Achilles no longer notices the gruesomeness of war. In fact, he seems to enjoy warfare. But once again, Achilles uses his unnatural skill to protect Patroclus, proving that he’s not a human weapon at all. His love and his murderous skill are intertwined in this scene, which makes things morally complicated for Patroclus. And Achille’s violence, further, is so skillful as to be beautiful; he
is born to kill, even if that’s not all he does or wants to do. This used to horrify Patroclus, but in the midst of battle he now accepts its truth.