Comparing Odyssey And The Epic Of Gilgamesh

How do these two historical stories have in common? The Odyssey and Epic of Gilgamesh have identical themes, which is temptation. The two historical works have a message on how the consequences of temptation can lead to negative or positive outcomes. In the Epic of Gilgamesh temptation plays corresponding outcomes. In Odyssey temptation is shown everywhere. There is not one part of the story where temptation is not shown.

The Epic of Gilgamesh has many similarities to the Bible, especially in Genesis and it’s not just that the both begin with the letter “g”’! One major similarity being the flood story that is told in both works. The two stories are very similar but also very different. Another being the use of serpents in both works and how they represent the same thing. A third similarity being the power of God or gods and the influence they have on the people of the stories. Within these similarities there are also differences that need to be pointed out as well.

The definition of a hero has evolved over time through both written word and human experiences, so what is a hero? In the two epic passages "The Epic of Gilgamesh" and Homer's "Odyssey", "heroism" appears to be a clear distinction with the literature, and has the same basic framework as today’s definition of a hero. Historically, in the texts, heroes such as Gilgamesh and Odysseus are protagonists viewed and credited with great bravery and most certainly heroism. Nearly all of the heroic figures throughout time, both fictitious and living and are viewed as a protagonist in their own epic challenge or struggle when looked back upon. Though many core elements of histories hero are found in today’s and it is epic passages such as Odysseus and Gilgamesh that have played a part in shaping the characteristics and actions that shape today’s qualities of a modern hero.

The epics of Beowulf and Gilgamesh are about a pair of heroes who had many common characteristics as well as characteristics that contradict one another. Beowulf is a Christian epic that roots from the Anglo Saxon culture. Throughout the plot, there are numerous biblical allusions. “Grendel who haunted the moors, the wild Marshes, and made his home in a hell not hell but earth. He was spawned in that slime, conceived by a pair of monsters born of Cain, murderous creatures banished By God,” (from Beowulf part one, translated by Burton Raffel pg. 21, lines 17-21) Gilgamesh is a story from the Mesopotamian culture, which is now present day Iraq. As Beowulf, Gilgamesh also has

Thus muses Achilles, one of epic poetry's greatest heroes. Epic poetry, one of the earliest forms of literature, began as an oral narration describing a series of mythical or historic events. Eventually, these stories were written down and read aloud to an audience. Although the Epic of Gilgamesh was composed approximately fifteen hundred years prior to the Iliad, the heroes of both epics possess strikingly similar characteristics. Indeed,

The Epic of Gilgamesh and The Odyssey have been a part of human literature for many, many years now, they are both more referred to as epic poems. Both epics are found in different points of time in human cultures stretching roughly 1000 years apart. The Epic of Gilgamesh is a poem from early Mesopotamian culture and The Odyssey is said to be written from the early onset of the Greek civilization. The main characters for these epics are Gilgamesh, a demigod and ruler of Uruk, and Odysseus a great warrior returning home to his wife from war. The two main characters of these epic poems, Gilgamesh and Odysseus share many traits together and apart from each other. Among the qualities that these characters display in each of their respective poems,

These two stories are very similar in their context because they occur close together in history. The Epic of Gilgamesh was written around 600 B.C.E. but the historical events that the Epic of Gilgamesh talks about would have taken place around 2,700 B.C.E. which is when Gilgamesh lived. Similarly, the Book of Job was written around 1,000 B.C.E. but would have taken place around 2,000 B.C.E. Both of these stories happened within 700 years of each other but didn’t get written until many years later, 2,000 years later for the Epic of Gilgamesh and 1,000 years later for the Book of Job. While a 700 year difference may seem big when put into perspective of history the 700 years is an extremely small gap. By being so close to each other in time, this means that the context and advancement between the two aren’t significantly different.

In these two epics, the major themes are the concept of good versus evil and the conflicts of man versus man, man versus self, and man versus nature. In The Epic of Gilgamesh, the King of Uruk represented good while Humbaba and the snake represented evil. Compared to The Odyssey, the Sumerian epic consists of a smaller representation for both good and evil. Odysseus represented good, but so does his son, Athena, and many of the gods that help him. Antinous, the rest of the suitors, Polyphemus, Circe, as well as many others were on the evil side of the equation for this epic. The concept of good versus evil coincides with the conflict of both man versus man and man versus self. Odysseus and Gilgamesh both engaged in both types of conflict, but Gilgamesh experienced more of the latter conflict while Odysseus experienced more of the former. Odysseus’s adventures involved more of man versus man conflicts because of how often he had to fight a physical being. For example, Odysseus and his men blinded Polyphemus by ramming a hot spear “deep into his [Polyphemus] crater eye” (qtd. in Prentice Hall Lit. 992). In addition, Odysseus and his son, Telemachus, had to fight off more than a hundred suitors near the end of the epic. Gilgamesh had plenty of experiences with man versus man conflict, such as his first fight with Enkidu, his fight with Humbaba, as well as his arguments with the gods. However, the man versus self conflict seemed

One difference that lies in the two epic heroes is how christianity is perceived through the epics. Gilgamesh and Beowulf both have biblical references in their quests, yet in Beowulf it can be seen more clearly. During Beowulf's journey he specifically prayed to the Gods for guidance in the battles with both Grendel and his mother. While in Gilgamesh the story contained a motif to Noah's Flood, and this leads to shaping Gilgamesh into a greater king because it gives him a story to tell. Another similarity in the epics in connection to christianity is they both use stories of the bible, Beowulf is seen as a kenning to Cane in the biblical story of Cain and Abel. Gilgamesh used

First, Gilgamesh and Achilles are two epic heroes who share some differences. Among the differences there are also some similarities. Achilles and Gilgamesh were to a great degree different with respect to their identity and how they reacted to death. Achilles was a warrior and Gilgamesh was a ruler, each all around respected and feared in their role. They both demonstrated fearlessness and toughness in their parts, yet their responses to the passing of their best friend varied greatly. Combined Achilles and Gilgamesh participated in many battles, as discussed in Homer's "Iliad" and the Mesopotamian "Epic of Gilgamesh".

The Epic of Gilgamesh is a Mesopotamian myth and the oldest known narrative there is, originally created on clay tablets written in cuneiform. The story focuses on two individuals. Gilgamesh, who is the tyrannical ruler of the kingdom of Uruk. Then his counterweight, Enkidu who resides in the forest and was raised by animals. It may seem that neither would have much in common, considering one is royalty and one is a wild man. However, these two characters balance each other despite their differences, which results in a beautiful friendship, but both will lose as well as gain in the end.

In The Epic of Gilgamesh and the Iliad, heroes Achilles and Gilgamesh have important relationships with characters that directly and indirectly give readers a look at the character we may not normally see. For the mighty demi-god Achilles, the person who aids in revealing his feelings is the warrior, Patroclus. Patroclus is a warrior who Achilles has a great respect for, and his eventual death sends him into an enraged killing spree. For the tyrannical king Gilgamesh, this was Enkidu; the hairy man sent by the gods to put him in his place after displeasing them. Enkidu’s death brings to light feelings that Gilgamesh did not even know he had; his fear of death being the most prominent. The relationships that these characters have with their companions open them up for readers, allowing the characters to be viewed in a whole new light. Due to the deaths of their companions, we see tenderness and emotional vulnerability from the heroes. That is uncharacteristic to these characters when we are first introduced to them. Despite Achilles and Gilgamesh both having their outlook on life changed after the death of their friends, there is also a lot that separates these two relationships while all characters are alive. Unlike Enkidu does for Gilgamesh, Patroclus is not needed to define Achilles as a character. Achilles himself does not change his characteristics a great deal before his

Odysseus and Gilgamesh are both heroes from two diverse time eras that were in search for the meaning of life. The epic Gilgamesh was settled from early Mesopotamia, and the Odyssey was developed from early Greece. Gilgamesh was very prevalent and it was also extremely valuable to the historians of the Mesopotamian culture because it discloses much about the religious world, such as their attitudes to gods, how hero was defined and regarded, views about death and friendship. The Odyssey was very prevalent in its time also. It was set in ancient Greece where its culture, mythology, was the heart of everyday life. The Greek culture turned to mythology to explain different miracles for which they had no scientific explanation and that was prominent in the epic of Odysseus. The two heroes of these different stories have many differences and parallels.

Homer’s the Odyssey and Ancient Mesopotamia’s Epic of Gilgamesh are both incredible pieces of ancient literature. These two pieces of literature have been passed down for centuries and incredibly enough, share many of the same themes and concepts. Throughout both epic’s they have reoccurring themes such as homecoming, brotherhood, oikos, and gender norms. .

Upon analyzing the two very distinct yet similar cultures of Ancient Mesopotamia and Greece, one can tell that the idolization of the “ideal hero” and their culture orientated traits played an integral role in the structure of each civilization. A civilization can be described as an organizing principle that implies common institution, social structures and values that can extend over space and time (lecture). The said cultures above both contain stories that have transcended centuries, giving people a special insight into these ancient civilizations, and 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.