At the center of a story about killing mystical creatures, scorning a goddess, and traveling to fantastic places, lies the narrative of a deep friendship between two men. In The Epic of Gilgamesh, an ancient Mesopotamian literary masterpiece, all the events center on the development of the friendship between Gilgamesh, the tyrannical and stubborn king of Uruk, and the man created by the Gods to complement and challenge his nature: Enkidu . Each of the three dream sequences in the epic represents different phases of Enkidu's life: one foretells his birth, another foretells the actions that will ultimately lead to his death, and the final foretells his death. In the Epic of Gilgamesh dreams are used as a tool to develop and complete Enkidu's role in the story; these dreams are the driving force of Enkidu's life cycle as they not only prophesy both his birth and death but also provide insights into his ultimate purpose in the epic. Enkidu's birth and arrival in Uruk are communicated to Gilgamesh through a series of dreams sent by the "stars of the heavens." One night, Gilgamesh dreams of a “rock from the sky” and the next night “an axe,” both of which represent Enkidu. Gilgamesh's actions in the dream, attempting to "lift [the rock]" but failing because "it weighed too much for [him]" foreshadow his initial struggle with Enkidu before realizing that Enkidu is, in fact, his " even ." The "axe" has a more specific connotation that suggests that, aside from brute strength, Enkidu has a volatile and violent disposition (which, among other instances, the reader comes to see in Tablet VII when Enkidu so sadistically curses Shamhat the Prostitute). Furthermore, Gilgamesh states that "as a... paper medium... reflection of his final dream and his death, it fulfills his ultimate purpose in the epic: to reveal to Gilgamesh the imminence of death, thus placing him on his epic journey in search of the secrets of life and immortality. In the Epic of Gilgamesh, dreams are a key driving force not only in the development of Enkidu's character, but also in the fulfillment of Enkidu's purpose in the story. In both tangible and intangible ways, Enkidu is able to have a lasting effect on Gilgamesh; teaches the tyrant king humility, justice and kindness. The epic may be a narrative of heroic deeds and wild journeys, but the real story is that of the dynamic between Gilgamesh and Enkidu, the closest friends and rivals. Their story is one of the most beautiful representations of the power of friendship: how one interaction can inextricably bond two people and change the course of their lives forever..