Brothers at Odds: A Tale as old as time
It’s easy for storytellers to fall back on familiar tropes — the Evil Uncle trope, Love at First Sight trope, the Wise Fool trope — but these well-worn paths can lead to narratives that feel repetitive and uninspired. As viewers, we’ve seen these same tropes played out time and time again, and it’s frustrating when they’re relied on too heavily.
but for some reason I find the ‘Hostile Brothers’ archetype so refreshing.
It’s a retelling of the Cain and Abel story, and it’s been done in many different forms — Thor and Loki from Marvel, Ragnar and Rollo Lothbrok from Vikings, Michael Corleone and Fredo Corleone from Godfather franchise; I bet you can think dozens of other examples but in my humble opinion the best example of this archetype is in the characters of Ertugrul and Gundogdo from Dirilis: Ertugrul.
Ertugrul is the clear hero of the story. As the protagonist, viewers are meant to marvel at his every move. He’s a natural leader, a skilled fighter, and always knows just what to say. More than that, he’s the center of the story, dominating most of the screen time.
Gundogdo, on the other hand, plays the role of Cain to Ertugrul’s Abel. He is someone who has been spared from the burden of excellence and as well as the burden of failure. He is not an exceptional leader but an ambitious one. He loves his brother, but he’s also jealous of him, resentful of his superiority. As a viewer, it’s frustrating to watch Gundogdo struggle to keep up with his brother’s charisma, leadership, and brains. But it’s also clear that Gundogdo has his own strengths. He’s smart, loyal, and brave, and he’s a fighter in his own right.
In my opinion, the story of Cain and Abel does not just apply on brother’s rivalry but I also want to take a second to discuss what it’s not.
‘In much more fundamental sense one can argue that may be the Devil’s enviousness towards Adam teaches us more about this theme than the Cain’s enviousness towards Abel. I mean that was the event that started it right? No.’
This is not a battle between evil and good. It is a competition between two points of views and both are compelling. Both forces mean well. Both the forces are potent, can be destructive and can choose not be. Western Values vs Eastern Values, Democrats vs Republicans, Conservatives vs Liberals, Stability vs Growth, Capitalism vs Socialism, Classical Music vs Jazz (just kidding), Religion vs Atheism, Optimism vs Cynicism, Excess vs Minimalism.
At their core, stories are about human connection. They help us make sense of the world around us and give us a framework to understand our own lives. When we see characters like Ertugrul and Gundogdo, we see ourselves reflected in their struggles and triumphs. We root for them, we empathize with them, and we feel a sense of satisfaction when they succeed.
The best part of this version is that both brothers are still alive by the end of the series, a refreshing departure from the original Cain and Abel story. It’s a testament to the show’s writers that they were able to take an old tale and make it feel new again.
What should we get from this? In my opinion; whenever you pick a side, choose your ideology, choose a fight; just think about it for a min.
You are not Devil; you are not pure evil; you are human and you have the capacity to be evil but you are not pure evil so
Just ask yourself, ‘Am I the Cain of this story’.
Hopefully not!
