I have to restrain myself from thinking too much about Paris or else I get way too sad.
Imagine you're just a shepherd, some nobody,
And one day the gods offer you a choice. You know that in this very instant, you are the most important mortal in the world. It's a doom. You know there is no good answer, so you choose what feels the most human : love.
And then suddenly everything changes. You were a shepherd, now you are a prince. You were happy and satisfied taking care of cows and sleeping next to your wife, but now you are in a palace with another man's wife.
And then there is your brother. The eldest and greatest of all of Priam's sons. You admire him, everyone loves him. He hates you, everyone hates you. You don't blame them.
Only once you try to actually stand up for your city (duel against Menelaus), and even there you can't do anything. A god has to save you. You know everyone in your city wishes you would've died there. You can't blame them.
You didn't learn how to fight or lead an army. The best you can ever do is to shoot someone in the foot. To you it is awesome, it's the greatest you've done so far- but next to what anyone else has done since the beginning of this war, your "exploit" is ridiculous to celebrate.
I'm sorry but I just cannot hate him. I feel so bad for him. He never asked for any of that. He will forever be blamed for the choice he had no control over and no possible good answer to give.
(I KNOW he's not a poor little victim who must be protected. Ik he's annoying and a bad person- but so is everyone else. I don't think he's a worse person than most other characters (maybe more annoying yes but it's not his fault he's blond (/nsrs)
