In the books The Iliad, The Odyssey, and Gilgamesh there is a recurring theme. This theme is the supernaturals and how they have the ability to fluctuate and affect our lives in dramatic and life changing ways. The thesis topic of the supernaturals and the thematic message of anything can happen are both related because the gods are able affect anything and everything. In the Iliad the gods drastically affect the Trojan War by prolonging it because they will do whatever they can to make their specific side win. In the Odyssey the gods also affect Odysseus journey because they allow him to leave the island of calypso where he was being held captive. The gods also affect Odysseus journey because Hera helps him out in big turning points in …show more content…
In the book Gilgamesh Enkidu and Gilgamesh fates are decided by the gods about which one of them will die. in this part of the story the gods are mad at Enkidu and Gilgamesh because they killed both the Bull of Heaven and Humbaba. The quote that represents this is "Enkidu began to speak to gilgamesh: 'My brother, this night what a dream i dreamed the gods Anu Enlil and celestial Shamash held assembly and Anu spoke to Enlil: "These because they slew the bull of heaven, and slew humbaba that guarded mountains dense wooded with cedar," so said Annu, "between these two let one of them die!" 'and Enil said: "Let Enkidu die, but let not gilgamesh die!" (Gilgamesh pg 79). This quote means that the gods were deciding on who was going to die and why. this quote drastically advances my argument because it shows the gods can affect something so important like a person's lifespan. this example is significant because it shows that the gods can affect anything by deciding that Enkidu will die but not Gilgamesh. The gods can affect your lifeline in many drastic ways by prolonging a certain …show more content…
A part from the story of Odysseus is able to correctly tell how the gods can affect something as meaningful as a friendship is. In this particular part Odysseus has just finished telling his tale to the Phoenician King in exchange for hospitality before he returns back to his kingdom and homeland of Ithaca. This meaningful quote is: “Now, our feast is finished, home you go to sleep. But at dawn we call the elders into full assembly, host our guest in the palace, sacrifice to the gods and then we turn our minds to his passage home, so under our convoy our new friend can travel back to his own land---no toil, no troubles.” (Odysseus pg 119) This quote means that since Odysseus entertained the king, he was then granted a safe trip home. This quote advances my argument because it shows how odysseus was able to become friends with the king of Phoenicia during his quest. This piece from the story can relate to my thesis because if the gods had not set Odysseus on this journey than he would not be able to have become friends with the Phoenician king. Earning a friend can be hard work but in the end they will help you when you need it the
Within the Epic of Gilgamesh, instances of characters’ fate are determined by an external being. For example, in Tablet VII, Enkidu dreams of Enlil’s conclusion regarding the killing the Bull of Heaven and Humbaba; “Let Enkidu die, but let not Gilgamesh die!” (Tablet VII, pg. 55). By the end of the tablet, we see Enkidu die from the God’s curse; however, opposing point of views would claim that Enkidu would have died regardless of his actions with Gilgamesh, stating that he died of an illness
In summary, the Odyssey has instances of fate and free will so people in their time could make their own decisions but the gods could change their lives. In the life of Odysseus he had to spend twenty years trying to get back to his family. In this way the gods controlled his life but he still got to make decisions of attitude which in my opinion is very
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 Epic of Gilgamesh has many similarities to The Legend of King Arthur. Although Gilgamesh and King Arthur have comparison they also have differences. The main difference is that one is an Epic and the other is a Legend. To compare and contrast The Epic of Gilgamesh and The Legend of King Arthor, one must first know what the words, "Epic" and "Legend" mean. Primarily, "epic" is a long narrative poem about the deeds of a semi-god, also known as a superhuman hero who's actions are depended on as the fate of a nation, tribe or a human race. This usually consists of an adventure filled plot and is concerned with timeless human problems such as honour, jealousy, war and hatred. These contain gods and goddesses and the setting is fixed in a far distant place at a time long past. Epics are based on legends and myths.
Some gods had a more major impact, while other gods had a small influence on Odysseus. In multiple situations, we see gods that have to pull Odysseus from the fire and save him from whatever position that he is in. On separate occasions, we also get to see Poseidon do everything in his power to stop Odysseus from returning to Ithaca. He conjures up huge waves and storms, but this doesn’t seem to stop Odysseus. Athena had the biggest impact on Odysseus voyage. This all started with Athena begging her father to make Kalypso surrender Odysseus and let him leave. Athena is always watching Odysseus and she gives him advice along the way of his adventure. Even with all of the gods help, we cannot overlook all of the trials Odysseus had to go through by himself. He had to survive multiple creatures and monsters using intelligence and quick thinking. Many believe that the gods determine the course of events in this story given the fact that they help or hurt Odysseus on multiple occasions. However, I believe that humans, and more importantly, Odysseus, determine the course of events. Even with all of the gods help, Odysseus still had to face certain dangers on his own without the help of gods. Odysseus determined the course of events because he did not have to go home if he did not want to. He easily could have stayed with Kalypso for the rest of his life, but he had the desire to return to Ithaca and his family. In the Greek culture, the worst thing you could do was upset the gods. If you upset the gods, your fate became dark very fast. This is why the Greeks made offerings to the gods before every meal. Sometimes Odysseus thought he knew his fate when he was in extreme situations. It was times like when he was floating toward the island of the Phaiakians, he thought he was going to die. But it was during these tough times, when Odysseus fought the hardest to get
I said that after going through much hardship and losing all his men he should come home again in the twentieth year and that no one would know him; and now all this is coming true” (14). This shows how the gods did interfere and would tell the people on earth with symbols. The gods knew from the beginning the fate of Odysseus because they predestined it. The gods are those who gave Odysseus misfortune, and they are also the ones who fated him the way he did. Through these examples of hospitality, pride and fate, one can learn many important Greek principles.
There are many similarities and differences between the Hebrew Bible and The Epic Gilgamesh. Firstly, the similarities were evident from the start when there is a chosen righteous man to build an ark because of an impending great flood. In both tails, two of all animals were taken on the ark. Also, again, in both cases, birds dispatched after the rains to determine if there was land and that the flood waters had subsided. Moreover, the flood had been started because of mankind’s wickedness and the need to cleanse the earth. I believe this says that humans view of a God is that they want their creation, the earth, and nature to be cleansed of corruption and keep the world to be pure. However, it also states the importance of mankind because a righteous man was chosen to start anew. After the flood, the righteous man would be bestowed with rewards. In the Epic Gilgamesh Utanapishtim is given immortality. In the Hebrew Bible Noah and his family is given the opportunity to repopulate the Earth being
One can understand the values and virtues of a certain culture or society through the hero of the culture’s epic. The hero mirrors the culture’s many virtues through various tasks and battles. In the Anglo Saxon epic Beowulf translated by Seamus Heaney and the ancient Mesopotamian epic Gilgamesh translated by Herbert Mason, the valiant heroes Beowulf and Gilgamesh undergo many challenges, proving themselves as a hero, portraying the society's morals. Both Beowulf and Gilgamesh, heroes of their culture, display their culture’s values yet the variation in the values clearly show.
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 relationship between the gods and humanity in The Epic of Gilgamesh and The Odyssey are the same. In each saga, the gods seem to live nearby and are always present. Both epic poems portray humans as simply at the mercy of the gods. The gods feel that it is their duty to intervene if they feel that man is traveling off course from his destiny. However, the gods are not all powerful.
As human beings, we are designed to belive in something. Although the belief in a higher power or religion is diverse, many theologies share common themes. “The Epic of Gilgamesh” and the Hebrew book of “Genesis” are seemingly polar opposites. Christianity, demonstrated in Genesis, is monotheistic, and the Hebrews base their faith on their relationship with God. On the other hand, Sumerian philosophy, found in Gilgamesh, is polytheistic, and the Sumerian people base their theology on fear. Ancient polytheistic literature forms an archetypical pattern of the mortals trying desperately to please the gods. A mortal’s entire existence rests in the hands of the sometimes childish gods. In spite of this, these two stories
In Homer's epic poem, The Odyssey, gods play a very important role to the plot of the story. They are the one deciding if someone can survive or not according to the sacrifice that the person made for them. In the book 1, Athena said to Zeus her father, “Didn’t Odysseus please you with sacrifices beside the Greek ships at Troy?” (Homer 65, book1). In this part Athena was trying to plead with her father Zeus in favor of Odysseus because she wants to help him to go home, while others are trying to provoke his death. This love that Athena has for Odysseus and his family is revealed throughout Homer’s epic. Although Athena supported Odysseus throughout his voyage, other gods including Poseidon, Calypso, and Circe made it difficult for Odysseus to return home, such in our real life, some people will make your life hard, but you have a good faith as Odysseus, you should always find your way out. Our God is omnipr...
In these two classic, epic poems told by Homer, the roles of the gods are very important to the characters and their journey throughout the books. It is always a positive or negative effect but the gods’ interference on mortals’ lives makes this an epic journey that has been remembered for thousands of years. The Iliad and the Odyssey are very different from each other in that the Iliad has more gods that effect the war and its outcome whereas the Odyssey only has two major gods that effect two characters.
One of the most compelling topics The Iliad raises is that of the intricate affiliations between fate, man and the gods. Many events related by Homer in his epic poem exhibit how these three connections interweave and eventually determine the very lives of the men and women involved in the war. Homer leaves these complex relationships slightly unclear throughout the epic, never spelling out the exact bonds connecting men's fate to the gods and what can be considered the power of fate. The motivation for the ambiguousness present in The Iliad is not easily understood, but it is a question that enriches and helps weave an even greater significance of the results into Homer's masterpiece. I feel that the interaction between man, god, and fate can be shown to be one great fluidity that ultimately leaves life mysterious, giving much more depth and complexity to the bonds between the three.
Much of early literature deals with the struggle of being merely human in the face of the gods. Man has long struggled with fate, the idea that the most important forces which shape the human life, such as fortune and death, are out of human control. This early idea forces us to question if our lives are our own to control, as we are often taught in Western culture, or if we are simply the pawns of the powers that truly control this world. The stories of Odysseus and Oedipus both contain explorations of this though in very different ways.