In The Iliad and Gilgamesh, the main troubled characters, Gilgamesh and Achilles, find themselves in pursuit of two main themes: glory and immortality in some way, shape, or form. Both stories explain the different missions that each tormented hero takes to find these themes and what price they must pay to obtain them. Gilgamesh finds his answers through the creation of his friend Enkidu. Achilles finds his answers through glory in war. Both Gilgamesh and Achilles will be evaluated in their individual missions to find glory and immortality, assessed by the attributes that make up their characters, and compared side-by-side through their strengths and weaknesses.
In the classis epic Gilgamesh, the story centers on the King of Uruk, Gilgamesh. He is two-thirds god and one-third human, making for the epitome of an all-powerful ruler. Where, although, he is a strong hero in the eyes of his people, he unfortunately takes on the role of being arrogant, oppressive, and brutal as well. His body composition and uncontrollable libido makes him feel entitled; he forces women to sleep with him and provokes fights with weak men.…show more content… His ego causes him to reject the advances of Ishtar, the goddess of love. After being rejected, she unleashes the Bull of Heaven against the people of Uruk as a punishment to Gilgamesh. Gilgamesh and Enkidu dispatch the bull, and then he spites Ishtar. The death of the Bull brings about the slow and painful death of Enkidu. This reveals to Gilgamesh just how mortal, helpless, and alone he truly is and always has been. Not being able to comprehend and accept his unavoidable fate, he sets out to find the formula for immortality. He is stripped of nearly all of his dignity, yet maintains his determination during his quest. He becomes more like his late companion Enkidu and resonates something more of a wild animal than a