ipl-logo

Comparing Gilgamesh And Achilles

484 Words2 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: The comparison between achilles and gilgamesh at the start of the epic gilgamesh

Comparison of Gilgamesh and Achilles In The Epic of Gilgamesh and The Iliad, Gilgamesh and Achilles carry the burden of being powerful heroes and assume the leadership roles that follow. We see both characters make selfish decisions, experience the effects of companionship, and undergo moral change throughout their journeys. Tracing their decisions shows how they change, and more importantly exhibits what drives their change. Gilgamesh’s main internal struggle is rooted in the well being of the people of Uruk versus the well being of himself. Gilgamesh’s practice of prima nocte and lack of compassion for his people inspires resentment from the public of Uruk. Without the support of his people, he rules Uruk for the sole benefit …show more content…

In The Epic of Gilgamesh, Gilgamesh crosses paths with Enkidu, a perfect man created by the gods. Enkidu spurs the process of changing Gilgamesh for the better by providing him with a valuable friendship that teaches him the benefits of caring about others. Achilles experiences the effects of companionship in a different context. When Patroclus goes to Achilles to use his armor to impersonate him in an effort to turn the tide of battle it effects Achilles emotionally. Patroclus is slain on the battlefield which eventually inspires Achilles to rejoin his fellow soldiers. The friendship of Patroclus shifts the mindset of Achilles similarly to how Enkidu’s friendship allows Gilgamesh to become a better king. Throughout both epics we see shifts from selfishness to selflessness. For Gilgamesh it is a more gradient shift towards benevolence, even though some events cause rapid changes of heart, such as slaying Humbaba and providing resources for Uruk. Achilles’s shift is much more abrupt, yet not as deep or meaningful. When he steps on the battlefield for the first time since abstaining he is not only doing it for Patroclus, but also his

Show More
Related
276 Words | 2 Pages

Epic Heroes: Gilgamesh and Achilles Achilles, from the ancient Greek epic of the Iliad, and Gilgamesh from the ancient Sumerian epic has many similarities as powerful god-like heroes. Achilles was seen as arrogant, and Gilgamesh was viewed as ruthless. However, Both Gilgamesh and Achilles hold on to this grief and rage for their loved ones and in both epics we see this factor blind both men as they hold on to death and loss. In Homer’s Illiad Achilles is grief stricken by the death of his extremely close friend, Patroclus.

Read More
491 Words | 2 Pages

The Iliad is primarily about how the war is affected because of Achilles anger. Achilles character does not precisely change but grows from what it was at the beginning of the fifty-one days. A characteristic that stays constant throughout the fifty-one days is, Achilles lets his emotion drive him into making blind a reckless decisions. A characteristic that develops throughout the book is Achilles sense of consequence(book 15-390 18).

Read More
1603 Words | 7 Pages

In ancient texts such as “The Epic of Gilgamesh” and “The Oxford Study Bible”, there are representations of resilient homo-social relationships, which two characters share. Within the text “The Epic of Gilgamesh”, there are two men, Enkidu and Gilgamesh. They share a strong companionship throughout the text because of how different they are, allowing them to connect with one another on a different level. Gilgamesh was a powerful king who ruled Uruk, however he was still young and needed to experience more in order to achieve all of the necessary knowledge to be a memorable king. Enkidu was a wild man who grew up amongst wild animals and he battled Gilgamesh.

Read More
860 Words | 4 Pages

It is described that “Achilles’ anger, doomed and ruinous,/that caused Achaeans loss on bitter loss/and crowded brave souls into the undergloom…” (Homer 229). Achilles’ rage would ultimately lead to unnecessary and needless death on the side of the Greeks, extending the bloody conflict significantly. His ire is drawn by Agamemnon when he wounds his pride; Agamemnon demanded that Achilles give up his prize - a woman who he had captured - and thus he withdrew from fighting. Later, when he shifts his anger towards the Trojan hero, Hector, he becomes so maddened with rage that he forgoes any sense of honor that he once had.

Read More
891 Words | 4 Pages

As long as a villain exists in a story, there will always be a heroine. So, you might ask, how exactly is a heroine defined by people? A hero according to the English dictionary is someone who possesses a courageous and honorable spirit, but also a person who has attributes, abilities, or unique characteristics that make individuals look up to them. With this in mind, throughout the many epics we have read so far, there have been several heroines such as Gilgamesh, Rama, Sita, Achilles, and Hector, but Gilgamesh and Achilles are the two characters in these epics that are extremely alike and different in so many ways. In particular, Gilgamesh and Achilles were both prideful and full of themselves alike in that matter, but they both were different in affluent power and overwhelming strength, which made them a heroine to fellow humans because of their superhuman abilities, high personal relationships, and great influence over people.

Read More
509 Words | 3 Pages

It is so deeply rooted that it encompasses Achilles, becoming a characteristic of this great warrior, influencing his actions and chooses throughout the story, such as leaving the fighting and considering the idea to return to Pythia. The depth of Achilles rage and hatred is demonstrated through in his response to Agamemnon, concerning the gifts he offered as compensation for his wrongs, saying that “not if his gifts outnumbered all the grains of sand and dust in the earth, no not even then could Agamemnon bring my fighting spirit round” (9.470-472). The true rage of Achilles is extremely important to the entire story of The Iliad, as from Book One through Book Nine Achilles allows this rage to control his actions, causing him to Achilles remains absent from the fighting as well as causing him to pray to Zeus that Trojans may receive the upper hand in the fighting so that the Greeks may suffer for Agamemnon’s actions. Therefore, this profound rage is an extremely important aspect of The Iliad, as it ultimately effects not only Achilles actions but also course of the

Read More
961 Words | 4 Pages

In the epic, within which many episodes are interlinked, depicts an image of a kind who underwent development and tends to understand the world where he was living. Within the version of the Babylonian, hero Gilgamesh 's character is best compared to Achilles. While comparing the characters of Achilles and Gilgamesh, he (Gilgamesh) changed and his nature was affected duet the presence and absence (loss) of Enid his comrade, thus the nature of Enkidu was static. Achilles ' nature and character followed the same pattern as that of Gilgamesh as he was also influenced by the presence and loss of Patroclus his comrade.

Read More
394 Words | 2 Pages

Gilgamesh is a powerful yet emotional king. Gilgamesh shows his weak side by saying “I have wept for him day and night…” After this he remains an epic hero in my opinion. The text states he went on a great dangerous journey and survived and killed the guard of The Cedar

Read More
1519 Words | 7 Pages

But still there are certain differences that can be drawn between them. The epic of Gilgamesh depicts the Sumerian culture and on the other hand iliad poem is set in ancient Greek culture. Even though they both grieve for the loss of their best friends, the main contrast is in how they react with this loss. Both Achilles and Gilgamesh were worried about the mortality and did not wanted to die at once in their life.

Read More
977 Words | 4 Pages

In the Iliad, Achilles is responding to Odysseus’s speech attempting to convince him to return to the war. Achilles’ main argument against returning is his incalculable rage against Agamemnon for “the prize of honor / The warlord Agamemnon gave me / And in his insulting arrogance took back” which is not only an insult to Achilles’ status, but also to his honor as a warrior (Il. 9.378-379). In addition to focusing on the main argument of Achilles’ speech, it is worth noting the contradictions present within his speech as well.

Read More
1051 Words | 5 Pages

In Homer’s The Iliad, epic hero Achilles serves as an example of how rage, when unchecked, leads to disastrous repercussions. Achilles, though nearly superhuman in his physical abilities, struggles repeatedly to contain his anger. Throughout The Iliad, as Achilles’ fury compounds, the consequences of his actions become catastrophic, eventually leading to the death of his best friend, Patroclus. Although Achilles ultimately chooses to avenge Patroclus’ death and achieve his own kleos, or honor, his rage-driven actions lead to the death of many Achaean soldiers, and change the course of his fate.

Read More
1002 Words | 5 Pages

Enkidu was chivalrous and cared for the well-being of the people, as did Gilgamesh, he just went about showing it in the wrong ways. Enkidu’s friendship made Gilgamesh a new man ultimately and a better king. The fact that we were the same yet so different makes the story more

Read More
427 Words | 2 Pages

Friendship is one of important part in our lives. Most of the time, a good friend knows you better than yourself. There are many meanings that relay to being a good friend, especially because everyone does not have the same personality. Similarly, in The Epic of Gilgamesh, we can perceive several relationships, but the one between Gilgamesh and Enkidu’s friendship plays an important part of the story.

Read More
1570 Words | 7 Pages

In the epic poem, the Iliad written by Homer, several characters taking part in the warfare between the Achaeans and the Trojans are portrayed as embodying the heroic code of courage, physical strength, leadership, arete of value of honour, and the acceptance of fate. The heroic code is illustrated by the actions of the Trojan prince, Hector and the Achaeans strongest warrior, Achilles. Both of these characters display the Greek’s image of a hero, and can also let the reader discern what the society admires, looks up to and aspires to in its heroes. There are also characters who fail to be heroic, such as the Trojan “vivid and beautiful” prince, Paris. These characters in the Iliad illustrate the qualities that Ancient Greek society values.

Read More
1512 Words | 7 Pages

Iliad is recognized as one of the most famous ancient monuments of literature. The full understanding of this epic poem is hardly possible without thorough analysis of its main characters. Among all the episodes of the Trojan War, Homer chooses the moment of Achilles’ wrath and thus creates a poem in which he becomes the central figure. From the Ancient Greeks’ point of view, Achilles represents the ideal of manliness and pure heroism, for he is brave and fights for heroics, not profits. Today, one can agree with this interpretation, yet Achilles is probably the most controversial character because he combines various personality traits and acts in accordance with his ambiguous nature.

Read More

More about Comparing Gilgamesh And Achilles

Related Topics

Open Document