I. Introduction A. In Greek literature, the character Gilgamesh from The Epic of Gilgamesh and Odysseus from The Odyssey can be compared by their similar journeys and differing heroic qualities. B. Through careful research and reasoning, Odysseus and Gilgamesh can be seen as both similar and differing characters because of their choices and changes throughout their journeys. C. Supporting Points a. Odysseus and Gilgamesh both possessed the tragic flaw of hubris. b. The characters are both ideal to Greek history because Gilgamesh is the archetype of heroes and Odysseus is considered to be the ideal Greek hero. c. Gilgamesh and Odysseus faced different endings because of their clashing qualities. II. Body A. The tragic flaw of hubris was possessed by both Odysseus and …show more content…
Gilgamesh. Although they shared this quality, they displayed it in different ways. 1. The beginnings of the characters’ journeys were similar. They began with a large amount of power and strength, but changed throughout their adventure. a. Gilgamesh starts his journey as a hubristic king. However, throughout his adventure he changes and grows, such as when he began to love Enkidu more than anything else. b. Odysseus starts his journey as an independent and brave man. His attitude may have faltered a few times due to discouragement throughout The Odyssey, but he persevered. He was eager to return to his home city and see his son and wife. c. Since Odysseus had good motives, he was able to return home. Gilgamesh remained hubristic and met a tragic end. 2. Gilgamesh learns and changes differently than Odysseus. He believes that he can escape death, but Odysseus does not. Odysseus has a humble take on his situation and wants to get home to his family. a. “Gilgamesh, as we shall see, struggles against the world…but there is moral growth: he learns, he changes. As with Odysseus, the growth is symbolized by wanderings, wandering which both reflect and elicit changes in the hero” (Abusch). b. Gilgamesh struggles after the loss of his best friend, Enkidu. He was distraught, but the loss helped him to grow and learn on his own. Odysseus learned and changed through what he encountered on his journeys. 3. The choices that these characters made helped them to become ideal Greek heroes. B.
Odysseus and Gilgamesh play important roles in Greek history. 1. Gilgamesh is the archetype for heroes. He was the first to partake in the hero’s journey, which is a popular concept in modern cinema. Odysseus is said to be the ideal Greek hero because of his morals and motives a. The hero’s journey is a popular concept. It began with Gilgamesh’s legendary adventure. Many different movies and television shows include the concept of the hero’s journey to make it interesting and exciting. b. Odysseus is considered to be the ideal Greek hero because he was dedicated to return to his family. The purpose of Gilgamesh’s journey was to obtain immortality, which reflected his hubris. Odysseus was hubristic, but he changed and developed differently than Gilgamesh. 2. Gilgamesh and Odysseus can be considered to be the archetypes of many stories. a. “Gilgamesh's departure from Uruk represents ‘the earliest depicted in western travel literature’ and is characteristic of the heroic journey both for its motivation and for the intensity of emotion that Gilgamesh's departure elicits” (Cachey) b. Gilgamesh is said to be the first displayed in western travel literature, making him the archetype for the hero’s
journey. 3. Although they are influential characters, they possessed flaws that led to their eventual downfall. C. Gilgamesh and Odysseus develop different fates because of the choices they make throughout their journey. 1. Since Gilgamesh chose to try and escape death, he had a tragic end. His quest changed him, however his ultimate goal for immortality remained the same. Odysseus was independent and brave. He was hubristic when he tested his strength, but humble when he displayed his motives. a. Gilgamesh died in Uruk after believing that he could escape death. Gilgamesh had never loved anyone as much as he loved Enkidu. When Enkidu died, Gilgamesh felt lost. He was afraid and scared, which did not match his personality. b. Odysseus was able to return home. He had come across many hardships, but he had gotten through them all with courage and dedication. 2. The characters’ decisions led to divergent endings. a. “Gilgamesh is also transformed through his mourning for Enkidu and forced to accept his mortality after his failed attempt to gain the secret of everlasting life” (Krstovic). b. Gilgamesh was changed because of his tragic loss, but he did not change his motive. 3. The contrasting fates of Odysseus and Gilgamesh are some of the only differences between the two. They share many qualities, however their clashing personalities led them to make choices that affected their eventual fates. 4. If Gilgamesh had not continued his journey for immortality, he would not have met a tragic end. The choices that were made played an important role in how the characters continued their quests. III. Conclusion A. Gilgamesh and Odysseus can be compared and contrasted as heroes because they share the tragic flaw of hubris, play important roles in Greek history, and faced different endings. B. The characters experienced astounding journeys that are comparable, influential, and interesting.
The main characters of each work are automatically associated with each other by their names, but they also share similar personalities and characteristics. Odysseus is a wily hero of the Trojan War who uses his deceptive...
In this essay I will compare and contrast the qualities and plights of both Aeneas and Gilgamesh. These two epic heroes share similar fates, yet are very different in personality.
In the case of Gilgamesh and Odysseus, in order to achieve the status of the ideal hero their respective stories define them as, they first had to be able to identify and atone for their own flaws. In this way, the ideal hero is not necessarily the individual that can move a mountain with his bare hands or outsmart a god. Rather, the ideal hero is an individual who has answered the call to adventure, struggled with themselves in the face of adversity, and emerged a more humble person. The ideal hero, according to The Epic of Gilgamesh and The Odyssey, can appreciate, rather than boast about, their
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.
The similarities between Odysseus and Jason are as vast as their differences, yet their main connections show their their main difference. The similarity of the two previously unsung heroic types is exactly what separates them, each man is a different type of the new hero that came about after the brutish and brawny warriors like Achilles and Hector. Each can be seen as a hero or as a perverse designation of the past warriors and heroic ideals. It is their journeys that define them as heros, Jason though he could not have made it alone succeeds in his endeavors and Odysseus although he made it home alone in the end he is the valiant lover and father. The endings show a major difference between the two characters as Odysseus is redeemed in the end for his good qualities, Jason become less of a heroic figure as he discards his ever helpful wife Medea.
Both Odysseus’s are calculating and sneaky and both commit acts of self-interest but the similarities end there and eventually head down two completely different paths. In The Odyssey, Homer shows that, despite all of his drawbacks (i.e. getting his shipmates killed by a sea monster without their knowledge), he is ultimately a heroic character due to his courage, bravery, sharp intellect and the rescue of his men from Circes home. In Euripides Hecuba, Odysseus is portrayed as a corrupt human being, without sentiment or empathy. He is a self-interested, cruel, and insensitive individual. There are no redeeming qualities about Odysseus and he never redeems himself throughout the play, replacing the thought of the great hero with a dark stain of misery and
Odysseus and Aeneas are very alike in some ways and very different. They are both epic heroes except that one is Greek and the other is a Trojan. Odysseus is from the Greek tale The Oddessy, which was written by the famous Greek poet Homer. His quest is to find his way back home after a long journey. Aeneas is from the roman tale The Aenied, written by Virgil a famous Roman poet. Aeneas’s mission is to find a new home for him and his family. Both these characters had many similarities and differences in their ways of fighting.
As seen throughout The Odyssey, a hero is perceived as a person who achieves great success never before seen and whose legacy lives beyond their years. Since The Odyssey was written around the eighth century BCE, the people that we view as heros in present day tend to embody different traits than the heroes of that time. Even though the word, “hero” does not have one specific definition, a hero is generally categorized as someone who is idolized for their bravery and does anything necessary to defend their people. Although Odysseus embodies the Homeric ideals of heroism in that he accomplishes triumphs that others have not, his successes are the product of divine intervention and his actions were primarily selfish; therefore, he is not a true
'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.
Odysseus is one of the very many prominent characters in Homer’s Epic poems, The Illiad, and The Odyssey. Odysseus has been famed one of the more relatable characters from Homer’s writing, as well as one of the Greatest Greek Mythology Heroes. Homer’s Epic poems highlight many periods of shame and honor for Odysseus. The character analysis of Odysseus through the poem’s timeline shows vast developments and heroic features appear to take form in him. The Illiad portrayed Odysseus as more of a secondary figure behind Agamemnon and Achilles. In contrast, The Odyssey portrayed Odysseus as a hero in the form of an average human.
Myths have been a great example of the hero’s journey. Many heroes have journeys and trials to face throughout their life. Most of their journeys start out with their origin and end with the return. However, the hero’s role remains identical to every other hero. Most heroes like Gilgamesh has heroic traits because of the stages in the hero's journey. Gilgamesh is a man who can turn into a hero by changing himself, even when he has unusual circumstances surrounding his birth. Gilgamesh is viewed as a hero due to the stages of the hero's journey.
The main character of the Odyssey, Odysseus the King of Ithaca is given a complex personality to an extent where it is hard to identify whether he is a true hero or not. True heroism is only achieved when a person achieves certain qualities that portray heroism. Odysseus is not a hero based on the standards of merciful, selfless, and gentle because of his actions of sacrificing his men, killing the suitors and being ruthless throughout the Odyssey. Along with many others qualities these three are helpful and necessary in a hero. A hero must be willing to do service for others and put the needs of others safety and protection before his own. Odysseus does not even come close to matching these qualities because he is a person, who only serves of himself, and he sacrifices his allies to achieve his goals and often he takes action ruthlessly.
Odysseus, the protagonist of the Odyssey by Homer fits the outline of an epic hero because he is courageous, quick-witted, and a natural leader. Odysseus isn’t only known for his muscles, also his clever mind. He is one of the great heroes that possesses both brains and brawn. He is also a hero with outstanding skill and bravery. It is no wonder why many teachers refer to Odysseus as a powerful hero. I believe Odysseus is a hero because he is clever, can overcome obstacles, is very brave, a leader but like all great heroes, he has his weaknesses.
The Myth known today as the epic of Gilgamesh was considered in ancient times to be one of the great masterpieces of cuneiform literature.The tale revolves around a legendary hero named Gilgamesh, who was known said to be the king of the Sumerian city of uruk.Gilgamesh was known to have supernatural abilities and be half human and half god similar to his best friend who was later known known as Enkindu.This person was also blessed with supernatural abilities and was half human-half animal.Gilgamesh and Enkindu both have similar traits such as they both use love as a motivating force and they both clearly are half human-half supernatural.They also have differences such as they both had their own journey within each others journey.
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...