Achilles and the heroic code

Is Achilles heroic? The question is difficult to answer even if one gathers all possible bits of information about the acts that Achilles performed throughout the poem. A hero is someone who is a man that shows courage and who is also admired by many people. Yes, in some instances Achilles was courageous, but in others, my opinion is that he wasn't. Not only does a hero possess the unique qualities of courage and not …

…such loved and respected figures in our lives. In the end, it was the attempt to seek Hector that turned him into a hero in my eyes. While he had his reasons for doing some of the things that he did earlier on in the poem, his determination to protect Patroclus even in his death is what sticks out in my mind, and because of that, I view Achilles as being an overall heroic person.