Epic Of Gilgamesh And Book Of Job Comparison Essay

884 Words2 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Comparison between the epic of Gilgamesh and the bible

The Epic of Gilgamesh and the Book of Job Compare and Contrast Paper
Part 1:
In Southwest Asia there is a region that was called Mesopotamia where pessimism was not uncommon, in this region originated two works of literature of which will be compared and contrasted throughout this essay. The literary work that came first was the Epic of Gilgamesh which is also recognized as the oldest know epic poem whose author is unknown. This epic introduces the theme of immortality, or eternal life, and tells of a hero who sets off on a journey to search for everlasting life but comes to the secondary theme that death is inevitable. The Book of Job from the Hebrew Bible, which came second, creates a different theme which introduces the idea of theodicy which Fiero phrases as “Why do bad things happen to good people?” (34). In these two works, both of the main characters are blessed by their Gods and both characters eventually have their blessings taken away. However, the two characters have different types of blessings and there is also a difference in the reasons why their blessings are taken away. In each story even though Gilgamesh is two-thirds man while Job is just human, the Gods still hold the power and the role of the humans is the same, to obey and worship the Gods. Later on in these stories both the main characters undergo large amounts of suffering but for two different reasons. Gilgamesh’s suffering is self-inflicting due to a result of decisions he made which resulted in his sorrow. Job’s suffering is only a test to test his faith towards God and is not self-inflicted. The Book of Job and The Epic of Gilgamesh were written in different time periods and are very diverse but also have many similarities as well.
As mentioned before, ...

... middle of paper ...

...ss of love, became affectionate towards Gilgamesh, he rejected her love. Ishtar became angry and seized revenge towards him by taking Enkidu’s life. Gilgamesh’s sorrow was self-inflicted because he made the decision to chose friendship over sexual pleasure and this decision was what inflicted his sorrow when Ishtar took his best friend’s life.
In conclusion, the Book of Job and the Epic of Gilgamesh have many similarities and differences as including theme, origin, plot, characters, and all the other fragments that were discussed throughout this essay. In the Book of Job, the main theme is theodicy which presents the idea that good things happen to good people and that humans have to accept that and move on without logical explanation. The Epic of Gilgamesh deals with the theme of immortality and permanence where nothing lasts forever and where death is unavoidable.

Show More
Related

  • The Epic of Gilgamesh

    767 Words  | 2 Pages

    True love and immortality in life would be a dream come true to many people. To spend time with a special someone; the person one feels closest to; the so-called soul mate and to never have that high feeling of emotion end mentally and physically would greatly appeal to most people. But when death steps into the picture, even with all the pain and devastation, one starts to re-evaluate themselves and realizes the important things in life and puts it all into perspective. In The Epic of Gilgamesh, the main character, Gilgamesh, is a powerful, arrogant king and part god. Enkidu, Gilgamesh’s partner, is animal-like but later takes on more humanistic traits such as his contemplation’s of death. The friendship between Gilgamesh and Enkidu is a very powerful, loving friendship. Enkidu is Gilgamesh’s soul mate, not only acting as his friend but as a lover too. Enkidu’s presence in Gilgamesh’s life allows Gilgamesh to see what is truly good in life and to accept his mortality much easier.

    Read More

  • Comparing the Bhagavad-Gita and the Epic of Gilgamesh

    1342 Words  | 3 Pages

    There are three main characteristics that make The Epic of Gilgamesh an epic. The first be...

    Read More

  • Gilgamesh Epic Essay

    877 Words  | 2 Pages

    Every culture has a different story of their origin. Each story varies in setting, main characters, and religious aspects. Although the stories are different, the sole purpose is the same for each – to explain how each civilization came to be. In order for a civilization to fully understand their past, they must critically break down the components of their origin story. Creation stories establish appropriate relationships within society by the revelation of the punishment laid out by the gods on unsatisfactory vassals, the importance of a hero figure, and the exposure of human survival based on nature.

    Read More

  • A Jungian Analysis of the Epic of Gilgamesh

    3188 Words  | 7 Pages

    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.

    Read More

  • Comparing My Life and the Life of Gilgamesh

    1053 Words  | 3 Pages

    “You will never find that life for which you are looking. When the gods created man they allotted him death, but life they retained in their own keeping,” Siduri talking to Gilgamesh. (Gilgamesh 4). The epic of Gilgamesh has an abundance of parallels to the trial and tribulations of any human life. Gilgamesh’s story is humanities story of life, death, and realization. The awaking of Gilgamesh from a childish and secure reality connects my own life experiences to the epic tale.

    Read More

  • Comparing the Epic of Gilgamesh, Holy Bible and Huck Finn

    1597 Words  | 4 Pages

    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.

    Read More

  • Importance of Loyalty in the Epic of Gilgamesh

    575 Words  | 2 Pages

    The ancient Mesopotamian writing, The Epic of Gilgamesh, gives readers insight into the traditions and customs of the people who wrote it. Like all epics, The Epic of Gilgamesh is the story of a heroic national figure: this epic gives the story of the life of Gilgamesh from his birth as two-thirds god, one-third man to his death. Throughout the epic the importance of loyalty is addressed. In The Epic of Gilgamesh readers see that loyalty is the most important aspect of a Mesopotamian relationship and that there are always consequences for violating trust.

    Read More

  • Gilgamesh and the Quest for Immortality

    1044 Words  | 3 Pages

    The stories of the hunt for immortality gathered in the Epic of Gilgamesh depict the conflict felt in ancient Sumer. As urbanization swept Mesopotamia, the social status shifted from a nomadic hunting society to that of a static agricultural gathering society. In the midst of this ancient "renaissance", man found his relationship with the sacred uncertain and precarious. The Epic portrays the strife created between ontological nostalgia for a simpler time and the dawn of civilization breaking in the Near East. In this Epic, Gilgamesh is seen trying to achieve immortality through the methods of both the old and the new. His journeys through the sacred and the profane in many ways characterize the confusion arising from the unstable social climate. Therefore, the society, by writing the story of Gilgamesh, guarantees not only his immortality, but the immortality of the new order being established.

    Read More

  • Comparing The Epic of Gilgamesh and The Book of Job

    1069 Words  | 3 Pages

    Centuries ago, two books were written with similar and different ideas. The Epic of Gilgamesh and The Book of Job have different settings although they both discuss friendship, death and mortality, pain and suffering, and characters, but individually the book of Job examines where human beings stand in the world.

    Read More

  • Comparing the Epic of Gilgamesh and Genesis

    1018 Words  | 3 Pages

    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.

    Read More

  • Message of Love in the Epic of Gilgamesh

    806 Words  | 2 Pages

    The second significant change in Gilgamesh was caused by the loss of his brotherly companion, Enkidu. Gilgamesh couln't bear the loss of a love so powerful. Despite his astonishing power and leadership, something in his life was missing. Moreover, he wept for seven days and nights, thinking his friend would come back because of his weeping. It is in this stage of the epic that one can see the truly sympathetic and compassionate side of Gilgamesh. The grief in his heart had far surpassed the magnificent pride that he had previously displayed so boldly. Enkidu's death left Gilgamesh frightened and confused. However, the despair in his heart was so great that he could not rest; would he ever be at peace? Thus, he became terrified of his own death.

    Read More

  • Challenges In The Epic Of Gilgamesh

    1035 Words  | 3 Pages

    Gilgamesh’s fear of death than leads him to go on a quest in search of immortality. Along the way Gilgamesh runs into Enkidu who was created to end Gilgamesh’s reign, but instead Gilgamesh and Enkidu begin to fight and some how a start of a new friendship emerges. “Gilgamesh and Enid have a furious and prolonged wrestling match but emerge from the contest as friends.” (Gilgamesh, 205) Enkidu Accompanies Gilgamesh on his quest in search of immortality but instead ponders off to slay an innocent servant, referred to as Humbaba, although Humbaba begged for his life. Gilgamesh and Enkidu still take his life, angering the gods. Ishter the goddess than falls in love with Gilgamesh but he rudely insults her making her rage with anger. “Ishter ask her father for Amu to make the Bull of Heaven, to destroy Gilgamesh and Enkidu. Gilgamesh and Enkidu kill the Bull of Heaven, and throws the thighbone of the Bull in Ishter’s face, a terrible form of disrespect.” Gilgamesh has no compassion nor does he have sympathy or respect, killing off spiritual servants and disrespecting the gods. The Actions of Gilgamesh and Enkidu Angered the god terribly. Enid was created to stop Gilgamesh but instead made the situation messier than it need to be, therefore the gods punish him with dead. “Ana, Enlil, Es and heavenly Shamash took counsel together, and Anu said to Enlil, ‘Because they have killed the Bull of Heaven, and because

    Read More

  • Comparing The Epic of Gilgamesh with The Odyssey

    1263 Words  | 3 Pages

    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.

    Read More

  • The Epic of Gilgamesh Story

    742 Words  | 2 Pages

    The king of Uruk, who lived around 2600 B.C.E, Gilgamesh, was one-third man and two-thirds god (Gilgamesh, 61). Known as present day Iraq, Mesopotamia was where the ancient sto-ry “The Epic of Gilgamesh” was originated. The story talked about Gilgamesh’s relationship be-tween his close companions. Meeting the immortal flood survivor and giving him eternal life was Gilgamesh's long journey. The Epic of Gilgamesh teaches about the Sumarian society.

    Read More

  • Theme Of Death In The Epic Of Gilgamesh

    1204 Words  | 3 Pages

    While it is certainly true that Gilgamesh pursues heroism, he does it passively and as a secondary pursuit to his quest for everlasting life. When Gilgamesh is questioned at the beginning of his journey, he admits that after Enkidu’s death, his “life is nothing” (98). This reveals that death conquers all emotions and ambitions, making all other pursuits and desires meaningless. The Epic of Gilgamesh serves as a testament to human life, and in doing so, illuminates what it means to

    Read More

More about Epic Of Gilgamesh And Book Of Job Comparison Essay

Open Document