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Jason Feng (jyf2102)

Literature Humanities "Big Hearts" Essay, Professor Christia Mercer, 9/24/2010

Gilgamesh and Achilles are both renowned and feared warriors, yet their violence and

destruction are often juxtaposed with very different characteristics - love and camaraderie. Love and

camaraderie are perhaps even dominant over their warrior prowess because the deaths of their

"brothers", Enkidu and Patroklos, cause both of the heroes to radically change their outlooks on life.

By the end of the poem after much soul-searching, both of these characters have underwent a

transformation that changed them into better people. Before the death of Enkidu, Gilgamesh sought

glory in death and fearlessly gambled with his life. Enkidu's death scared Gilgamesh into fear of his own

death and propelled him to find immortality. After much effort, Gilgamesh realizes that such a quest is

impossible and focuses on being a good and just ruler. In contrast, Achilles knew he would die if he

fought in battle and avoided battle so he could live a long life instead. But the death of Patroklos made

him bitter and he sought revenge, despite knowing that doing so would lead to his own inevitable

demise. Only after his acceptance of his own death does Achilles becomes more compassionate to his

enemies and agrees to return Hectors body.

In Gilgamesh, the death of Enkidu was a critical turning point in Gilgamesh's outlook on life.

Prior to Enkidu's death, the two brothers lived in order to gain glory without fear of death. For

example, they chased after Humbaba, with the knowledge that Humbaba was very dangerous, for only

the sake of memorializing themselves to future generations. Gilgamesh proclaims to the elders "I will

conquer him in the Forest of Cedar: | Let the land learn Uruk's offshoot is mighty! | Let me start out, I

will cut down the cedar, | I will establish for ever a name eternal!" (2. 184-187 (20)) By killing

Humbaba and bringing back his cedar as a memorial, Gilgamesh intends never be forgotten.

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However, after the death of Enkidu, Gilgameshs attitude was radically changed. Enkidu died

due to a sickness curse from the Gods in revenge for killing the Golden Bull - this was a death without

glory and without warning. Enkidu laments that "[My god] has taken against me, my friend..., | [I do

not die] like one who [falls]in the midst of battle. | I was afraid of combat, and... | My friend, one who

[falls] in combat [makes his name,] | but I, [I do not fall] in [combat, and shall make not my name.]"

(8.263-267 (62)) The notion of what constitutes a glorious death is central to Enkidu's lamentation; a

glorious death is death in combat, whereas Enkidu's death is neither glorious nor immortalizing.

Gilgamesh's love for Enkidu's causes Gilgamesh to erect great statues in his honor but more

importantly causes Gilgamesh to radically change his goals from being immortalized in the hearts of his

people to actual, physical immortality. Gilgamesh goes on a journey to become immortal, yet by the

end of his journey, realizes that immortality is out of his reach. He realizes that the only way he could

be remembered forever is by becoming a better king in the glorious city he ruled, with brick walls that

could stand the test of time. By the end of the novel, Enkidu's original purpose of counterbalancing the

initially corrupt ruler, Gilgamesh, is fulfilled only through his own death.

Unlike Gilgamesh, Achilles was not interested in the glory of war. He was insulted that

Agamemnon took his concubine and refused to fight. He understood that he needed to choose between

either a short, glorious life, or a long, peaceful life. However, after his comrade, Patroklos, died,

Achilles grief and desire for revenge come to the surface. Without hesitation for his own life, Achilles

slew Hector, in effect, signing his own death warrant. Like Gilgamesh, the death of a loved friend

caused Achilles to radically change his perspective on his own life. Unlike Gilgamesh, Achilles changed

not by valuing his life more, but by seeking revenge. Where Enkidu's death made Gilgamesh

contemplative and reflective about his own life, Patroklos death caused Achilles to be rash and

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unreasonable. When offered food before a battle, Achilles said, "Food and drink mean nothing to my

heart | but blood does, and slaughter, and the groaning of men in the hard work" (19.213-214 (397)).

At this point, Achilles has undergone a complete transformation to only focusing on killing Hector,

which by extension is equivalent to killing himself.

Similar to Gilgamesh, the death of Patroklos forced Achilles to undergo a mental journey, from

which he emerged as a more compassionate human being. When Priam went to Achilles to beg for the

return of Hector, he implored Achilles to "...take pity upon me | remembering your father, yet I am

still more pitiful; | I have gone through what no other mortal on earth has gone through; | I put my

lips on the hands of the man who has killed my children" (24. 503-506 (488)). After taking revenge on

Hector, Achilles was able to sympathize with the grieving of the victim's family and agreed with Priam

to return Hector's body. In addition to seeking revenge, the death of Patroklos gave Achilles the

empathy to feel loss and sadness, ultimately giving him compassion and humanity.

Achilles and Gilgamesh both went through a dramatic transformation with the death of their

comrades. The death of their comrades forced both of these epic heroes to reevaluate what their

priorities were in life, though their priorities turned out to be exactly the opposite of each other. And

after looking deeper into themselves and trying to meet those priorities, they both became wiser,

gaining greater insight into the human condition.