Literature is defined as written works that have lasting artistic merit. Stories such as The Epic of Gilgamesh, Genesis, The Odyssey, and Antigone are considered pieces of literature. All of these stores follow the protagonists on a journey, whether that journey is a pursuit for immortality, or to simply bury a fallen brother, depends on the story. The Epic of Gilgamesh, Genesis, The Odyssey, and Antigone, despite their similarities and differences, are very meaningful and teach readers important lessons. A theme is defined as the subject of a piece of writing. Moreover, the stories of The Epic of Gilgamesh, Old Testament, and Antigone have similar themes. One of which, was the love between siblings. For example, in Antigone readers see the …show more content…
Out of these civilizations many stories came into being, such as The Epic of Gilgamesh, and Genesis. After reading these works, it is easy to notice several similarities. For example,both tell of a global flood sent from the higher power(s). Not only that, the protagonists means of escaping were similar. Moreover, in Genesis the protagonist, Noah, was alerted of the flood by God, and was instructed to build an ark for him, his family, and 2 of every animal. Comparatively,in The Epic of Gilgamesh, Utnapishtim was instructed by a god that a flood was coming, and that he must take down his house and build an ark for him, his family, and 2 of every animal. Albeit, the dimensions of the ark were different, as were the species of the birds used to find land. Despite, this there are stark similarities between the two. Furthermore, many people denote that one was essentially a copy of the other, however due to the lack of record keeping, it is difficult to know which came first. Moreover, there are many reasonable explanations for this. Due to traditions being kept orally for most of that era, things could have easily gotten mixed up. Also, it is not difficult to think that maybe they originated as the same story ,but with the division of cultures they became their own separate stories with similar plot
Many diverse cultures exist across the globe, differing in several aspects, such as beliefs, practices, and values. An example of two cultures that demonstrate dissimilar values are Ancient Anglo-Saxon and Ancient Mesopotamian. These two cultures are known to have expressed opposing heroic values. Two texts that can be accurately used in this comparison are Beowulf, an Ancient Anglo-Saxon text, and The Epic of Gilgamesh, an Ancient Mesopotamian text.
Theme is the subject of talk, a topic, or morals that the author is trying to get readers to comprehend. When reading an excerpt, the theme is not directly stated in the text, so you must dig deeper into the context to understand the matter trying to be portrayed. In both Angela's Ashes and The Street, we can distinguish a like theme of struggling through life’s complications. After reading the two different stories, we could select the theme from using character, events, and the setting.
...rves the way for the plot, the theme is the central idea around which a literary piece revolves. Without the theme the plot would be meaningless and there would be nothing for the readers to derive from the literary piece. Without the plot, the theme would be meaningless as there would be nowhere to consign the message the writer intends to give the reader. It can be said that the plot and theme are the two most important literary elements of a literary piece and are inter-dependant.
Theme is the underlying power beneath a story; the “force” that makes the whole experience worthwhile. Theme is “an idea or message that the writer wishes to convey” (Holt 874). A theme can be either stated or implied. A stated theme is a theme “that the other expresses directly in his work (protic.net); an implied theme is a theme “that is not directly stated in the work” (protic.net). As mentioned before, both of these stories have an implied theme, which now is revealed to mean that the author of the story insinuated it. Themes exist in all stories (verbal or written) and can be long, short, true or false. “Earth people will beat out any other intelligent life-form in any and all competitions” is a theme, but “good always beats evil” is one too. “Once upon a time . . .” stories have themes too, except they are more one-dimensional. For example,...
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, Gilgamesh and Achilles, as epic heroes, exemplify godlike qualities, great personal power, and fierce pride and loyalty.
The dominant factor in an epic is the heroic main character. This character often is the son of a god or goddess and is favored by the gods. Heroic characters are also always hounded by constant tragedy which drives them to fulfill their fates. Most heroic characters are high in social status and share close contacts with the gods. All of these qualities of heroic characters show up in the characters of Aeneas from The Aeneid and Gilgamesh from the Epic of Gilgamesh.
From modern fiction to Greek myths there are heroes in most stories. Every hero follows, at least, one or more aspects of the hero motif. Throughout fictional history, there are some heroes that stood the test of time. Gilgamesh, from The Epic of Gilgamesh, and Odysseus, from The Odyssey, are two heroes that fallow the hero motif. While both Gilgamesh and Odysseus are traditional heroes, Odysseus fallows the traditional hero role more than Gilgamesh.
The Epic of Gilgamesh is an epic poetry that originates from Mesopotamia. It is among the earliest known literature in Mesopotamia. Many scholars believe that it originated from a series of Sumerian poems, and legends about Gilgamesh who is the protagonist. It is known to be the oldest recorded story in the human history that is over 4000 years old.
heroes; they summarize and express the nature or ideals of an entire nation at a
Centuries ago, two books were written with similar and different ideas. The Epic of Gilgamesh and The Book of Job have different settings although they both discuss friendship, death and mortality, pain and suffering, and characters, but individually the book of Job examines where human beings stand in the world.
Both in greek mythology Hercules and Gilgamesh experience similar burnedens in their stories, although both are only half God they are well respected in their societies. Both of the societies reflected in their stories are similar not just to each other but also to society that existed in the time period in which they were written. Even though the societies reflect the society of ancient Greece they of course have major differences. Women, men, gods, goddesses, death, and loyalty are all valued differently not so much in the stories when compared to each other but differ from how they are valued in ancient greek society.
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 idea of fate has baffled mankind for centuries. Can humans control what happens to them, or is everyone placed in a predestined world designed by a higher power? The Epic of Gilgamesh and Oedipus The King highlight on the notion that no matter what, people cannot control what is destined to occur. Interestingly enough, many other distantly connected cultures had, and have similar gods or goddesses who play a role in the fate of individuals. Oedipus, King of Thebes, was told by the Oracle at Delphi that he would one day kill his father and marry his mother. Determined not to let this prophecy verify his fears, Oedipus does all in his power to prevent this from happening, yet fails. Similarly, Gilgamesh, king of Uruk, attempts to obtain immortality, but fails as well. Gilgamesh's and Oedipus's intense fear and ignorance cause them to try to interfere with their fates, leading to their failures and realization of the futility of trying to control destiny.
Throughout the Epic of Gilgamesh, Gilgamesh is described as being a hero, “who knew the most of all men” (Gilgamesh, pg. 3). He is described as “two-thirds a god” (Gilgamesh, pg. 4) and “the strongest one of all, the perfect, the terror” (Gilgamesh, pg. 4). Due to Gilgamesh’s great recognition, he lacks a peer, someone who is able to challenge him. However, Enkidu is formed to test Gilgamesh’s abilities. Gilgamesh and Enkidu eventually grow a strong companionship. The bond between the two characters is the most important aspect in Gilgamesh. Gilgamesh and Enkidu act as each other’s counterparts throughout the novel.
The Epic of Gilgamesh and The Odyssey both are held in high respect by literature analysts and historians alike for the characterization of the hero and his companion, the imagery brought to mind when one of them is read, and the impressive length in relation to the time period it was written in. The similarities that these two epics share do not end with only those three; in fact, the comparability of these works extend to even the information on the author and the archetypes used. However, The Odyssey and The Epic of Gilgamesh contrast from one another in their writing styles, character details, and main ideas. Both epics weave together a story of a lost man who must find his way, but the path of their stories contrast from one another.