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Influence of Greek mythology on modern society
Influences of greek mythology on current day life
Influence of Greek mythology on modern society
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Gilgamesh, Beowulf, and Odysseus are similar in many ways, however, there is one major difference within their moral character. Gilgamesh begins with the author detailing our hero’s greatest qualities and accomplishments, but we quickly discover he has some major moral shortcomings. Our heroes have many similarities in character. In Tablet I, we read that Gilgamesh is “wise in all things,” he brought back prosperity to the land, he built the tremendous city of Uruk, he can simultaneously lead his men in battle and defend them from the rear. Not only is Gilgamesh a mighty leader, but he is the son of a goddess; of course, this means he is also incredibly handsome and perfectly proportioned. Beowulf is regarded as, “the mightiest man on earth,” known for his nobility and confidence. Beowulf is giving in his services, especially to those he feels indebted. After hearing their plight, …show more content…
Beowulf travels from his homeland and risks his life to help free a foreign kingdom from an evil monster. Lastly, The Odyssey; not only is Odysseus highly known for his strength and kerdea, but he takes relationships and xenia to heart. Odysseus spends ten years fighting a war to protect his people. He gets tossed around in a series of tragic events for another ten years, but he never gives up the hope of going home. Family is so important to Odysseus that he passes on the chance of immortality to be with them. The similarities in character may be many, however, there is one major difference and that is the way Gilgamesh treats his people in comparison to the way Beowulf or Odysseus treat people.
While reading the list of Gilgamesh’s shortcomings and major character flaws, we find he lords over the city, “like a wild bull, his head thrust high.” This tells me, Gilgamesh is a brute with an extreme ego and sense of entitlement. Tablet 1 also tells us that Gilgamesh is overly aggressive and hard on his men and that he would constantly rage. It seems he demands compliance out of fear. The most disturbing of flaws, is his disrespect and violation of the females in his city. By taking their daughters, not only does Gilgamesh violate the relationship between the men that fight for him, but he violates the sanctity of marriage and casts a dark cloud over any family planning a wedding. I can only imagine the heaviness of impending doom as exchanging vows means Gilgamesh will impose his rule of first rite. These actions are not those of a hero, yet we are to believe Gilgamesh, is in fact a
hero. Again, the similarities are easy to see. All three heroes are strong, well known, mighty, and have great accomplishments. However, Gilgamesh is the only one committing vicious acts against his people; I have to wonder if this is a culturally related.
All authors, who actually produce well written stories and novels, tend to have one thing in common: the way that they describe and characterize each character. The diction and tone that they incorporate into the work assists in producing characters with extreme qualities, both good and bad. Two such characters are known as Beowulf and Gilgamesh. These two beings possess similar qualities but are expressed by the author in extremely different tones and word diction. Gilgamesh has a slightly negative tone while Beowulf contains a vibrant tone. The two characters possess two characteristics that are quite similar: strength and confidence.
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.
To begin, we can examine the physical appearances of the two heroes. From the get go, we see Beowulf as a very powerful man. We see emphasise of this through the drawings of the novel. We see how muscular he is and the overall aura. He is relaxed and in control every step of the way.
In conclusion, although Beowulf possessed many heroic qualities he would not be considered a hero in today’s world. A hero varies from culture to culture. The Anglo-Saxon appreciated different things in a person that what do not we appreciate today. Many things have changed a lot with time, the requisites for being considered a hero have also changed. Today we do not like to solve problems with war. Pride and honor are not as important as the willingness one has to help others. Beowulf is not feeling that contact with people he doesn’t identify with them because he believes himself better, a part of a hero´s cycle is to be identified with the community. To be part
At the beginning of the novel, Beowulf represents a savage warrior, displaying mostly his strength and bravery by defeating Grendel and his mother. However, as Beowulf ages, he begins to change into a different kind of hero. After becoming King of the Geats, Beowulf matured and took on more of a leadership role in the community, as opposed to a warrior. Even though Beowulf was still a hero, he began to lead an army of geats and acted for the good of the people. In both cases however, Beowulf was respected by others for his admirable
The idea of fate has baffled mankind for centuries. Can humans control what happens to them, or is everyone placed in a predestined world designed by a higher power? The Epic of Gilgamesh and Oedipus The King highlight on the notion that no matter what, people cannot control what is destined to occur. Interestingly enough, many other distantly connected cultures had, and have similar gods or goddesses who play a role in the fate of individuals. Oedipus, King of Thebes, was told by the Oracle at Delphi that he would one day kill his father and marry his mother. Determined not to let this prophecy verify his fears, Oedipus does all in his power to prevent this from happening, yet fails. Similarly, Gilgamesh, king of Uruk, attempts to obtain immortality, but fails as well. Gilgamesh's and Oedipus's intense fear and ignorance cause them to try to interfere with their fates, leading to their failures and realization of the futility of trying to control destiny.
Numerous cultures have tried to understand why humans were put onto this earth, and many stories have been passed down both orally and in writing to explain this. Many cultures look to divine power to explain what is happening in the lives of the day-to-day people. Mortality is a concept that societies have struggled with in the past and will continue to struggle with today. Looking back at ancient texts we can see this struggle to understand why we die. Gilgamesh and The Iliad are both prime examples of humans trying to come to terms with the mortality of friends, loved ones, and themselves. Both of these stories depict some form of divine intervention as well. Gods and deities are common in these stories. The divines seem to provide a sense of reason and purpose to the ancient peoples who listened to and read these stories. To know that something much greater than yourself is watching you, guiding you, and taking an interest in your life provides a sense of comfort and ensures that people have something to thank or blame for their state of affairs. The gods in these stories have true power and influence, unlike their mortal counterparts. There is a comfort in accepting your fate and understanding the true powerlessness of your own humanity. These ancient texts show us that death is something that comes for us all. These
Beowulf is a complex character that is cast as the ultimate hero and champion, whose greatest strength is also his greatest weakness. Though his obsession with power yield him courage and strength that allow him to defeat enemies most other warriors cannot bring themselves to fight, his unilateral quest for glory leaves his citizens and kingdom desolate and unprepared for the difficulties they face. Beowulf may be the greatest warrior of one of the greatest epics written, but as is said in the last words about him in the book, his most notable trait is not his greatness as a leader and king but that he is the “keenest to win fame”.
Beowulf and Gilgamesh are two epic heroes, but drastically different ones. While considering the aspects of their journeys, character, and leadership, the two have a few character traits in common. For the most part, however, the two characters are very divergent in these aspects.
The two great heroes Gilgamesh and Beowulf are two different people from different stories, but they share a lot of the same characteristics. In addition to these similarities they both have multiple notable differences. The two men both faced challenges where they had to fight heinous monsters to achieve a goal. They both fought monsters but they fought for different goals, Beowulf for glory and Gilgamesh for fun. Both men had death shoved in their faces since day one and they have to deal with it constantly throughout their lives, but they handle it in two different ways. Gilgamesh is afraid of death and seeks immortality, while Beowulf doesn’t fear death and seeks glory in his name for when he is gone. In addition, the two men also had
Beowulf and Odysseus are both among the most recognizable characters in the literary history. Beowulf is from the great Anglo-Saxon epic Beowulf, and Odysseus is from the Homer’s The Odyssey. Both characters perform superhuman feats of strength and wit. The two also demonstrate incredible courage and bravery for the sake of others throughout their respective stories. Even with these similarities, Odysseus is made of much stronger moral fibers than Beowulf. Odysseus only killed someone when they had directly acted against him and only created trouble for those who had previously created troubling scenarios for him. Beowulf killed monsters that he had no relation to, and acted vainly during his quests. Odysseus’ quest was done with the pretense
Throughout history, pieces of literature featuring epic heroes always include a major flaw in the seemingly perfect character. Whether this is to keep the story interesting or add a touch of realism to the piece, every epic character has an important flaw. In comparing and contrasting the flaws of Beowulf and Gilgamesh, we notice both startling similarities and differences. In being similar, Beowulf and Gilgamesh have both been caught bragging or boasting to their followers. To some, this is not so much a flaw as much as it is a characteristic but boasting is seen by many as negative. Both characters can also come off as cocky or arrogant because they are aware of their achievements, giving them confidence which leads to arrogance. Although similar, Gilgamesh seems to have more character flaws as he exercises his power much more, he is more selfish, and more conceited than Beowulf to a noticeable
Beowulf and sir Gawain are two of the most heroic stories ever written. Although they are highly recommended stories, they are different in some ways. Both stories have traits that both men have while they also have different stories and cultures.
He took peoples children whether males or females and used them for different reasons. He slept with the females and devirginized or took their virginity away, he slept with the rich men wives, whiles he used the males as his army. He slaved them and made them work for him. He used them for whatever he wanted. “No son is left with his father, for Gilgamesh takes them all, even the children; yet the king should be a shepherd to his people. His lusts leave no virgin to her lover, neither the warrior’s daughter nor the wife of the noble; yet this is the shepherd of the city, wise, comely, and resolute (The epic of Gilgamesh by N.K Sanders pg. 62).” This quote tells or shows us that Gilgamesh is supposed to guard and protect his people but instead of protecting them he is abusing them, disturbing their peace of mind, killing and stealing from
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...