Are The Similarities Between The Epic Of Sunjata, Gilgamesh, And Rama

Sunjata, Gilgamesh, and Rama

After reading The Epic of Sunjata, a few similarities between both The Epic of Gilgamesh and The Ramayana jumped out. First, there was the recurring theme of the protagonist venturing on an epic journey, and like the other two epics, the journey is not necessarily important, but serves as an illustration of how remarkable the hero is. Another similarity includes that both Sunjata’s father and Ramayana’s father were kings which lead to both Sunjata and Rama feeling the need to prove themselves in order to become the leaders they were destined to be. Of course, there are also differences between the epics. Gilgamesh, for example, is already a king to begin with and does not feel compelled to prove himself. Sunjata, on the other hand, is physically handicapped and is the unlikely hero. Perhaps the most noticeable contrast between the epics is the lack of direct involvement from gods in The Epic of Sunjata. In the Epic of Gilgamesh, gods typically rule over humanity and deal harsh punishments like flooding the earth because the humans were making too much noise.

Another difference in the stories is character progression.

As mentioned before, Sunjata is originally handicapped, but he gradually gets stronger through the obstacles. Unlike the other two epics, Sunjata suffers through personal struggles and was hated and ridiculed by his own people. Gilgamesh’s progression is quite the opposite as he starts off with demigod status, but does become emotionally weak after the death of his best friend, Enkidu. Rama essentially remains consistent throughout the entirety of his story as a popular prince. Even after Rama is forced into exile for 14 years due to the jealousy of his step-mom, Rama is still cool and

collected.
A significant contrast can also be made in the characters personality and rationale. Unlike Gilgamesh and Rama, Sunjata, despite his generosity, is seen time after time becoming angry at others. He is also shown to make very questionable, yet well intended, choices, like cutting off parts of his own calf muscle in order to feed his friend. Although he was a cunning warrior, Sunjata was not an aggressor meaning that he would much rather get his point across talking than fighting first and then talk. Gilgamesh did not ask questions first and did not look out for anyone else besides himself. Instead, Gilgamesh was typically a ruthless tyrant who did as he pleased through acts of physical violence and intimidation. Rama was more collected and only grows more into his role as a leader. He appears to be perfect as he is represented as the epitome of virtue. (Sri Ram Sita Lakshman)
In the end, each epic has their own message that serves as lesson to the society the epic was written for. The Epic of Gilgamesh is centered on the idea that death is inevitable so enjoy life while you can and The Ramayana’s message is that all things may be achieved through righteousness, including happiness. The Epic of Sunjata has a different message that is more directed towards being a guide on how to live by Sunjata’s example. Sunjata was peaceful and treated everyone as equals.