Character Analysis
Chancellor Gorkon is almost single-handedly responsible for fostering peace between the Klingon Empire and Federation. Sure, he had some help along the way, but nobody made as big of a contribution as he did.
He was the first to fight to make "the undiscovered country" of the future a peaceful one, for instance. Besides Spock, everyone else thinks he's nuts—Kirk included. Being a sharp fellow, Gorkon sees this resistance and understands the reasons behind it:
GORKON: You don't trust me, do you? I don't blame you. If there is to be a brave new world, our generation is going to have the hardest time living in it.
Like Kirk, Gorkon comes from a bygone era, one in which Klingons and humans were mortal foes. Now, however, Gorkon realizes that the best thing for his people is peace, and he's willing to fight for that no matter how much it hurts his pride.
Of course, Gorkon ends up losing a lot more than his pride due to his efforts—he loses his life. Nevertheless, although his assassination is tragic, we think Gorkon would see it as a worthy sacrifice, since it inspires both Kirk and Azetbur to finish the work he started.