When King Priam and Helen are on the Trojan ramparts, and Helen is describing the leaders of the Achaian forces to him, Priam is able to distinguish the kingly aspects of Agamemnon. He envies Agamemnon for his position as a "warrior-king," calling him a "blessed child of fortune and favor." As king of the Trojans, Priam is bothered by his not having a duality of roles. Agamemnon, it seems, has the best of both worlds; he is both a warrior and a king. Priam is only a king. He is no longer a warrior, and he must depend upon his son Hektor for prowess, as well as for continuing the kingship of Troy. In Priam's speech from the wall, before Hektor's duel with Achilles, the reader has a glimpse of Priam's torn feelings for Hektor, as well as his vision of Troy's destruction. Priam knows that Hektor is the only force that can save Troy, and if Achilles kills Hektor, then Priam cannot preserve his family or his city. As a king, he must use Hektor's "force," his warrior prowess to save Troy; as a father, though, Priam realizes that if his "force" is destroyed, he will lose a son.
As one critic points out, Hektor symbolizes Troy's security, and he must fight to remain the "symbol of Trojan stability." Priam knows this. He must act as king to save his city, but in doing so, he must sacrifice a son. Priam knows that Troy's destruction is imminent, and as a father, he does not want to sacrifice his son for a lost cause.
