The Epic of Gilgamesh and The Odyssey both are held in high respect by literature analysts and historians alike for the characterization of the hero and his companion, the imagery brought to mind when one of them is read, and the impressive length in relation to the time period it was written in. The similarities that these two epics share do not end with only those three; in fact, the comparability of these works extend to even the information on the author and the archetypes used. However, The Odyssey and The Epic of Gilgamesh contrast from one another in their writing styles, character details, and main ideas. Both epics weave together a story of a lost man who must find his way, but the path of their stories contrast from one another. Of all the many similarities of The Epic of Gilgamesh and The Odyssey, the sharing of the main character’s archetype can be considered to be the most significant similarity of the two epics. Odysseus, the main character of The Odyssey, and Gilgamesh, the main character of The Epic of Gilgamesh, both fall under the character archetype of a hero, the man in charge of saving the day. This sameness implies that the two characters had similar fates and characteristics; both had the distinct traits of a hero. Both Odysseus and Gilgamesh were kings, strong, brave, and blessed by the gods. In addition, they both angered a god and suffered from the consequences. In The Odyssey, Odysseus had to change his route to avoid Poseidon’s wrath. In The Epic of Gilgamesh, Gilgamesh angered Ishtar which consequently led to Enkidu’s death as a punishment ( “The Epic of Gilgamesh” 29). Both Gilgamesh and Odysseus had elements of arrogance in their personalities, and it was their arrogance that backlashed and caused... ... middle of paper ... ... of these epics share quite many similarities. For example, the archetypes used, the types of settings, and the themes are a few of plenty of comparabilities found among The Odyssey and The Epic of Gilgamesh. However, the most important similarity is that both of these epics are timeless; they have been passed down through generations spanning thousands of years, and they will continue to be read for many years to come. Works Cited Sandars, N. K., trans. The Epic of Gilgamesh. London: Penguin, 2006. Print. Editorial Team. "The Odyssey Writing Style." Shmoop.com. Shmoop University, Inc., 11 Nov. 2008. Web. 12 Mar. 2014. Stump, Colleen Shea, Kevin Feldman, Joyce Armstrong Carroll, and Edward E. Wilson. "The Epic." Prentice Hall Literature: Timeless Voices, Timeless Themes. By Kate Kinsella. Gold ed. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall, 2003. 975-1063. Print.
...and reasons for being written, they both share very similar aspects that are also prominent in many other epic stories. This proves that the style for writing epics has persisted through time for thousands of years due to the fact that the way they are written creates a long lasting effect on the readers and inspires others to follow the same parameters to writing stories in a similar fashion. This causes a snowball effect that allow the same story structure to even be prominent in movies and books today.
Gilgamesh and Odysseus are two heroes from two different time periods that were both in search of the meaning of life. The epics that the two characters are featured in Gilgamesh, was developed from early Mesopotamia and the Odyssey in early Greece. Gilgamesh was a very popular and it was very valuable to the historian of Mesopotamian culture because it reveals much about the religious world, such as their attitudes toward the gods, how a hero was defined and regarded, views about death and friendship.
Instead, I would suggest that prefiguration is at play. As discussed in the Return of Ulysses by Edith Hall, prefiguration is similar to foreshadowing. According to Hall, “ . . . an element in an ancient text (e.g. Odysseus ' wanderings) can in a mysterious but profound manner prefigure things that happen later (Columbus 's voyages of exploration)” (Hall 6). Although, there may be no empirical evidence of Homer taking ideas from The Epic of Gilgamesh to formulate The Odyssey, the similarities between both epics go without notice. Enkidu and Gilgamesh go through a long and perilous journey, fight for their mortality, contend with the sexual advances of Goddesses, sail across deadly waters, and are offered immortality. Moreover, both Enkidu and Gilgamesh are at peace and become humble men at the end of their
'No two men are alike in the way they act, the way they think, or the way they look. However, every man has a little something from the other. Although Oedipus and Gilgamesh are entirely different people, they are still very similar. Each one, in their own way, is exceptionally brave, heroically tragic, and both encompass diverse strengths and weaknesses. One is strictly a victim of fate and the other is entirely responsible for his own plight.
Thus muses Achilles, one of epic poetry's greatest heroes. Epic poetry, one of the earliest forms of literature, began as an oral narration describing a series of mythical or historic events. Eventually, these stories were written down and read aloud to an audience. Although the Epic of Gilgamesh was composed approximately fifteen hundred years prior to the Iliad, the heroes of both epics possess strikingly similar characteristics. Indeed, Gilgamesh and Achilles, as epic heroes, exemplify godlike qualities, great personal power, and fierce pride and loyalty.
The “oldest story in the world,” Gilgamesh, tells a story of a man’s life and how he struggles with the fact that he is not immortal and that his life will someday come to end. The poem portrays evil, innocence, love, and even history. With all of these factors taken into consideration, there are literary devices like figurative language, mood, symbolism, and plot used throughout the entire reading. All of these literary devices play a huge role in Gilgamesh, but the ones that seem to portray and affect the poem in the most accurate ways are point of view, characterization, and theme.
Although both epics justify a status quo, codify a national mythology, preserve cultural memories, and establish literary tropes, they are united by sensibility and are traditionally poetic. They both almost have the same exact core values such as in the end, but project influence into a number to areas of cultural identity. Once more, after analyzing both texts, it is possible to conclude that Aeneas is the better leader, and The Odyssey is the greater epic. Knowing that this is the proper proposition made, this affects the readers of both well-known stories.
Gilgamesh and Odysseus are great heroes from different time periods who both in search of the meaning of life. They are both featured in great epics; the Epic of Gilgamesh which was developed in early Mesopotamia and the Odyssey of Odysseus developed in early Greece. Both the Epic of Gilgamesh as well as the Odyssey of Odysseus became very popular and valuable to historians in how they addressed religion, such as their attitudes towards gods, definitions of heroes as well as their views on death and friendship.
Throughout history literature has consisted of millions of different themes. A hero on a journey is one theme that seems to reoccur more often than many others. The Epic of Gilgamesh and The Odyssey are prime examples of epic stories that have this theme embedded in them. Though the main characters in these stories, Gilgamesh and Odysseus, are very different in personality and their reasoning behind each quest, they both share striking similarities regarding their status, hardships, and connection to the gods.
The Epic of Gilgamesh has many similarities to the Bible, especially in Genesis and it’s not just that the both begin with the letter “g”’! One major similarity being the flood story that is told in both works. The two stories are very similar but also very different. Another being the use of serpents in both works and how they represent the same thing. A third similarity being the power of God or gods and the influence they have on the people of the stories. Within these similarities there are also differences that need to be pointed out as well.
The relationship between the gods and humanity in The Epic of Gilgamesh and The Odyssey are the same. In each saga, the gods seem to live nearby and are always present. Both epic poems portray humans as simply at the mercy of the gods. The gods feel that it is their duty to intervene if they feel that man is traveling off course from his destiny. However, the gods are not all powerful.
As human beings, we are designed to belive in something. Although the belief in a higher power or religion is diverse, many theologies share common themes. “The Epic of Gilgamesh” and the Hebrew book of “Genesis” are seemingly polar opposites. Christianity, demonstrated in Genesis, is monotheistic, and the Hebrews base their faith on their relationship with God. On the other hand, Sumerian philosophy, found in Gilgamesh, is polytheistic, and the Sumerian people base their theology on fear. Ancient polytheistic literature forms an archetypical pattern of the mortals trying desperately to please the gods. A mortal’s entire existence rests in the hands of the sometimes childish gods. In spite of this, these two stories
...nd the theme of immortality. However, each presents it in different ways. The Epic of Gilgamesh presents true immortality as deeds and actions that will keep your names in the memory of the people forever. In The Odyssey immortality is presented as something that is less important than your family and the people you love. This is reflected in each of the heroes decisions to turn down immortality; Gilgamesh turns it down because he knows the suffering would never make it worth it and Odysseus knows that he would never get to see his family again if he accepted the offer. The moral really is consider all the consequences before accepting something that seems all well and good.
Their similar qualities are strange due to the fact that these two epics were written in such different cultures, time periods, and probably mindsets. The Epic of Gilgamesh tried to describe the Sumerian beliefs, as well as the Sumerian 's culture. It appears that they used fighting to find out the best among them in war and to see who was worthy to rule kingdom. For example, we can consider Enkidu and Gilgamesh’s first battle. Everything is viewed as a battle in this culture, and at the end of each journey is the key to more wisdom. Hinduism however is kind of same but in different ways. In Rama 's culture, to obtain wisdom and knowledge, one has to be patient and finish his sacred duty. However, people have to fulfill the sacred duty by not fighting or battling for power, rather through the moral behavior and virtue. “Hinduism is all about being humble and leading your life in a way that will make the after-life even greater. It is about being truthful to their dharma and letting things happen in its way” (Narayan 23). Both Rama and Gilgamesh are epic heroes to their own culture. Different lifestyles will show up with the encounter of different believes. It’s usual to find one god or hero in every culture that it worships for hope and guidance. Thus, their similar characteristics represent this common archetype of a hero that every culture looks
...zations and the start of the Greek civilization, you can still find some important similarities between the two. They are similar in religion, upbringing, government, and military as well as others. From the start of the Greek society they have had parallel attributes from the cultural path that the Mesopotamian society set and we can even trace some similarities all the way to current society.