Is Achilles revenge justifiable, for the death of his cousin? why?

Answer 1

I believe his killing of Hector was justified. We have to remember, back then in that society familiar murder was looked upon very differently than it is today. If you killed my kin, I would have every right to exact vengence. In our hero's case, I think that he was just doing what duty called for.

We can put it into a much larger scope that will hopefully provide a better answer:

In the story of Troy(not the movie), The king of Sparta's wife is essentially kidnapped, so he goes to his brother and master, the king. The king takes this as a grave crime, and so attacks Troy. It is very justified. It is simply the most logical answer to something so damaging.

With that being said, let me ask you this:
If someone killed your family member in a altercation, would you want vengence?

I know I would, even if my kin's death was due to his idiocy.

Answer 2

In the movie Troy, Patroclus is portrayed as Achilles' cousin, but in the Iliad and the Odyssey he is Achilles' friend (lover in other stories).

Was Achilles revenge by killing Hector justifiable? That's debatable--a matter of opinion. Patroclus was wearing Achilles' armor because Achilles had refused to fight after his quarrel with Agamemnon when Hector had killed him, so it was a case of mistaken identity. But Achilles was too angered to see that (what's not to say that Patroclus wouldn't have been killed eventually anyways, even if he had been in his own armor?) and killed Hector out of vengeance. It was Achilles' pride that cost Patroclus his life, so one could say that Achilles avenging his death wasn't justifiable. But Achilles met his own demise, by the hand of Paris, Hector's brother. In the end I guess it doesn't really matter. Hector slew Patroclus, Achilles slew Hector, and then Paris slew Achilles.

Answer 3

Who was his cousin????