Throughout history literature has consisted of millions of different themes. A hero on a journey is one theme that seems to reoccur more often than many others. The Epic of Gilgamesh and The Odyssey are prime examples of epic stories that have this theme embedded in them. Though the main characters in these stories, Gilgamesh and Odysseus, are very different in personality and their reasoning behind each quest, they both share striking similarities regarding their status, hardships, and connection to the gods.
Gilgamesh, a very arrogant man, is best known for being the king of Uruk. Similarily, in the Odyssey, Odysseus is the king of a great city known as Ithaca. Odysseus is known as being kind, helpful, and very determined throughout his journey. The Odyssey describes a portion of Odysseus journey where he endured the Sirens song to ensure his crew remained safe. The Epic of Gilgamesh describes Gilgamesh’s attitude toward others in a different light. Unlike Odysseus, Gilgamesh was arrogant and known for the oppression of his people, who he also liked to enforce his beliefs and desires upon. Gilgamesh’s arrogance could partially be explained by the fact that he was 2/3rd a god. Odysseus also shared this god-like trait, as he was the great-grandson of the god Hermes.
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Odysseus, on the other hand, was on a journey home to reclaim his kingdom and reunite with his wife and son. One striking difference between each hero's quest was their ‘willingness’. Gilgamesh willingly went with Enkidu to defeat the beast and sought out the gift of eternal life. Odysseus was unfortunately forced to participate in his long journey home, filled with various setbacks provided by the
From the days of ancient Greece and before, epic heroes have had their lives chronicled and their stories passed on from generation to generation all the way to present day. Two of the greatest heroes have been Gilgamesh from the epic named after him and Achilles from Homer's Iliad. While the two men's stories transpired in vastly different eras, their lives shared a surprising number of commonalities. Of course, with resemblances come several discrepancies in the way they lived and the ideals they believed in.
There are numerous heroes throughout “The Odyssey,” but none of them are as significant as Odysseus. “The Odyssey” is a narrative poem written by Homer (around 800 and 600 BCE) to show the numerous adventures and experiences Odysseus goes through. Throughout the Odyssey, Odysseus a prominent Greek epic hero is on a quest to return back to his home in Ithaca; to his wife Penelope, and his son Telemachus. Just like real life, not all heroes are picture-perfect; they all have imperfections. In this case, Odysseus is sometimes insolent, and discourteous; but he is still considered an epic hero because of the many heroic qualities he endures. Odysseus proves himself to be an outstanding hero in various ways such as showing loyalty, intelligence, bravery, strength, and courage which are all some of the most momentous qualities found in a hero. If a true hero can prove they are a true hero, makes them a true hero.
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.
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.
In the Odyssey by Homer, Odysseus is forced to go on a journey for twenty years to fight at Troy, and return to Ithaca. The “Hero’s Journey” by Joseph Campbell represents the steps a hero must take on his journey. In the Odyssey, a work by Homer,the hero Odysseus reflects Joseph’s Campbell's monomyth in these three ways: The Call to Adventure, Supernatural Aid and, Reward and Journey Home.
A frenzy of events takes place including achievements and prominent individuals playing their roles in the course of history. An exemplar or a hero is present in both the narratives, which are “Odysseus and Gilgamesh” respectively. We will highlight the concept of “heroism” and how it brings about a change in the lives of the people who are related to the tale, directly or indirectly. Many messages are conveyed in the tales, ranging from sacrifice, bravery, hedonism, power, ruthlessness and discipline to name a few. The Odyssey is written by Homer while Gilgamesh is written by Shin-Eqi-Unninni which is a debatable issue because it is believed that the Epic of Gilgamesh was written in 2500 BC and was present in severe form.
For as long as storytelling and mythology have existed, legends surrounding heroes have been some of the most celebrated. Although the 1997 Disney movie Hercules is based on ancient legends of the Roman hero, the modern-day rendition has many parallels to a Babylonian poem we studied in class called the Epic of Gilgamesh. Both narratives surround the trials of a hero that is part god and part mortal, and his quest for immortality or god status. The stories utilize some of the same types of myths such as a “heroic quest myth” and a “katabasis myth”. The hero of each also has a close bond with another character, which is a guiding force behind many of their actions throughout the tale. In the Epic of Gilgamesh, this bond
Writing is influenced by many factors, such as class, time, and beliefs, just to name a few. These factors vary as literature moves through different time periods and places. It is interesting to find similarities between pieces of literature written in opposite sides of the world and hundreds of years apart. But no matter the distance or time major themes remain constant throughout world literature. The earliest version The Epic of Gilgamesh, written in 2100 B.C.E., shares many of these universal themes with The Odyssey, which was written by Homer in eight century B.C.E. The Epic of Gilgamesh and The Odyssey are both stories of journeys that are influenced by gods, but they have different challenges and reasons for starting with journeys.
Picture this: a hero of great legends who travels to the underworld and back to get directions to his home from a blind prophet. It sounds like quite an impossible journey, but that is exactly what makes Odysseus all the more fascinating. The Odyssey, an epic poem orally transmitted by Homer, a Greek poet who wrote The Iliad, had to contain some variety of attributes that Greeks valued in a person. That one embodiment of what the Greeks found intriguing in a character is Odysseus. Odysseus is known as what is called an epic hero. An epic hero is a protagonist of a story that represents the most important attributes of a civilization. Odysseus, being based in ancient Greece, is the embodiment of intelligence, loyalty, and strength.
...nd the theme of immortality. However, each presents it in different ways. The Epic of Gilgamesh presents true immortality as deeds and actions that will keep your names in the memory of the people forever. In The Odyssey immortality is presented as something that is less important than your family and the people you love. This is reflected in each of the heroes decisions to turn down immortality; Gilgamesh turns it down because he knows the suffering would never make it worth it and Odysseus knows that he would never get to see his family again if he accepted the offer. The moral really is consider all the consequences before accepting something that seems all well and good.
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 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 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.
In the beginning of the Iliad and The Epic of Gilgamesh there are similarities in the behavior of the leading characters. Gilgamesh and Achilles both have problems managing their emotions. For Gilgamesh the issue is in the form of sexual conquest and abuse of power. For Achilles it is pride and fury that causes problems for the hero. It could be said that these behaviors show how the heroes deal with and internalize feelings as well as emotions. Another similarity is how the loss of their comrades causes a transformation in the protagonists. In the Iliad the hero Achilles suffers the loss of his close comrade, Patroclus, and likewise in The Epic of Gilgamesh he experiences the death of Enkidu. The deaths of these comrades serve as a catalyst
The Hero’s Journey is a pattern followed in dramas, myths, legends, storytelling, and even in movies today. Joseph Campbell, an American scholar, identified this pattern through many readings and research. The Hero’s Journey serves as an outline with different stages of a character’s journey in fiction. The hero is normally the main character, and he or she sets off on a journey. The achievement from this journey differs in stories but the pattern that the character follows is the same (Vogler). “The Epic of Gilgamesh” serves as a great example for evaluating the parts of a hero’s journey.