Achilles And Gilgamesh Research Paper

1091 Words5 Pages
The relationship between Achilles and Patroclus significantly mirrors the relationship Gilgamesh shared with Enkidu. In both the Iliad and the Epic of Gilgamesh, the heroic figure of each poem exists where they are demi gods who try to fight their fate in which they will eventually face death. As they attempt to fight their unfortunate fate, they come across another man, whom they love, but is forced to spectate the event of their death. The death of Patroclus and Enkidu cause Achilles and Gilgamesh to experience an unbearable pain and wrath within themselves. However, through their grief, Achilles and Gilgamesh are both able to accept their mortal fate and return to their communities with a more profound perspective. Therefore, the encounters with and the death of Patroclus and Enkidu are both essential events for the heroic figures, Achilles and Gilgamesh, to acquire knowledge and accept their true identities, respectively. In order for Achilles or Gilgamesh to accept their mortal identities, their encounters with Patroclus and Enkidu were critical. However, the relationship that they shared with one another were dissimilar. The Iliad introduces Achilles and Patroclus’ relationship in a…show more content…
He was born as two-third god, and one-third human, and possessing the divine traits, he rejected the idea his mortal fate and refused to believe that one day, he too will face death. When the gods realize the terrorism Gilgamesh was placing upon the civilians, they create Enkidu to challenge him. Enkidu was created to be a mirror image of Gilgamesh, and upon their first encounter, they challenge one another based on their strengths. The battle between Gilgamesh and Enkidu is put to a rest when they realize that their strengths were equivalent and builds a friendship together. As a result, Gilgamesh and Enkidu both acquire a relationship that resembles that of two
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