“The man who is incapable of working in the common or in his self-sufficiency and has no need for others is not a part of the community, like a beast or a god,” quoted from Aristotle. This statement bears resemblance to the epic heroes Gilgamesh and Achilles, as fate plays a significant role in their respective characters.
An epic hero is typically of a superior social station, often a king or leader in their own right. They are usually tall, handsome, and muscular. The hero must be preeminent or nearly so in athletic and fighting skills. This ability implies not only physical skill but also the courage to utilize it. Sometimes the epic hero is outstanding in intelligence as well. However, there seems to be more to the heroic character than simple prescriptions can convey.
To display their heroic abilities, the epic hero needs some form of crisis, war or quest. The nature of this crisis and the hero’s response – particularly their relationship with their community – are at the heart of the matter (Wurtzel, 2003).
The poem in the Epic of Gilgamesh, dating back to Ancient Sumeria between 2750 and 2500 BCE, begins with its hero, Gilgamesh. He is alienated from his city due to his arrogance (Carnahan, 2001). Gilgamesh has too little work of a heroic nature to do and spends his time ravishing the daughters and wives of his subject city, Uruk. However, Enkidu saves him. Enkidu is a feral creature who joins forces with Gilgamesh in pursuit of warrior’s glory – a glory that will outlive their lives.
The heroic impulse drives Gilgamesh to fight the monster of the cedar forest, kill a heaven-sent boar and log the cedar forest. But his selfish pursuit of glory alienates the gods who cause the death of Gilgamesh’s most loved friend – Enkidu. After grieving for an extended period and fruitlessly wandering in pursuit of literal immortality (even to the land of dead), Gilgamesh gains some comprehension about his nature and mortality.
He returns to Uruk where he becomes a reformed ruler in some versions at any rate (Hooker, 1999).
One simple interpretation of Gilgamesh is that the hero initially conflicts with his community. However, personal tragedy resulting from a lack of respect for the gods and his companions, as well as prolonged wandering, allows him to gain a deeper understanding of himself. As he acquires qualities such as loyalty, patience, endurance, empathy, and proper shame towards his community and gods, the hero returns to his people and rightfully takes his place among them. Therefore, the story of Gilgamesh can be viewed as a narrative about personal moral development (Lawall and Mack, 2002).
On the other hand, Greek heroes are faced with two options: to die honorably as a hero or to suffer a disgraceful death. This is exemplified in the case of Achilles who said, Twofold fates are bearing me toward the doom of death. If I stay here and fight in the siege of Troy, I will lose my chance to return home but my reputation will be immortalized. If I go back to my homeland, I will lose my glorious reputation but live a long life” (Parada, 1997). Despite his values, choosing how to die is never easy for a warrior who loves life and believes that death means an eternal existence in dullness. Additionally, his decision inevitably affects his community – whether it’s his companions on the battlefield or the people he’s defending. Sometimes he must choose between loyalty and responsibility towards those he loves most versus loyalty and responsibility towards the larger community. By accepting death and fate given by gods, heroes receive dignity and honor that last for eternity.
The principal focus of The Iliad is on the consequences of a quarrel between Agamemnon, the commander of all Greek forces, and Achilles, his greatest warrior. In a very human but juvenile, arrogant, and callous act, Agamemnon publicly humiliates Achilles by taking away his prize of honor. Achilles retaliates by withdrawing from battle. His decision cripples the Greek forces and results in needless suffering and death among the Greeks, eventually including the death of his best friend Patroclus. The Iliad demonstrates how a great hero can cause great harm to their community and army when they think only of themselves.
Achilles, a demigod who is the son of the goddess Thetis and the mortal Peleus, embodies both the best and worst aspects of human nature (Hunter, 2005). He shines brightest when he questions the values of his warrior society and stands apart from it during times of crisis. Furthermore, Achilles shows his best nature when he finds comfort and sympathy in understanding his condition or situation. However, he displays his worst nature when he behaves childishly and selfishly by unleashing brute force. The duality of Achilles’ personality is portrayed with striking psychological realism; two sides of one coin.
According to Aristotle, great-souled men consider it a matter of pride to act without hesitation, as they trust their initial instincts. Uncompromising self-respect requires the straightforwardness that Achilles prefers. Those who are accustomed to generosity, honesty, and bravery may view second thoughts as being overly calculating. Nevertheless, because the great-souled are confident in their own worthiness, they feel no need to soften their words through careful or indirect speech. Thus, Achilles despises all forms of indirectness and hates those who say one thing but hide another in their hearts – he refers to such people as the doorways of death.” This sentiment is expressed when Odysseus attempts some indirection upon him (Lawall and Mack, 2002).
Gilgamesh and Achilles allow us to make a more precise definition of an epic hero and, through this, gain an understanding of the inherent ambiguity of the heroic impulse. An epic hero is typically of superior social station and physique, preeminent in fighting, courage, and possibly even intelligence. However, as a result of a quest or journey, this hero undergoes some form of moral maturation. Initially at odds with both their human and divine communities due to misusing the heroic impulse, they eventually develop a deeper understanding of their duties towards both groups.
References
Carnahan, T. R. (2001, August 20). Epic of Gilgamesh. Retrieved March 21, 2008, from http://www.ancienttexts.org/library/mesopotamian/gilgamesh/
Hooker, R. (1996, June 6). Gilgamesh Summary. Retrieved March 21, 2008 from http://www.wsu.edu/~dee/MESO/GILG.HTM.
Hunter, J. (2005, November 30). Achilles. Encyclopedia Mythica. Retrieved March 21, 2008, from www.pantheon.org/articles/a/achilles.html.
Lawall, S. N., and Mack, M. (2002). The Norton Anthology of World Literature: Norton.
Parada, C. (1997). Achilles: Greek Mythology Link. Retrieved March 21, 2008, from http://homepage.mac.com/cparada/GML/Achilles.html
Wurtzel, L. (2003, August 9). Elements of the Epic Hero. Retrieved March 21, 2008, from http://www.tcnj.edu/~graham/Wurtzel.html
