Achilles, the main character in the Iliad by Homer, struggles with anger, honor, pride, loyalty and love during a gruesome war. Brutus on the other hand quells his emotion and continues to strive for what he believes is the greater good. Despite their differences in behavior, both these characters struggle with the pursuit of honor. These attributes of Achilles and Brutus is what makes them differ and still be similar.

Brutus is considered by all to be the “honorable man” but he is the stoic character in the tragedy of Julius Caesar. Brutus suppresses emotions throughout everything that happens. For example, when his wife Portia dies, Brutus bluntly states, “She is dead” (Act 4, Sc. 3 line 170). However, the reader is aware that Brutus is distressed by her death when he says “O Cassius, I am sick of many griefs” (Act 4 Sc 3 line 165). Brutus cleverly hides his emotions very well. He quickly changes the subject of Portia when he says “Speak no more of her.-Give me a bowl of wine.-In this I bury all unkindness, Cassius” (Act 4, sc 3 line183-184).

In contrast to Brutus’ lack of emotions, Achilles displays many emotions throughout the Iliad and often is controlled by them. When Agamemnon seized the captive slave Briseis from him during the war, Achilles withdrew the Myrmidons from battle and sulked in his tent with self-pity. “Achilles burst into tears, and went apart from his friends; he threw himself down by the grey sea, and gazing over the waters stretched out his hands, calling to his mother” (Homer, 17). Achilles wines to his mother like a child and by not fighting, allows his personal emotions get in the way of Greek victory.         

Achilles loved Patroclos like a brother and showed it many times. When Patroclos was killed by Hector, Achilles was driven by his love for Patroclos and anger back into the battlefield. When Achilles meets Hector for the first time after Patroclos’ death, he says, “Near is the man of all others who has struck me to the heart! The man who killed my precious comrade! Now we need not shirk each other along the lines of battle! (Homer 243). This same rage is what caused Achilles to desecrate Hectors body after he was defeated. Before killing Hector, Achilles says to him, “Hector, I cannot forget. Lions and men make no truce, wolves and lambs have no friendship-they hate each other forever. So there can be no love between you and me…Now in one lump sum you shall pay for all my companions, whom you have slain and I have mourned” (Homer 260). Achilles has stated that he will never forgive Hector for killing Patroclos and he is so angry that he will not give him funeral rites. Achilles expresses pure hate for Hector and true love for Patroclos. This clash of emotions causes him to act like a mad man.

Brutus and Achilles greatly act on pride and honor. Brutus is so firmly committed to honor that he is prepared to die for its sake. He truly believes that his actions against Caesar are for the general good. Cassius recognizes Brutus’ faulty honor, and uses it to his advantage, when he says, “Well, Brutus, thou art noble. Yet I see Thy honorable mettle may be wrought From that it is disposed. Therefore it is meet That noble minds keep ever with their likes; For who so firm that cannot be seduced?” (act1 sc 2 lines 320-324). This approach to honor is what leads to Brutus’ downfall, a fault that he and Achilles share.

Achilles’ pride controls his every action. He stayed away from battle because Agamemnon wounded his pride by taking away Briseis. He says to his mother, “Let his gracious Majesty King Agamemnon know his own delusion, when he would not respect the best man of all!” (Homer 18). He declares himself the best among the Greeks and calls his king delusional.

Achilles valued his friendship to Patroclos. He admits this when he says, “I cared for him more than all my companions; as much as for my own life” (217). He stayed loyal to him to the end. Achilles risked his life and ended his strife against Agamemnon to avenge his friend. At the assembly, Achilles says, “Atreides, what good was it to us both, you and me, to take things to heart so, and to fall into a soul-devouring feud for a girl?” (Homer 229). He is ending the fight with Agamemnon and calling the whole thing a mistake. Achilles also kept the promise that he made to Patroclos to burn with him twelve noble Trojans and give him the funeral of a hero.

Brutus did not stay loyal to Caesar forever. He betrayed Caesar’s trust and ultimately ended his life. He declares that he is not envious of Caesar when he says, “That you do love me, I am nothing jealous”(act 1 sc 2 p171) and he makes justifications to himself when he says, “For my part,  I know no personal cause to spurn at him,  But for the general.” He says that he is not killing Caesar for himself, but for the Roman people. Even as he dies, he claims, “My heart doth joy that yet in all my life I found no man but he was true to me” (act 5 sc 5 lines 38-39). However he has used Caesar’s supposed betrayal of himself and of his fellow Romans as an excuse for the assassination. If Brutus is telling the truth about Caesar being the greatest friend he ever had, than Brutus is the untrue one and his conduct was dishonorable to Caesar.