Now it’s clear that Odysseus and Diomedes engineered this entire scene—asking to see the girls dance, giving the gifts, then having the alarm horns blow—all to flush out Achilles. And, further, that Odysseus always knew who Patroclus was. Odysseus was always in control. Achilles amusement at playacting as a women continues to highlight the difference between him playing this role and the actual women who are living it. Meanwhile, not how Achilles doesn’t just shift from “woman” to “warrior,” but to a “warrior” so obviously powerful that he seems almost inhuman. This suggests that even when Achilles isn’t faking womanhood, he’s at least partially faking
manhood—he’s something more than human. This is something Patroclus never likes to think about. Achilles was never embarrassed by his disguise, but he’s now aware of how it could harm his reputation and modulates his response to the men accordingly. Clearly, his honor matters to him even if he’s never had to fight for it before.