Gilgamesh-Enkidu/Achilles-Patroclus
In the Epic
of Gilgamesh, Endiku can be seen as a kind of surrogate for Gilgamesh
himself. When we meet Endiku, he is described as wild and uncivilized. It is
not until he meets the prostitute that he is compelled to emerge from the
wilderness and venture into the city to find Gilgamesh. Once they are united,
it becomes clear that they are two parts of a whole. One possesses certain
virtues that balance out his partner's faults. It is as if they are both halves
of the same coin. In the epic, Gilgamesh is squandering his abilities and not
facing his destiny. The same can be said of Achilles in the Iliad.
Similarly his dear friend, Patroclus, completes
Achilles. Achilles’ faults are balanced by Patroclus' virtues and it is his
death that functions as the catalyst for Achilles accepting his fate. This can
also be said of Endiku's death and its effect on Gilgamesh. Both heroes are
only persuaded to truly confront their destinies after their other half has
been taken away from them. They both suffer dearly, and seek answers after they
grieve. Achilles answers his grief with rage and seeks to avenge his other
half, and Gilgamesh seeks to find meaning in his own life and to explore the
limits of his mortality. Either way, in both cases, the heroes are moved to
question their mortality after their friend has died. Both are answered with
the same realization, that they are in fact mortal and they will soon their
doom.
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