The Odyssey and Gilgamesh are two great epics that show two heroes from two different time periods trying to find the meaning of life. In this paper, I would like to talk to you about the two epics and how they were both alike and different in some ways. Mainly I want to focus on the qualities they shared or didn 't, what the god 's roles were in the epics, and how death and immortality are observed in these epics. There are many heroes in “The Odyssey” but the main one would be Odysseus. He has many great traits, but a few stand out that make him a heroic leader. Odysseus is a very courageous, and noble man, but he also has great confidence in his authority, and a thirst for glory that most do not have and that alone makes him stick out. …show more content…
Every one of these traits that he has helps him in some way, even in some of his toughest situations throughout the book. Some examples of these situations would be how in book 23, Odysseus hides the slaughter of suitors by his minstrel striking up a wedding tune. I mentioned earlier that one of his great traits is that he has great confidence in his authority and this shows to help him when he addresses Nausicaa. He is so suave, and comforting that she almost instantly trusts him. Odysseus also shows many “god-like” qualities throughout “The Odyssey” by showing his intelligence and his ability to inspire his men. He shows his intelligence when he tricks the cyclops’ Polyphemus by telling him his name is “nobody.” He then disguised his men as sheep so that Polyphemus would let them out of his cave. His ability to inspire his men throughout this epic shows in many occasions but the …show more content…
In the epic Gilgamesh and Enkidu discover this and realize that their powers can even make the gods more childish and irrational than mortals. There are many examples of this in this epic but the one that stood out to me the most was when Ishtar tries to get Gilgamesh to sleep with her in part VI when she has become overwhelmed with lust. Gilgamesh actually points this out to her when he denies her and says “the goddess of love has become enslaved by the passion that she herself is, in theory at least, in charge of: I have nothing to give to her who lacks nothing at
In Homer’s the Odyssey, Odysseus has many different qualities that classify him as a hero. He is brave and courageous as shown when he murdered all the suitors who were disrespecting his property even though he was outmanned by them. Despite this, he is by no means all brawn and no brain as he shows his intelligence and cunning numerous times during the epic. A few example of this would be when he was able to blind the one-eyed Cyclops while the rest of his crew didn’t know what to do. Odysseus in many ways is similar to a flowing river, because whenever there is a problem (dam in the river), he would first try to go through it, but if he can’t he would then find a way ar...
From the days of ancient Greece and before, epic heroes have had their lives chronicled and their stories passed on from generation to generation all the way to present day. Two of the greatest heroes have been Gilgamesh from the epic named after him and Achilles from Homer's Iliad. While the two men's stories transpired in vastly different eras, their lives shared a surprising number of commonalities. Of course, with resemblances come several discrepancies in the way they lived and the ideals they believed in.
Gilgamesh and Odysseus are similar not only in their physical appearances but also in the way the two of them deal with life's dilemmas. Although Gilgamesh and Odysseus possess great strength and sharp minds, their own flaws blind them similarly, which does not aid in their quest for what they desire. As part of their heroic character, the gods must guide them in order to reach their goals. In every epic from antiquity, the greatest challenge a hero must overcome is not a monster or an evil tyrant but themselves. They wish to have glory, honor, and a place in history forever. Doing something that no one else could ever do again is what a hero desires to do. From Gilgamesh to The Odyssey, epic heroes constantly have to reinvent themselves to overcome their own weaknesses and shortcomings. Each has to learn from their previous mistakes, using the gods? help, so they can fulfill their dreams. In doing this, Odysseus and Gilgamesh will reach their goals.
In summation, Odysseus can be classified as an epic hero. Although he is not perfect it is only appropriate to acknowledge that his heroic qualities outshine any negative ones by far. Through his sharp intellect, modest humility, and unyielding leadership one is able to make the conclusion that Odysseus earns every right to the title of being a hero. He endured a difficult journey that lasted twenty years and in the end he became a better person. When a person goes through this kind of transformation and is able to overcome such a challenging journey, it is a matter of proper respect to call him a hero. By all means the Odyssey provides the perfect example of a person’s journey to become a hero.
A hero is someone who would sacrifice himself for others, someone who is selfless and caring. Odysseus from Homer’s, “The Odyssey” does not have these traits. Throughout the book, Odysseus displays many negative character traits that show he is not someone to be admired or treated like a hero. He is too proud, he does not listen, and he constantly puts his needs before that of his men.
Overall, Odysseus is a hero because Odysseus is a clever and intelligent man, he is a courageous soldier and leader, and he is loyal to his crew. He never gives up even though it seems like nothing will go right. Odysseus fights against difficult odds and takes unimaginable risks, but stays loyal to his crew one hundred percent of the way. Odysseus is not only a model hero, but he is an epic
"Achilles." Gods, Heroes and Myth: Mythologies of Many lands. 10 June 2003. Internet. 23 June 2003.
In this essay I will compare and contrast the qualities and plights of both Aeneas and Gilgamesh. These two epic heroes share similar fates, yet are very different in personality.
The selected text for this argument is/are Gilgamesh and The Odyssey. Both texts place a notable emphasis on the idea of honor. Characters of considerable power or influence tend to make mention of the honorable actions they do or just how honorable their reputation really is. This honor relates to them doing exactly what is expected of them and fulfilling their gender roles in some cases. When an individual fails to fulfil their expectations, there is great shame associated with that particular character, their family, and their gender. With this idea consistently appearing in both texts, a connection can be draw flowing from social expectations or obligations to honor, and then, tying honor to power. So, this essay will argue that in both
The main character of the Odyssey, Odysseus the King of Ithaca is given a complex personality to an extent where it is hard to identify whether he is a true hero or not. True heroism is only achieved when a person achieves certain qualities that portray heroism. Odysseus is not a hero based on the standards of merciful, selfless, and gentle because of his actions of sacrificing his men, killing the suitors and being ruthless throughout the Odyssey. Along with many others qualities these three are helpful and necessary in a hero. A hero must be willing to do service for others and put the needs of others safety and protection before his own. Odysseus does not even come close to matching these qualities because he is a person, who only serves of himself, and he sacrifices his allies to achieve his goals and often he takes action ruthlessly.
In The Odyssey, book nine and ten written by Homer, Odysseus constantly embodies the principal characteristics of a hero which are : cleverness, leadership, and selflessness. Thus, this character is regarded as an idol among the other characters and greatly captures the reader’s sympathy for his choices and the fruit to his actions in life. First, Odysseus displays cleverness in Book Nine when he tricks the Cyclops Poluphemus that his name is “nobody” in order to escape the horrors of the cyclop’s cave. He states: “Nobody--so my mother and father call me, all my friends” (Homer, 18). Second, Odysseus is a brave leader of his army especially in book ten when he displays leadership by motivating his comrades in keep trying to sail despite the
Gilgamesh, The Epic of. Vol. A. The Norton Anthology of World Literature. Ed. Martin Puchner, et al. 3rd ed. New York: W. W. Norton and Company, 2012. 95-150. Print.
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.
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.
In the beginning of the Iliad and The Epic of Gilgamesh there are similarities in the behavior of the leading characters. Gilgamesh and Achilles both have problems managing their emotions. For Gilgamesh the issue is in the form of sexual conquest and abuse of power. For Achilles it is pride and fury that causes problems for the hero. It could be said that these behaviors show how the heroes deal with and internalize feelings as well as emotions. Another similarity is how the loss of their comrades causes a transformation in the protagonists. In the Iliad the hero Achilles suffers the loss of his close comrade, Patroclus, and likewise in The Epic of Gilgamesh he experiences the death of Enkidu. The deaths of these comrades serve as a catalyst