Odysseus And Gilgamesh Comparison Essay

Three traits that Odysseus and Telemakhos share are clear-headedness, eloquence, and showing strong emotion. They are portrayed with these traits in the Odyssey, composed by Homer. Odysseus is a renowned military strategist, warrior, and the King of Ithaca. He was forced to go to war against Troy twenty years ago, and since then has traveled all over the Aegean trying to find a way back home. Meanwhile, his son, Telemakhos, has developed into a full-grown man from the mere infant he was when his father left for war. He has searched far and wide for news of his father, still hoping, along with his mother, Penelope, that Odysseus is still alive somewhere and somehow, even though most have assumed he is dead. Through his ventures, Telemakhos

Every mythological hero seems to be on a journey in search of the thing he desires most in the world. The two heroes who stood out to me were Gilgamesh, and Achilles. Gilgamesh’s greatest fear was death, while Achilles feared his legacy being lost and forgotten. Technically their desires are different, but their journey share many similarities, and in the end, boils down to the same thing. Each man in his own way, both Gilgamesh and Achilles desired immortality above all else. Though immortality takes on very a different meaning for Gilgamesh, as it does for Achilles, every decision as well as all the sacrifices they make, are based on their fear of death and dying.

The floods in Genesis and The Epic of Gilgamesh are in no doubt different but in so many ways similar. The two men are given a task to save humankind from a flood and succeed and are rewarded. The major basic events that take place in the stories a similar however the smaller details of them and how they are carried you are different. They two also tells us a lot about the relationship between humans to Divinity.

Odysseus used his sharp intelligence to defeat the Cyclops and to sail past the Isle of the Sirens. Odysseus’s mental strength stood strong for the men that accompanied him on his journey home and for Odysseus himself while he was gone from home for so long. Gilgamesh’s brute, physical strength comes from the fact that he is a demi-god in the epic poem, he is described as being two-thirds god and one-third man. The battles that face Gilgamesh are all met with his god-like strength, at first his battle with Engidu, who after defeat accepts Gilgamesh and the two become friends throughout the poem. Gilgamesh later defeats Khumbaba and the bull that Anu constructed and sent from the heavens to kill him. The gods followed by Gilgamesh were no longer pleased by his actions and his actions to the people of Uruk. The gods constructed Engidu to challenge Gilgamesh and defeat him. In The Odyssey, the gods convene and decided to allow Odysseus to return home to his family. So both epics have the hero’s being affected by the gods in one way or another. One in which an enemy is constructed to challenge the current ruler of a kingdom, Gilgamesh in this case. The other way is that the gods can plot, plan and set forth your future tribulations that you may encounter,

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 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 gods seemed to favor both Gilgamesh and Odysseus because of their semi-godlike characteristics. Gilgamesh is two-thirds god and the King of Uruk. While Odysseus is not formally a god, he does possess the cunning and physique necessary to be a god, along with being the King of Ithaca. Odysseus experiences numerous near-death events, yet always overcomes the ordeals without any harm. He succeeds in blinding the Cyclopes to escape their island; goes to the underworld and back; avoids being killed by the Laistrygonians; protects himself and his men from the Sirens' songs; navigates between Scylla and Charybdis; and heeds the advice of Teiresias not

These two men share many characteristics, but one of their most important ones is their great leadership. Odysseus has led his men since the start of the Trojan War, and even though he has led different groups of men, they all listen to and respect him. He portrays this leadership throughout the entirety of The Odyssey, but it is shown most clearly when he is ordering his men to keep going even though

'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.

The Greek heroes Achilles and Odysseus both embody strong characteristics classically found in Greek mythology, but this doesn’t mean they don’t possess flaws like mortal men. While Achilles and Odysseus are different in lineage, one being a demigod and the other a mortal, they still share similar attributes. Both of the heroes are prideful and selfish in nature and allow their arrogance to stunt their growth as individuals believing they are above showing humility for their actions. Another similarity they share that I find admirable is the endless amount of courage and sheer determination they possess as they fearlessly face danger head-on. In contrast, both heroes differ greatly in their strengths; in battle Achilles uses his physical strength to his advantage while Odysseus relies on his intelligence and wit, often outsmarting his opponents. Another significant difference between the two men is their differing view towards the Trojan War. Achilles is driven by his anger and hatred of Paris and impulsively reacts in a self-destructive manner, whereas Odysseus is the complete opposite of Achilles, as he takes control of the situation using logic and rational thinking to solve his problems.

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.

Back in the days of ancient Greece and before this time, epic heros have had their lives chronicled and the stories of them passed on from generation to generation, all the way to our present day in our lives. Two of the greatest heros that have been expressed in past epic stories were Gilgamesh from the epic named after him, and Achilles from Homer’s Iliad. The two of their stories however, transpired in two different eras, their lives both had a surprising number of common points. Of course with things in common, there always comes differences, in the way they lived and the ideals they believed in.

The Iliad and The Odyssey are two of the greatest epic poems ever written, their stories are captivating, their heroes are strong; but are their stories similar? In The Iliad the epic hero is Achilles, he is a strong warrior who is filled with rage. His long tale is in the battle of the Trojan War, he fights this battle then quits then rejoins for reasons I will talk about later in this essay. Achilles is very linear minded and can only think of one thing at a time. Odysseus from the poem The Odyssey is the type of guy you will do anything for. He is a very tricky man who after the war cannot make it home to see his wife Penelope for

As you can see there are several examples proving that Gilgamesh and Odysseus were not successful leaders from the start and throughout their journeys. The realization comes at the end of both novels where I believe the

Achilles and Odysseus are very different epic heroes in the sense that Achilles thinks more linear, whereas Odysseus thinks in a more complex and deceptive manner.