Odysseus and Gilgamesh were two epic heroes that hail from two separate time periods and locations. The Odyssey that features Odysseus came to us from Greece while Gilgamesh, so named for its hero, came to us from Mesopotamia. Both of these epic tales heavily reflect each culture’s religious views of their gods and both heroes represent a bridge between the gods and the people; as the heroes often spoke directly to the gods and Gilgamesh was part god, his mother being a goddess.
Gilgamesh was the historical king of Uruk in Babylonia, on the river Euphrates in modern Iraq; he lived around the time frame of 2700B.C. Odysseus was the ruler of the island kingdom of Ithaca. He was one of the most prominent Greek leaders of the Trojan War. Both of
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these men were granted certain attributes by the gods, Gilgamesh had physical strength, while Odysseus had mental strength. Gilgamesh was a very confident and arrogant man, at times this confidence and arrogance led him to have little compassion for the people of Uruk; mostly seen at the beginning of his tale.
He was their king, but not very compassionate; he killed their sons and raped their daughters. His heredity led him to believe he was superior to his people; he was two thirds god, his mother being the goddess Ninsun, and one third human. This is the key factor that guides his actions and is also what sets him apart from the hero Odysseus.
Gilgamesh was thought to be more beautiful, courageous, powerful and wise than all of the people of Uruk. These attributes were thought to be god like; and even though they were gifts of the gods he was still mortal. He came to the realization that no matter what, he would not only have to witness the deaths of others, he was subject to the same fate; being mortal. This is the one thing that he feared the most and vowed to find a way to become immortal.
Odysseus was also very confident and was best known for his cleverness, cunning, and eloquence as a speaker. Odysseus was said to be the “hero of a thousand disguises”, and forever the loyal husband fixed on the goal of returning home. Even though he faced many trials, tribulations, and temptations, nothing could stand in the way of this
goal. Odysseus was also an eternal wander, filled with the passion of gaining knowledge and experience. Although he returns home from his journeys, he must set out again and continue wandering until death. His great spirit is shown throughout the entire epic. He very respected from the beginning of this epic until the very end and this is what sets him apart from Gilgamesh. Odysseus was, at the same time, a hero and anti-hero, just like Gilgamesh was in the beginning of his epic. He also came across as having a mean streak and selfish, who employed disguises and deceit often to gain the most disreputable ends. It seems that many classical Greeks and Romans frequently saw him in this light.
Gilgamesh was destined to perfection from birth. He was created as a divine mortal, two thirds divine and one third human (5). He was a man destined to live a lavish life with all the riches a man could ever want. Unfortunately his arrogance and superior strength got in the way (Foster5). Gilgamesh was created by the gods to be perfect in every regard. But what the gods couldn't prepare him for was life and human emotions, instinct etc. Gilgamesh built a wall that protected Uruk, his home (3). He was destined to live a life like a god among his people. Gods played tug a war for the lack of better words with Gilgamesh's life. They controlled every aspect. This is where all Gilgamesh journey's began and where they would all bring him back to in the end.
Odysseus is strong, loyal and brave. Odysseus is referred as being strong and hard working. He is the friend you'd want to call for help to finish all the tasks you need to finish. Odysseus is strong and hard-working, but above it, he is the hardest working for anyone else. Odysseus has never ordered his men to do something he won't or can't do. He manages to constantly challenge himself more than his men. Odysseus is a born leader based on all of his qualities. He isn't ruling his men around him because he wants power. Odysseus was born to become a great leader and have control and powered. He is not a lazy slacker who is bossing his servants around; instead, he is next to the building and cutting on whatever task needs to occur to complete his ship. Eurylochos could have complained about overworking and not having time to relax, but Eurylochos recognizes Odysseus work ethic and respects him for
Although Gilgamesh was forced to battle mythic beasts sent by the gods his most important conflict was with himself where he was forced to face the selfish, awful and wicked person he had become. To understand Gilgamesh’s transition it is important to first understand his background. Gilgamesh was born the product of a man and a goddess. He was a king of the Uruk and
In The Odyssey, book nine and ten written by Homer, Odysseus constantly embodies the principal characteristics of a hero which are : cleverness, leadership, and selflessness. Thus, this character is regarded as an idol among the other characters and greatly captures the reader’s sympathy for his choices and the fruit to his actions in life. First, Odysseus displays cleverness in Book Nine when he tricks the Cyclops Poluphemus that his name is “nobody” in order to escape the horrors of the cyclop’s cave. He states: “Nobody--so my mother and father call me, all my friends” (Homer, 18). Second, Odysseus is a brave leader of his army especially in book ten when he displays leadership by motivating his comrades in keep trying to sail despite the
In conclusion, Odysseus conveys the qualities of a true hero, He shows fortitude, bravery and he portrays qualities of management. Odysseus shows these qualities throughout the journey in which he faced many challenging people and places. However, Odysseus overcomes each and every one by having only one set goal: to get home. As long as he reached that goal, nothing could stop him. Like a true hero, Odysseus never lost these traits, no matter how bad of a mess he was in.
The Epic of Gilgamesh is an epic poem dating from the Third Dynasty of Ur. From the ancient Mesopotamia, the poem is set where modern day Iraq is today. Composed of five Sumerian poems about Bilgamesh, which is Sumerian for Gilgamesh, Gilgamesh is two parts God and one part Man who is a hero. Gilgamesh encounters many challenges and situations during The Epic of Gilgamesh that cause him to evolve into a better king. Consequential, Gilgamesh recommences his position in Urk and evolves as an improved king.
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 whole reason Gilgamesh takes this journey to search for eternal life is due to the death of Enkidu, with whom he was close with. Before all of the events occurred, Gilgamesh had never thought about the topic of death. It’s as if it never crossed his mind; as though he would live forever. He went through phases along his journey. The first was not accepting reality, the second was fighting for eternal life, and the last was accepting reality. Now, his aspirations for immortality are no longer apparent as he enters the last stage.
Throughout the Odyssey, Odysseus exemplified the key traits needed to be an epic hero. The poem depicts Odysseus as an extremely strong man; at one point, he even defeats the towering cyclops Polyphemus. His ingenuity in creating the trojan horse unearths his slightly latent intelligence. Along with strength and cunning, Odysseus a strong sense of selflessness. He bared a trepid ten year journey and longed for his child and wife. Unfortunately, all of Odysseus’s traits are tarnished by his infidelity, ruthless behavior, and the massacre of men. Though he was, without a doubt, heroic, his lovely wife is the true, unsung heroine of the Odyssey.
Odysseus is very wise; he is able to get out of any situation he finds himself in and can also deceive anyone he finds the need to. Odysseus has the sort of cunning that one may expect to find in an action hero. However, Odysseus is able to do almost anything he wants with these skills of his. He is able to make up stories on the spot, such as when he told Athena that he was in fact not Odysseus but instead a weary traveler from Krete. Said he, “Far away in Krete I learned of Ithaka- in that broad island over the great ocean” (XIII, 327-328), and Athena knew it was Odysseus only because she was a goddess. Odysseus is very resourceful: he uses the things that are available to him. One instance of this trait is when he devises a plan to escape Polyphemos’s cave alive. Using the sheep as escape mechanisms is very clever. If he was not with his men in the cave, there would have been no way for them to get out. Also calling himself Nohbdy to trick Polyphemos into saying that no one hurt him is an ingenious idea. No one else would be able to execute his plan the way he did- with swiftness and bravery. O...
In the tale The Odyssey, Odysseus, the epic hero, is trying to return to Ithaca from the Trojan War. Odysseus, the son of Laertes and Anticlea, is the King of Ithaca (Hionides). Throughout his journey, Poseidon, the God of the Sea, is trying to make it impossible for him to return home. He finally reaches Ithaca by the help of the goddess Athena. In Oedipus the King, Oedipus, the son of Laius and Jocasta, is the King of Thebes. Oedipus was destined for failure even before his birth (Hionides). He receives an oracle t...
Gilgamesh, feeling the fear of his own mortality, sets out on a journey to search for a way to preserve himself. Although the journey that he endures is much larger than life, Gilgamesh comes to realize that he can never achieve immortality. Before the creation of Enkidu, Gilgamesh is a man without an equal match. He is an individual with overwhelming power, and it is because of this that makes Gilgamesh a very arrogant person.
Homer’s The Odyssey is a Greek story that follows the journey of its primary character, Odysseus, back to his home in Ithaca after the Trojan War. Odysseus encounters many challenges in his journey home, from encounters with Polyphemus the Cyclops, the witch Circe and even the ghosts of dead Greeks. Meanwhile, his household in Ithaca is being threatened by suitors of his wife, Penelope, all wanting to inherit Odysseus’ possessions in the belief that he was already dead. Like many epic heroes, Odysseus possesses many admirable qualities. Three good characteristics of Odysseus are—cleverness, bravery and strength—here are some supporting instances from the epic that demonstrates Odysseus possession of such characteristics.
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.
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...