The Illiad and Gilgamesh - Book Report/Review Example

The prestige accorded by ancient Greek civilization to the figure of Achilles, and the strong emotional attachment that goes with it, is worthy of readers attention especially because they find relatively unresponsive to this sullen and darkly brooding hero: "Rage - the Goddess, sing the rage of Peleus' son Achilles, murderous, doomed, that cost the Achaeans countless losses hurling down to the House of Death (Book I). Hector represents a hero who acts in social interests more than on his own, while Achilles takes into account his own interests and neglects social responsibility.

In contrast, Achilles is an ideal warrior, who is a little bit "crazy" when follows his own codex of norms. Hector is a philosopher who does not subdue to common norms, and this very feature helps him to keep away from ignorance and complacency existing in the world He is a man of nerve who is able to survive and protect others in any difficult Hector can be called an ideal moral "hero" in contrast to Achilles who is driven by his own success only. In contrast to these heroes, the role of Agamemnon is to protect his land and people.

His position as a king affects his decisions and actions during battles. On the other hand, the main weakness of Agamemnon is that his emotions govern the most critical decisions he has made. For warrior society, it is crucial to protect its population and invade the new lands, so the rulers do not take into account the death of soldiers and the cost of defeats. Agamemnon dishonors Achilles ruled by personal gain and military decisions. The main similarity of friendship between Achilles and Patroclus vs Gilgamesh and Enkidu is that both partners are opposites.

For instance, when Gilgamesh meets Enkidu he changes greatly becoming self-absorbed. Another similarity is that counterparts of the protagonists, Patroclus and Enkidu, eventually die. In contrast, in The Illiad, the heroes do not change so greatly complementing each other. Social values help Achilles and Patroclus to sustain individual identities and let them stand out from the crowd. In this case, both characters embody personal democracy. They are self-sufficient and courageous to succeed in life.

Society's response to heroism defines it as a set of behavior patterns and beliefs that can be tolerated in society. To some extent, Gilgamesh and Enkidu embody features of ideal "social" heroes who possess social justice. The main difference is that Gilgamesh tries to find immortality after the death of his friend, but Achilles does not. In contrast to Gilgamesh, Achilles is rude and ruthless; he acts on the basis of a personal code but does not take into account how his actions affect other people.

Gilgamesh is s a man of nerve who is able to survive and protect others in any difficult situation. The bond between Gilgamesh and Enkidu is based on companionship and sharing while the bond between Achilles and Patroclus is based on sexual relations. Gilgamesh and Enkidu are not deprived of love and generosity, being supporters of human values and morality. For Achilles and Patroclus world order and justice can be achieved only in bloody battles with enemies, so the hero needs to use his physical strength against evil.

Patroclus is older than Achilles. In both works, partners, Enkidu and Patroclus, have the greatest impact on their friends. Both Enkidu and Patroclus have a positive impact on the protagonists, but Enkidu's influence has changed Gilgamesh while Achilles remains tyrannical and self-centered. Works Cited Page