubled by the fact that they're not buried together, and he doesn't find rest. So when he meets Thetis, he tells the story of Achilles (/their/ story-unsaid, but defiantly weaved in, is the song of Patroclus himself).
*
Hallelujah » Jeff Buckley [BONUS]
And love is not a victory march
It's a cold and it's a broken Hallelujah
*
DOWNLOAD | YOUTUBE