Prize Night is a time for high school students to claim honor based on their performance throughout the school year. The instinct for praise and honor echoes in human history and is fully presented in Madeline Miller’s The Song of Achilles. The book retells the tragic death of the well-known hero Achilles and his great partner Patroclus. Through depicting this pair of lovers' characteristics, Miller gradually reveals how each behavior connects to the idea of honor. The timeless theme of honor in the book provokes students to ponder egoism and altruism, illustrating that true honor is defined as selfless devotion instead of selfish glory.

        The actions of both Achilles and Patroclus are all based on winning honor, either for themselves or for others. Odysseus persuades Achilles to join the Trojan War by bringing up Achilles’s prophecy, “If you go to Troy, your fame will be so great that a man will be written into eternal legend just for having passed a cup to you” (Miller 165). Achilles attends the Trojan War because he wants to gain fame, believed to be a main outer expression of the honor one possesses. He desires to be the best warrior and renowned everlastingly, regardless of losing his life. Such pursuit of honor is the core motivation behind all his decisions. Additionally, Patroclus proposes to frighten the Trojans, so that Achilles “will not have to break your oath, yet the Greeks will be saved” (Miller 324). Patroclus offers to fight in Achilles's place as a compromise because he wishes to save the Greeks while maintaining his partner’s honor. In doing so, he conserves Achilles’s reputation among the Greeks and Achilles’s dignity in keeping the oath. Patroclus, driven by his love for Achilles, manifests this love as saving Achilles’s honor. Thus, both of them are honor-oriented.

        Patroclus unintentionally wins honor by saving the lives of others, whereas Achilles diminishes his honor by acting indifferent toward the death of others, even though he aims to preserve his honor. When confronted with the prospect of losing Briseis, Patroclus questions him, “She is one of us [...] Where is your honor?” (Miller 285). Achilles refuses to find a resolution to save Briseis since he values the execution of his revenge plan to redeem his honor more than Briseis’s safety. He plans to sacrifice her to get Agamemnon’s apology only to maintain his dignity, considered a superficial aspect of honor, and using a friend's safety to preserve his honor disgraces him more. Even Patroclus, always loyal and admiring of him, is disappointed in Achilles’s choice. Moreover, when Achilles quits fighting for the Greeks, the people “are angry with Achilles. They blame him for their losses” (Miller 313). The soldiers once worshiped Achilles as a god, entrusting their lives and hopes for victory to him. However, as Achilles behaves as a bystander and intentionally ignores the people around him suffering, the original bond between him and the Greeks, the true honor and adoration built upon trust, now breaks up. His self-centered decisions let everyone around him down, bringing him not fame but merely shame. Therefore, Achilles’s egotistical attempts to save his glory detract from his honor.

        On the contrary, Patroclus gains his honor by considering others before his own interest. For example, whenever Patroclus greets the wounded soldiers, “they would raise a hand in return, point to a scar that had healed over well” (Miller 261). He treats the wounded soldiers day and night without expecting a return, memorizing and calling their names to show care. His generous dedication earns him the respect and gratitude of the Greeks, who keep Patroclus’s meticulous care in mind and acknowledge him as a great man, even a friend. His genuine friendships with the soldiers naturally grow his reputation in the army, bringing him true honor. Furthermore, As Patroclus narrates, “I am known for my honesty, for my kindheartedness. There is no reason to disbelieve me” (Miller 293). Despite having conflict with Patroclus and his partner, Agamemnon still admits the words of Patroclus and promises Beiseis’s safety since Patroclus has built a trustworthy prominence amongst the Greeks. This universally acknowledged fame of Patroclus contributes to a great part of his honor. Overall, Patroclus attains honor through his manners and devotion to his people, which pure honor will never be wiped out and defiled because his kind nature will always remain the same.

        Madeline Miller demonstrates honor as a timeless theme by contrasting the honor achieved by Achilles and Patroclus, conveying that honor is gained from selflessness instead of selfishness. Achilles strives to assert his superiority to highlight his honor, ending in losing it. On the other hand, Patroclus endeavors to help others by every means, obtaining honor as the best of Myrmidons. This dramatic comparison leaves a lasting impression on the readers, rooting the lesson of genuine honor in the students’ minds, which encourages them to create a more harmonious and beneficial environment in daily life.