The Epic Of Gilgamesh And The Odyssey - 888 Words

When two characters are so much alike yet so different, it makes a comparison of Gilgamesh and Odysseus an interesting subject. Both stories, â€Å"The Epic of Gilgamesh† and â€Å"The Odyssey† identify the characters as successful warriors with many adventures to be told. Gilgamesh and Odysseus are human with many god-like qualities. Their perception of immortality, as well as regard for death and the influences of the gods in their lives and adventures, are similar; however, the characters are quite different. Gilgamesh was two-thirds God and one-third human with no regards for the subjects he ruled. He mostly did as he pleased by taking advantage of his subjects, especially abusing women; therefore, he was feared rather than respected by his subjects. The gods of heaven declared, â€Å"Gilgamesh would leave no girl to her mother! The warrior’s daughter, the young man’s spouse, goddesses kept hearing their plaints† (Gilgamesh 60). The great physi cal abilities that Gilgamesh inherited from his immortal parent gave him an advantage in all of his endeavors. The fact that he had very few successful adversaries caused him to be arrogant and displeasing to his subjects. Odysseus was also a successful warrior, but his personality, unlike Gilgamesh, was more accommodating to his subjects, making him a well-respected ruler. Odysseus’s old friend, Mentor, who had been in charge of Odysseus’s home in his absence, stated, â€Å"For all that any of Odysseus’ people remember him, a godly king as kind asShow MoreRelatedThe Epic Of Gilgamesh And The Odyssey1636 Words   |  7 PagesThe Epic of Gilgamesh and the Odysseus both are poems that have since early times been viewed as stories that teach the reader valuable life lessons, almost like a self-help book in today’s society. They both teach a lot of the same general lessons but there are some key similarities and differences throughout both works. Such as pe rseverance, and the inevitability of death are both lessons that are taught in each poem but they are presented to the reader through different interpretations. In theRead MoreThe Epic Of Gilgamesh And The Odyssey Essay790 Words   |  4 Pagestaken by characters as a tool to exhibit the alteration of the character’s nature. Examples of such can be found in The Epic of Gilgamesh and The Odyssey. The journeys undertaken in The Epic of Gilgamesh and The Odyssey were transformative experiences for the characters in each and provided valuable cultural insights to the audience. At the start of The Epic of Gilgamesh, Gilgamesh is the arrogant ruler of the city Uruk. He is obsessed with immortality, which can be seen in the description of himRead MoreThe Odyssey And The Epic Of Gilgamesh Essay1193 Words   |  5 PagesWhen it comes to the realm of epic poetry, and hero-like characters in literature, the two works The Odyssey and the Epic of Gilgamesh can be compared and contrasted in different ways. The Odyssey and the Epic of Gilgamesh can be compared as expressions of searches for the meaning of life through knowledge. The two stories are somewhat mirrors in this manner. Throughout each story, the characters Odysseus and Gilgamesh show growth and change. The Odyssey can be summed up by stating how the greatRead MoreThe Epic Of Gilgamesh And The Odyssey1765 Words   |  8 Pagesand how their values have been passed down and evolved over time. The Epic of Gilgamesh and The Odyssey are both considerable representations of not only their unique cultures that set the very foundation of both civilization and storytelling, but also for their similar and different aspects of what they considered to be a hero. The most familiar structure to mythological stories such as the Epic of Gilgamesh and The Odyssey is that of a â€Å"tragic plot†. A tragic plot is a perfect plot that is connectedRead MoreThe Epic Of Gilgamesh And The Odyssey1487 Words   |  6 Pagesliterary pieces. In both the Epic of Gilgamesh and the Odyssey, water is used as a symbol that represents complex ideas, and it plays a significant role throughout both literary pieces. In the Epic of Gilgamesh, water is mainly used to symbolize life and death as well as rebirth or baptism. In several of Gilgamesh’s dreams water is used as a symbol that represents life. An example of this is when Gilgamesh and Enkidu journey into the forest to kill Humbaba. In one dream Gilgamesh dreams that Enkidu andRead MoreAnalysis Of The Epic Of Gilgamesh And Odyssey Essay1548 Words   |  7 Pagesmisogyny into stone. There are some exceptional cases in the famous epic poems, the Epic of Gilgamesh of the Sumerians and Akkadians and the Odyssey from Homer of the Greeks. We all can agree that these epic poems or at most the authors did not view women with our modern perspective – equality among gender. However, we cannot deny that female characters helped set the path of the epic heroes’ journey to their goals. In these epic poems, women are portrayed as figures and themes of knowledge, motherhoodRead MoreEssay on The Odyssey and the Epic of Gilgamesh84 7 Words   |  4 PagesThe Odyssey and The Epic of Gilgamesh (Similarities and Differences) Both The Odyssey and the Epic of Gilgamesh are two incredible stories written long ago everyone knows this but what a lot of people dont is that these two epics share many of the same concepts. Such as the nostro (the Greek term for homecoming), xenis (guest/host relationship), oikos (household), and aganoriss (recognition). In both epics these themes are illustrated. In The Odyssey the theme of nostro is very prevalentRead MoreThe Iliad, Odyssey, And Epic Of Gilgamesh1466 Words   |  6 PagesThe Iliad, Odyssey, and Epic of Gilgamesh all demonstrate the transformational process of their respective epic heroes through their strengths and weaknesses. Epic heroes such as Achilles, Odysseus, and Gilgamesh all possessed superior qualities that separated them from other individuals. Although their incredible abilities may support the societal perception of strong leadership, their weaknesses caused these characters to hold vices that went against the cultural expectations of what a strong leaderRead MoreThe Epic Of Gilgamesh, The Odyssey, And Beowulf854 Words   |  4 Pages Throughout the â€Å"Epic of Gilgamesh†, â€Å"Oedipus the King†, â€Å"The Odyssey†, and â€Å"Beowulf†, the readers notice how society defines each main character by their heroic characteristics, the relationship between the humans and the divine, a nd the differences of how each hero’s journey ends. Gilgamesh, Oedipus, Odysseus, and Beowulf display several characteristics classifying themselves as heroes. In the story of Gilgamesh, Gilgamesh is â€Å"two-thirds divine and one-third human† (Gilgamesh, par 2). He displaysRead MoreSymbolism : The Epic Of Gilgamesh, And The Odyssey870 Words   |  4 PagesWhen it comes to texts such as The Epic of Gilgamesh, the Hebrew Bible, and The Odyssey, symbolism plays a major role in understanding a piece of literature’s true intentions. This would explain the abundance of distinct character features, exaggerated scenarios, and countless approaches to new, bigger problems in these tales. But one of the most favored approaches to symbolism and interpretations seems to be through the way of dreams. Due to their unpredictable nature, dreams allow authors to take