In life people often have a certain person to depend on or go to for support. In a sense, this person “completes” us and helps us get through life. This person can be a friend, sibling, or spouse. In The Epic of Gilgamesh and the Iliad by Homer, the element and significance of male comradeship is apparent through the friendships of both Gilgamesh and Enkidu, and Achilles and Patroclus.
In the beginning of The Epic of Gilgamesh, Gilgamesh is characterized positively as a powerful warrior and king. However, he is also characterized negatively as an oppressive and arrogant ruler. Despite the fact that Uruk is described as a beautiful and wealthy city, its people are suffering under the rule of Gilgamesh. “In the enclosure of Uruk he strode back and forth, lording it like a wild bull, his head thrust high. The onslaught of his weapons had no equal” (Gilgamesh, lines 55-57). The author’s use of simile and imagery compares Gilgamesh to a wild bull that cannot be stopped. There is no one that can match or keep Gilgamesh’s power in check. As a result, the gods create Enkidu to challenge Gilgamesh. Up to this point in the epic, it is not shown that Gilgamesh has any friends. Everyone in Uruk seems to live in fear of Gilgamesh and his power. With the creation of Enkidu, Gilgamesh becomes a more complete individual and he becomes dependent on Enkidu. On their journey to defeat the monster Humbaba, Enkidu provides Gilgamesh with the knowledge of the terrain and is able to create shelter for him. Enkidu additionally comforts Gilgamesh when he has nightmares and interprets his bad dreams. “We should rely on one another, we will accomplish together a deed unheard of in the land” (Gilgamesh, lines 154-155). It is shown that Enkidu is also dependent on Gilgamesh and that they have a strong relationship.
Gilgamesh’s dependence on Enkidu and their relationship is further highlighted after the death of his friend. When Enkidu passes away from a terrible illness caused by the gods, Gilgamesh falls into a depression and mourns for his friend. “He touched his heart but it was not beating. Then he covered his friend’s face, like a bride’s. He hovered round him like an eagle, like a lioness whose cubs are in a pitfall, he paced to and fro, back and forth…” (Gilgamesh, lines 52-56). Gilgamesh’s depression is apparent and he cannot believe that his friend is actually gone. The author’s use of simile and imagery show Gilgamesh’s affection for Enkidu by covering his friend’s face like a bride’s, and his misery for Enkidu by circling him like a hawk and a lioness. Until this point in the epic, Gilgamesh believed that both he and Enkidu were invincible. He thought that they could not be defeated and that they would accomplish great things together. After Enkidu’s passing, Gilgamesh begins his mission to avenge his friend’s death by attempting to defeat death. He does not want to suffer the same fate as his friend and mourns his loss during the journey.
“Gilgamesh and Enkidu” http://rashaya.org/gilgamesh-and-hermon-mountain/
In the Iliad, the protagonist Achilles also has a special relationship with another character. After an embassy is sent to Achilles’s camp to persuade him to return to battle, it is shown that Patroclus and Achilles have a strong friendship. The two of them are relaxing in their camp with Achilles “plucking clear notes on a lyre” and Patroclus listening on sitting “in silence waiting for him to finish”. The narrator also highlights this relationship by stating “Patroclus obliged his beloved companion” (Iliad, line 209). Similar to Gilgamesh, up to this point in the epic it is not shown that Achilles has any friends. His soldiers are loyal to him but they are not portrayed as Achilles’s friends. Like the relationship between Gilgamesh and Enkidu, Patroclus makes Achilles a more complete individual and also keeps his anger in check. In the beginning of the Iliad, Achilles’s anger is described as “black and murderous”. Achilles is portrayed as a very dark and aggressive character. However, when Achilles is in the company of Patroclus, Achilles is a very calm and subdued individual. Achilles is dependent on Patroclus.
Achilles’s dependence on Patroclus and their relationship is further highlighted after the death of his friend. Patroclus’s death is foreshadowed when he decided to pursue his enemies and push them back into Troy. “Patroclus called to his horses and charioteer and pressed on after the Trojans and Lycians, forgetting everything Achilles had said and mindless of the black fates gathering above” (Iliad, lines 717-720). Patroclus did not listen to Achilles’s warning which would lead to his downfall by Hector. Similar to Gilgamesh, Achilles also falls into a depression and mourns for his friend when he hears the news of his friend’s passing. “A mist of black grief enveloped Achilles. He scooped up fistfuls of sunburnt dust and poured it on his head, fouling his beautiful face. Black ash grimed his fine-spun cloak as he stretched his huge body out in the dust and lay there, tearing out his hair with his hands” (Iliad, lines 23-29). The author’s use of imagery shows that Achilles is a great pain and he inflicts more pain onto himself by ripping out his hair. His appearance also deteriorates as he dirties both his face and his clothes. The death of Patroclus motivates Achilles to go back into battle and to avenge his friend’s death by defeating Hector. “I’m going now to find the man who destroyed my beloved – Hector” (Iliad, lines 120-121). Like Gilgamesh who is determined to defeat the thing that took Enkidu’s life which was death, Achilles is determined to defeat the person that took his Patroclus’s life which was Hector.
“Achilles and Patroclus” http://www4.wittenberg.edu/
The power and significance of comradeship is highlighted in The Epic of Gilgamesh and the Iliad. Through the relationship between Gilgamesh and Enkidu, we can see how one individual complemented the other and needed him for both love and support. When Enkidu leaves Gilgamesh, Gilgamesh falls into a depression and is hurt emotionally. Through the relationship between Achilles and Patroclus, we can see how Patroclus suppressed Achilles’s anger and made him more human. When Patroclus passes away, Achilles’s rage erupts and he seeks vengeance. Both Gilgamesh and Achilles were dependent on their respective friends and the power of friendship.