The encounter of deities and divinities pepper the pages throughout the two stories, The Canterbury Tales by Geoffrey Chaucer and The epic of Gilgamesh originating in ancient Mesopotamia. To gain a deeper understanding of God and the Gods in both stories consider the role God(s) fulfill, the personal relationship between earthly individuals and a higher power and the reception between the divine and their followers. According to Hobby, Blake and Harold Bloom in reference to The Canterbury Tales, “The most common use of ‘inspire’ in the fourteenth century carries the implication ‘infusion of a divine presence” (54), thus inspiring observation and a notable presence of the divine within the tale. The essence of spiritual representation in The Canterbury Tales and The Epic of Gilgamesh accentuate each story.
The analogy of the Gods within The Epic of Gilgamesh is definitive to a polytheistic belief system. The epic contains more than one God who, together, represent creation through natural elements exhibited throughout the journey of Gilgamesh. For example David Adams Leeming reveals; “Enlil (Ellil) was the storm, air, and wind (lil) lord (en) and the son of An” (39) and further example of the Gods are shown by Glen Stanfield Holland, “when Gilgamesh first enters the garden of the sun god, he is met by Shamash, who has been his protector
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throughout his adventures” (154). The Goddess Ishtar displays another stunning example within Benjamin Sommer’s observation that, “She is a goddess of love and of war, a goddess of fertility who sets her mind to dwell in the realm of death, and an unencumbered woman who repeatedly seeks marriage (to Dumuzi, to Gilgamesh, to her father’s gardener Ishullanu)” (15). Each God plays a significant role that directly affects Gilgamesh and yields unique representation within their roles. Although the Gods display humanistic qualities, they use their divine empowerment to carry out their duties as, “They have strength, knowledge, and skills that surpass those of human beings, but they are still recognizably human in their emotions, their desires, and their ambitions” writes Holland (113). As for The Canterbury Tales, the role of God displays a monotheistic belief system. Such acknowledgement toward monotheistic, biblical influence is reiterated by David L. Jeffery as he writes, “In the work of England’s greatest poet of the Middle Ages, allusion and textural interplay between the text of the Bible and Chaucer’s own text is not only important at the levels of characterization, allusion, and literary humor, but at the level of structure as well” (87). The biblical God in Chaucer’s writing is all-encompassing to creation and conducts divine influence through scripture-based and faith-based beliefs. The Pardoner, a character in The Canterbury Tales, “allows us to see the deep suffering endured by man who mocks religious truths while simultaneously yearning for them” (Puchner B: 661). The function God induces into everyday life is exemplary within the tale of the Pardoner as, God’s singularity reins all faculties of life as opposed to the specific elemental designation of the Gods in The Epic of Gilgamesh. Although spirituality is deeply seeded in The Epic of Gilgamesh and The Canterbury Tales, the descriptive portrayal between the Gods of Mesopotamia and a Christian style God in Chaucer’s tale take on very unique representation within their individual right. In The Epic of Gilgamesh, the relationship established between the people of ancient Mesopotamia and their Gods is quite intriguing as their Gods coexist among the people. Imagine having the ability to interact and speak to the Gods directly! Such communication between the Gods and people are well portrayed when Martin Puchner observes; “As the epic begins, the people of Uruk complain to the Sumerian Gods about Gilgamesh’s overbearing behavior, and so the gods create the wild man Enkidu to confront Gilgamesh” (A: 96). Within the Sumerian culture, Gods directly intermingle with the people of Mesopotamia and the main character, Gilgamesh, throughout the Epic. Rivkah Harris demonstrates how the Goddess Ishtar exploits the Gods’ capability to interact with humans when “her sexual encounters mingle eroticism with violence” (159), which perpetuates the notion that the correlation between the people of Mesopotamia and the Gods exist on a physical, tangible level. Now, venturing to the opposite side of the spectrum, The Canterbury Tales convey a different kind of relationship with God. Throughout Chaucer’s story, God exists on a theoretical level because at no time do any of his characters directly interact with God in the physical realm. The biblical influence notable in Chaucer’s writing accentuates the conduct of his characters which, signifies the manner in which his characters develop and maintain their impalpable affiliation with God. In reference to Chaucer’s character the Pardoner, Martin Puchner writes, “Even in his Prologue we get hints that the Pardoner harbors somewhere in his tortured soul the thought that he is, in spite of himself, doing God’s work” (B: 661). Such an example that discusses the soul and no direct communication between God and the Pardoner furthers suggests the idea that God dwells within conscious thought and not in the physical realm. Notions of God influence the characters from The Canterbury Tales rather than a direct encounter with Gods such as Ishtar, who Harris articulates that Ishtar, “frequently acts in ways that disrupt the social order” (159). The image of a palpable God as opposed to a conjectural God develop differentiating relationships between the divine and their followers. The perception of the Gods in The Epic of Gilgamesh and God in The Canterbury Tales develops from a foundation based on respect through fear. Holland states that, “Even in their acts of worship, the Mesopotamians seem always to have harbored both a fear of the gods and some doubt that the gods would in fact deal kindly with their human subjects” (129). The view that the people of Mesopotamia harbor toward their Gods is synonymous with the understanding of the characters from The Canterbury Tales. Much like the Mesopotamians, Chaucer’s characters harbor an underlying fear of “damnation as a perpetual condition of dying that never finds death” (Puchner B: 661). The Parson, who desired “to draw folks up to heaven with his fairness” (Puchner B: 674) and “blessings of the sun God Shamash” (Puchner A: 96) bestowed upon Gilgamesh and his friend Enkidu, also comparably illustrate the reception of God and the Gods as they offer reward and favor for those within their good graces. The basic idea that the Gods or God will administer punishment for disobedience and praise for the devout worshipper is an underlying concept in both narratives. The spectrum ranging from Heaven to damnation, sway the ideals of the people mutually in The Epic of Gilgamesh and The Canterbury Tales evoking similar reception and respect.. Although God and the Gods reflect differently through varying purpose and connection throughout each story, their perspective of divine power manages to unite fundamental ideals between ancient” Mesopotamia ca.
1900-250 B.C.E” and “fourteenth-century Europe” (Puchner A: 95 and B:657). The definitive traits of God(s) may separate, unique beliefs within each writing, but the root purpose and the greater good survive philosophical incongruities to this day. Religious reasoning and spiritual impact is alive and well throughout The Epic of Gilgamesh and The Canterbury Tales which further highlights the concept of God and Gods
alike.
Heidel, Alexander. The Gilgamesh Epic and Old Testament Parallels. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1949.
Often, literature is based on several heroes and their adventures. Most especially, the epic stories symbolize different countries, nations, and cultures. The authors usually shape the characteristics of these stars and profile their unique techniques of writing as well as their imaginative power. Gilgamesh is one of the most known heroes, whose character was developed in the famous “Epic of Gilgamesh” as the strongest of men, a fair judge, a brave warrior, and an ambitious builder who built the magnificent walls of Uruk to protect its people. On the other hand, there are some undesirable characteristics that he possesses such as selfishness, and arrogance mostly brought about by the fact that he is part human and part god. He is characterized
The Epic of Gilgamesh and the book of job both have similar and different characters. They both have important gods although in the book of job there is only one god. In the book of job the only god is Yahweh. He is the all knowing and the creator of the universe. In the Epic of Gilgamesh there are many gods and goddesses including the most mentioned one; Ishtar. Ishtar is the goddess of love, fertility, and war. Job is the main character in the book of job, he questions god, and he creates the plot by obeying and then disobeying god. The friend of job come to show sympathy for job and Enkidu is the reason for the change of man in Gilgamesh. Both stories have a villain, in the book of Job it is Satan and in the Epic of Gilgamesh, it is Ishtar in the beginning for killing Enkidu and then it is the serpent for taking the plants away from Gilgamesh.
Many authors have employed the religious beliefs of their cultures in literature. The deities contained in Homer’s Odyssey and in the Biblical book of Exodus reflect the nature of the gods in their respective societies. Upon examination of these two works, there are three major areas where the gods of the Greek epic seem to directly contrast the nature of the God of the Israelites: the way problems are solved, the prestige and status that separates the divine from the masses, and the extent of power among the immortal beings.
Gilgamesh is not only a character of a story; he is actually a portrayal of people and how they act out of human nature. He, like many of us, does not want his existence to end when he leaves this world. He is not content with what he has, good looks, money, and power, and desires more in life. The Epic of Gilgamesh is a story that we, as people, can relate to. There are similarities between Gilgamesh’s journey and our own journey through life. Some of the texts that will be compared with The Epic of Gilgamesh, are the Bible, and Mark Twain's The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. The characters of these stories are all have that burning desire to be successful in life, which we can relate to. These texts span across different time periods and societies illustrating how human nature, particularly the desire to obtain more than one possesses, plays a significant role throughout written and present human history.
The Epic of Gilgamesh. Trans. Benjamin R. Foster. Text. Martin Puncher. New York: W.W and Company, 2013.Print.
In many literary works throughout history, there is a deity mentioned that has some form of involvement in the life of humans whether it be monotheistic or polytheistic. In Augustine’s Confessions, the main point driving his entire work is how he strayed from God and found his way back to him. It’s an autobiography of an imperfect life. In contrast, the Epic of Gilgamesh is a story of monstrosity and self-discovery contributed to by many authors over the course of history pertaining to an arrogant King who was the puppet of many gods. However, both explore how a supreme deity is a central part of life.
The Epic of Gilgamesh has many similarities to The Legend of King Arthur. Although Gilgamesh and King Arthur have comparison they also have differences. The main difference is that one is an Epic and the other is a Legend. To compare and contrast The Epic of Gilgamesh and The Legend of King Arthor, one must first know what the words, "Epic" and "Legend" mean. Primarily, "epic" is a long narrative poem about the deeds of a semi-god, also known as a superhuman hero who's actions are depended on as the fate of a nation, tribe or a human race. This usually consists of an adventure filled plot and is concerned with timeless human problems such as honour, jealousy, war and hatred. These contain gods and goddesses and the setting is fixed in a far distant place at a time long past. Epics are based on legends and myths.
Mortal and immortal women inspire many of the events that take place in The Odyssey and The Epic of Gilgamesh. For example, without the harlot, who “tames” Enkidu, the story of Gilgamesh would not be, as we know it. A chapter entitled, “Women in Ancient Epic” from A Companion to Ancient Epic by Helene Foley compares Ishtar in Gilgamesh to Calypso and Circe in The Odyssey. By comparing the role of immortal and mortal women in both The Odyssey and The Epic of Gilgamesh, one will be able to discern how the feminine figures have played a pivotal role in shaping the destiny of the epic heroes, as well as, understanding the interrelation amongst the female figures of both ancient epics.
You may think Jesus isn't an epic hero or you may ask how is he an epic hero, but his story is more of an epic than you would think. On the other hand, Gilgamesh has the story and the characteristics of a good old fashion epic hero, that was brave, a strong fighter, and didn't back down for nothing. But Jesus never fought his enemies he fought them with love, and he was one hundred percent god on earth but Gilgamesh was only ⅔ god. Gilgamesh and Jesus have a good amount of differences. And in this essay I will be explaining the differences and similarities between these two godly figures abilities, the purpose of their quest,and what makes them very different from all humans on earth.
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.
This paper will provide a unique, psychological perspective on a timeless story that is alive with mythological and religious splendor. I must state clearly that this is not the first time that Gilgamesh has been viewed in the light of the philosophy of Jung. One of two Jung essays I happened upon while preparing my research was the Psychology of Religion. Although I initially felt that this source would provide little help with my paper, I was very mistaken. On the seventeenth page, I have discovered Jung directly referencing Gilgamesh himself.
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.
Although there are differences between this ancient culture and ours, one similar idea found in the story is that of the worship of deity. There are many gods represented in the story of Gilgamesh. This reflects the tendency of the people of that time to cling to religious ideals to explain the unknown.
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.