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Odysseus and Gilgamesh are both epics from a time long forgotten; both are stories of heroism and great deeds. The difference between the two is the heroic or non heroic traits of the main character. In the Odyssey the main character is a strong man with God like intelligence. Odysseus is on a quest to return home to his wife and Son. It would seem Odysseus is a moral man. In Gilgamesh the main character is so out of control the Gods must create a man who can calm the beast that is Gilgamesh. Both of these epics are timeless and classic, however the differences are stark.
Gilgamesh begins with a long proclamation of all the great deeds accomplished by Gilgamesh himself. Shortly after when the meat of the story really begins Gilgamesh’s
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true colors are displayed. “Gilgamesh leaves no girl to her mother! The warrior’s daughter, the young man’s spouse, Anu kept hearing their plaints”. (Norton 101) Anu is the Sun god for the people of Uruk, the city in which Gilgamesh rules. Gilgamesh does not seem to be much of a hero if the people he rules over need to cry out to the Gods for peace from his reign. Anu heeds the cries of the people of Uruk and summons another God to create Ekindu. (Norton 102) Ekindu is the real hero of Gilgamesh. Ekindu harms no one, and is content with living by himself with only animals for company. Ekindu is seduced by a prostitute and taught what it means to be a man; he is then convinced to go to Uruk to meet Gilgamesh. Gilgamesh and Ekindu have their first encounter at a wedding where Gilgamesh intends to use the right of a “divine decree” to lay with bride before the groom. (Norton 108) Ekindu reinforces the idea that he is the real hero of the story by blocking the way and stopping Gilgamesh from his intended rape. At this point in the story Gilgamesh seems to take a turn for the better. He decides that that laying with all the women of his city is not a top priority and vainly decides it is time to take on a great quest. Originally Gilgamesh tells Ekindu that the quest to kill Humbaba to “remove a great evil from the world”, but later reveals his desire is to make an eternal name for himself. (Norton 110) Ekindu further demonstrates his heroic character by keeping Gilgamesh going by encouraging his friend throughout the Humbaba quest. Shortly after the Humbaba quest Gilgamesh and Ekindu return to Uruk to celebrate their victory. A God named Ishtar decides that she wants Gilgamesh as her husband. Gilgamesh spurns her and invokes the wrath of an angry God. Ishtar goes to speak to her father Anu, and they decide to send the Bull of Heaven after Gilgamesh and the city of Uruk. Gilgamesh and Ekindu make quick work of the Bull of Heaven and Gilgamesh even gets some last minute taunting in on Ishtar. The gods decide that one of the two friends has to be punished, and since Gilgamesh is part God himself he cannot be the one. Ekindu becomes sick and has suffers greatly due to the careless tongue of his friend. Gilgamesh mourns for Ekindu for quite some time, and even dawns an animal skin in remembrance of him. This seemingly upright behavior is quickly overturned when it becomes evident that Gilgamesh’s real concern is attaining everlasting life for himself. Gilgamesh goes on an amazing journey across the world in an attempt to gain his immortality. Gilgamesh has several rants about wanting to be immortal and being scared of death, and even throws a tantrum destroying vital boat tackle for no apparent reason. (Norton 139) Gilgamesh learns of “the deluge” and how Utanapishtim earned immortality. (Norton 143). Gilgamesh is disgruntled that he has no way of obtaining immortality, and returns to Uruk empty handed except for the knowledge from Utanapishtim. The Odyssey offers a stark contrast to Gilgamesh. Odysseus, the main character in the Odyssey, is a true hero on a journey home. Following the Trojan War Odysseus becomes stuck on island with the Nymph Calypso. Odysseus does take the Goddess as a mistress, but he is in no position to refuse her request, so his transgressions against his wife are of little consequence in the decision of hero or zero. Odysseus is loved by the Goddess Athena in a very different way, and she petitions Zeus for the release of Odysseus. Zeus decides to send the messenger God Hermes to inform Calypso of his will. Calypso was quite upset about releasing Odysseus and rants to Hermes about the Gods being jealous of love. (Norton 388) Eventually Calypso relents and tells Odysseus he is free to go about his way, but only in a raft. Naturally Odysseus is not overly excited about attempting to sail in a makeshift raft while Poseidon is still angry at him. None the less, Odysseus chooses the inevitable peril he will face on the journey so he can see his family again. Immediately after setting sail from Calypso’s island Odysseus is spotted by Poseidon. Poseidon realizes that the other Gods must have decided to release him, but decides that he will still cause some grief for Odysseus while he can. (Norton 391) Odysseus begins to believe he would have been better off staying with Calypso when a minor Sea-God shows up and helps him land on the island where the Phaeacians’s live. (Norton 393) Poseidon rises up a storm so strong it destroys Odysseus’ raft and sends him into the sea swimming. Odysseus washes up on the Phaeacian shore naked and tired. Athena tells the Phaeacian princess, Nausicaa, in a dream that she must go to the shore and look extra beautiful. Naked Odysseus and naked Nausicaa have an awkward meeting on the shore of the island, and decide it is best to head up to the palace. Nausicaa is a smart princess and insists they should travel separately. Once on his way to the palace Odysseus encounters Athena in the disguise of a child; she shields him from the view of the natives who are not found of strangers. (Norton 404) At this point in the story Odysseus explains to King Alcinous what has befallen him the last several years. Odysseus tells tales of how he and his men were scattered after the sacking of Troy. He tells the tale of how he blinded Poseidon’s son and invoked the “Earth shaker’s” rage. The key to Odysseus’ status as a hero comes from this portion of The Odyssey. Odysseus does not cut out the infidelity he has committed or the poor choices he made during his journey. He accepts his human mistakes as a true hero would. Odysseus mourns the loss of his friends and companions of which all have perished. Odysseus finally does return to his home of Ithaca. The Goddess Athena again comes to his direct aid by disguising him as an “Old Beggar”. (Norton 487) Once on Ithaca Odysseus seeks out his swineherd to learn of his family’s situation; Eumaeus, the swineherd, tells Odysseus of the unfortunate circumstances. Odysseus was already aware of his household’s situation due to Athena informing him prior. Odysseus learns that some of his people are still loyal to him, while most importantly his wife and son remain infallibly loyal to him. After Odysseus scouts his home and has several interactions with Telemachus and Penelope he decides it is time for retribution. After all the misfortune that Odysseus is made to suffer he is granted sweet revenge on the people who took advantage of his loved ones. Gilgamesh and The Odyssey are two classic epics with stark contrasts.
There are similarities between the two stories, such as both main characters being Kings of their perspective areas. Both men go on journeys across the earth in search of something, but the contrasts are clear. Gilgamesh shows the audience everything that a hero is not; he is selfish, unrefined, and completely out of control. Gilgamesh’s transgressions are so egregious that the gods must create a real hero in the form of Ekindu to pacify Gilgamesh. The two meet by Ekindu stopping Gilgamesh from invoking a “divine decree” in which he was able to lay with a newly married woman before the husband. After a journey to gain fame Gilgamesh’s friend is killed and Gilgamesh starts his journey for immortality. Gilgamesh does so out of fear of death, not it save his deceased friend. Odysseus shows the audience what a true hero is; he endures several difficult situations with only goal of returning home to his family. The king of Ithaca shows heroic morals by owning up to his mistakes and atoning for them. Odysseus mourns the loss of his crewmen and friends, and spreads tales of their deeds to all he encounters on his journey home. Gilgamesh is quite certainly a zero, while Odysseus is a hero for all to
admire.
...e also existed many differences. Most striking was their view on death; one dreamt of immortality while the other adored death and all its glory. At the same time, one must acknowledge the significant effect their friends had on their lives. One cannot help but wonder how each hero's life would have been without what could be considered his soul mate. Regardless, one must accept the fact that Achilles and Gilgamesh were heroes of their time and will remain epic heroes that are continually analyzed and compared throughout the modern era.
Gilgamesh was an arrogant tyrant of his city-state who was obsessed with increasing his own influence and power while Aeneas was more aloof, letting the gods and the fates guide his actions in life. Aeneas acted as a perfect pawn of the gods and was tossed around at their whims. Gilgamesh on the contrary took fate into his own hands and attempted to gain immortality by seeking out the immortals. Gilgamesh was a man who wanted more power than mortals were allowed and wanted his influence to be known forever. Aeneas simply wanted to fulfill the prophesy of founding Rome and making his Trojan followers happy.
In The Epic of Gilgamesh, we see Gilgamesh often boasting of his physical abilities and opulent city. In The Odyssey, there are many situations in which Odysseus loses sight of his goal to return to Ithaca in order to snatch a little bit of glory for himself. Both of these stories illustrate their respective heroes arrogance and self-centeredness in the pursuit of their own personal gains. In The Epic of Gilgamesh, Gilgamesh believes he will live forever and thus does not allow himself to worry about how his actions will affect others. In The Odyssey, Odysseus has not yet abandoned the battlefield mindset bred on the battlegrounds of Troy and still craves adrenaline. Both heroes have their fair share of flaws. Nonetheless, they both also experience
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 wise and strong Pākaʻa and the cunning and brave Odysseus. Both alleged heroes are seen to have moments where they are idolized as role-models. But their true motives are shrouded behind their cloud of actions. Heroes and villains alike share a few qualities, but take a look at the core and you see that true natures of both differ dramatically.
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.
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.
'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.
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.
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.
The epic hero’s journeys hold the hopes for future of ordinary people’s lives. The Epic of Gilgamesh was written in approximately 2000 B.C.E which is highly enriched with Ancient Mesopotamian religions, and The Ramayana was written by ancient Indians in around 1800 B.C.E. The stories were written in two different parts of the world. However, these two stories etched great evidence that show people from generation to generation that different cultures and religions are interconnected; they share ideas with each other. Both Gilgamesh and Rama traveled long journeys in these tales. These epic journeys played a role in the creation of different archetypes. We can clearly see that these two tales share similarities between these archetypes. Although
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.
The poem “If” by Rudyard Kipling and from The Odyssey by Homer, both authors reveal definitions of what it means to be a man and a hero. In both works, main ideas are the need to trust oneself while considering others’ points of view, Odysseus trusting himself that Circe is right and telling the men to go hunt for food on the island, and the need to show true bravery by not complaining about losses, Odysseus’ staying quiet when six of his men are eaten. Both Odysseus and the speaker of “If”, stress the importance of believing in oneself but listening to others. When Odysseus and his men are at the sun
An analysis of The Iliad and The Odyssey show us that Achilles and Odysseus do have several qualities in common, but that they also have numerous makings that show the differences between the two epic heroes. Both of these men are very violent and kill in very vicious was, they are also very emotionally immature, and finally both Achilles and Odysseus are favored by Athena. With all those features in common they also have several things that make themselves stand out from each other. First off, their mindset is very different. Achilles is very linear minded; he doesn’t beat around the bush and gets straight to the point of why he wants to fight. On the other hand, Odysseus is much more deceptive and cunning; he is very strategic and is almost more powerful with how he makes you think and act towards him. Next, their reasons for fighting are very different. Achilles is fighting because it’s his destiny and it’s what he has to do, Odysseus is fighting to get home to his family whom he hasn’t seen in several years. Finally, their homecomings make these two characters very different. Achilles never does get a homecoming, he dies at the walls of Troy as he is fighting. Odysseus, in contrast does end up coming home to his wife and son, that is, after he fights off the suitors that
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...