There are many similarities that we see between Hector and Achilles that we see throughout the first ten books of The Iliad, but in my opinion, the juxtaposition between the two warriors isn’t as clear as it is when comparing two of the arguably most important passages of the book. The first passage is in book 6 when we see Hector go back to Troy and see him in his roles as a father and husband. The second passage is in book 9 when the embassy is trying to get Achilles to fight. In both these passages, we see the heros of both armies, Hector and Achilles, in a situation in which they are not in war, which is why both these books are my favorite. Seeing how they react to circumstances that don’t require them to take up arms and fight is not only interesting but also provides insight into how different the two characters are despite their congruency.
The first major difference that struck me was the fact that even though both heroes are some of the best fighters of their day, they choose to take themselves out of the fighting. The funny thing is how people are begging for Hector to stay whereas the Achaeans are begging Achilles to return to the fighting. Neither Achilles nor Hector relents to these requests as Hector continues fighting and Achilles continues to boycott the war, but interestingly enough, they use the same rational to justify opposite actions. Both Hector and Achilles mention honor as a reason for their actions. Hector sees that with the fall of Troy being inevitable, it will be more honorable to die fighting for his people and for his family than to as a coward. In the same way, Achilles says that he won’t fight because accepting Agamemnon’s gifts would not be more honorable than just leaving the war. We see that Hector has an obligation to his family, whereas Achilles only has an obligation to himself, and even though Hector is technically the enemy, we see him in a better light, which is an interesting move on Homer’s part.
A paragraph that caught my attention was when Achilles says in 6.506-10,
“One thing more. To the rest I’d pass on this advice:
sail home now! You will never set your eyes
on the day of doom that topples looming Troy.
Thundering Zeus has spread his hands above her-
her armies have taken heart!”
Not only is Achilles refusing to fight at the expense of his fellow Achaeans, he is encouraging that everyone else also go back home. Whereas at first, it seemed that Achilles was eventually going to return to the fighting once Agamemnon learned his lesson, now we see that he is actually considering leaving the Achaeans there to fail. He is now blatantly disregarding the oaths the princes made regarding the protection of Helen. This development really makes me reconsider Achilles’ character.
greatbooksthefifth 
“The same honer waits
for the coward and the brave. They both go down the Death,
the fighter who shirks, the one who works to exhaustion.
And what’s laid up for me, what pittance? Nothing-
and after suffering hardships, year in, year out,
staking my life of on the mortal risks of war” (9.386-91)
This is an exemplary moment for Achilles’ development. What he is fighting for, although, claimed as “honor” has traces of both true honor and dishonor within it. He tries to avoid the dishonor of submission to Agamemnon and sees a wasted use of his body in war, claiming that its prizes are “nothing”. In one way, Achilles IS being honorable by stopping his fighting. Indirectly, he is saving Trojan lives. However, he is also indirectly killing many Achaeans. I find his realization moving, for he sees that there is something beyond honor, glory, and legacy. If everyone receives the same things in war, and it really amounts to nothing, they must find some internal peace to find happiness. Rather than painting Hector as the stronger character, Homer shows that Achilles is in fact the more introspective and thoughtful hero.