Comparing Medea And The Epic Of Gilgamesh

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Some people say life is an adventure to take. Some people say life is a journey to conquer. The path life can take someone often transforms a person, or it can cause you to figure something out about oneself that they did not know before. The idea of a journey that brings on a revolution can be portrayed in the two stories Medea and the Epic of Gilgamesh. Medea and Gilgamesh both went through an experience that changed them. Love, hate, and tragedy played a tremendous role in the transformation that occurred in both characters. Medea changed into a raging woman who embarked on a journey to seek revenge. Gilgamesh was a king who was all about himself, and then he began a journey that changed him into a better person. Even though the two characters …show more content…

Gilgamesh changed from an oppressive King to a good ruler. Before Enkidu, he was a selfish, a brutal, and an intimidating King. Enkidu went on adventures and watched over Gilgamesh. They were a team. The Epic of Gilgamesh states, “I have wept for him day and night. I would not give up his body for burial. I thought my friend would come back because of my weeping. Since he went, my life is nothing.” The statement shows the love Gilgamesh had for Enkidu. “Gilgamesh washed out his long locks and cleaned his weapons; he flung back his hair from his shoulder; he threw off his stained clothes and change them for new” (The Epic of Gilgamesh). The washing of his body, and the changing of his clothes represented the change that Gilgamesh experienced all because of the love for Enkidu and because of the tragedy of Enkidu. In contrast, Medea changed from good to worse. Gilgamesh changed from terrible to better. Medea was in search of revenge, and Gilgamesh was in search of eternal life, but instead he found a better life. Medea experienced an enormous amount of tragedy from Jason leaving to being kicked out of Corith. Gilgamesh just experienced the death of his best

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