Going out in a blaze of glory is a popular trope in the action-adventure genre of film and literature. Usually it depicts a character who knows they most likely will not make it out of the situation, but they put in all of their effort despite the fact rather than surrendering. However, what is glory, how can it be obtained, and what is it worth? Glory is great praise bestowed by a general agreement that an action is honorable. With this definition, glory becomes very opinionated; what is honorable to some is not to others. In The Epic of Gilgamesh, Enkidu states “’My friend, one who [falls] in combat [makes his name,] but I, [I do not fall] in [combat, and shall not make my name]’” (62). This view that one must die for their homeland …show more content…
But if people live by the motto “doing it for the glory,” do they actually care about what they are doing? The general consensus is that one is supposed to seek out and do whatever it is that makes them happy, but people have several motivations for every action they perform, so it can be difficult to distinguish between if something really does make one happy or if one feels like it should make then happy. For some reaching for and obtaining glory will make them happy, but for others it will not, even if they may believe it will. Thus, glory is not worth much compared to attaining pure bliss is. Overall, glory can be defined as praise for an action that a good number of people think deserves respect. Consequently, this characterization leaves room every individual to form different stances on glory as everyone has contradictory opinions on what actions deserve glorification. Thus, grandeur can be achieved in a variety of ways including during life and upon death. Yet, procuring honor does not equate to finding happiness. Life should be spent in a state of happiness, not doing things for the glory; therefore, glory is not as fantastic as people can make it out to
Humans, throughout recorded history, have searched for a proper way of living which would lead them to ultimate happiness; the Nicomachean Ethics, a compilation of lecture notes on the subject written by Greek philosopher Aristotle, is one of the most celebrated philosophical works dedicated to this study of the way. As he describes it, happiness can only be achieved by acting in conformity with virtues, virtues being established by a particular culture’s ideal person operating at their top capacity. In our current society the duplicity of standards in relation to virtue makes it difficult for anyone to attain. To discover true happiness, man must first discover himself.
The theme of glory in Beowulf is shown many times and is shown in two different ways. The first was self glory from when Beowulf killed Grendel and freed the Danes from his terrible nightly feasts on their bodies. The second was when Wiglaf was the only one who stood up and fought alongside his king when he was needed. The second probably gave the more glory in the end because Wiglaf became the king after that fight. This is where glory was in the story of
The American Marines are taught that “Battles are won by teams working together, not by heroic individuals fighting on their own,” (Bradley 57). The Marines are taught that being a hero comes from working as a team to earn Americans’ freedom, and that trying to be a hero by yourself will just get your fellow Marines killed. In Japan, the “issen goren” (the cost of mailing a draft notice postcard at one yen, five rin) followed a very corrupt version of Bushido, or the “Way of the Warrior.” “Death in battle was portrayed as an honor to the family and a transcendent act on the part of the individual. Surrender was a disgrace to the soldier and his family,” (Bradley 55). During this time, a Japanese soldier was simply told to kill at least ten Americans before he died or that he would be dishonoring the Emperor.
Character is built in several different ways. Some may view character as how one handles a certain hectic situation or how well one person treats another. A true definition character contains these elements, but one’s character is built and developed mainly on how one picks and chooses his time to act and his time to wait. This definition refers to restraint and discipline. Gilgamesh and Homer’s The Odyssey uses many instances in which the main characters must use incredible restraint to protect not only themselves, but also the ones they care for and love. Although both stories use this theme of self-control and discipline to develop certain personalities, each one tells a different account of how these characters are viewed by their fellow men and women and the rewards that come from showing the traits of restraint and self-will. In Gilgamesh, the character that holds back and exhibits patience is viewed as a coward, as Gilgamesh believes, and is a sign of a lack of bravery and confidence. The way that patience is portrayed in Gilgamesh reflects how the society of the time feels about everything in their lives. The author of this story wants the reader to believe that one must not hesitate and must act decisively and quickly. Opposing this belief, Odysseus holds back emotions of rage and homesickness in order to complete the task at hand. Homer, living in Greek society, understood that his people thought more about the problem before coming to a quick conclusion and then acting on it impulsively. So, although both stories repeat the concepts of self-restraint and discipline as character building qualities, they differ in the way that these attributes build or weaken a personality.
The epic of Gilgamesh is an epic poem based on Mesopotamia. These documents were used to express the lifestyle of the people in Mesopotamia. Through this document, important information has been gained from them. It has provided an insight analysis of the past life of people in Mesopotamia. The poems have also outlined the way in which different people lived in the society. The poem highlights the difference between the city dwellers and those outside the city walls.
Every hero has a journey whether it may deal with slaying a dragon or obtaining immortality like our hero Gilgamesh. The story starts out in the ordinary world with Gilgamesh and Enkidu causing havoc on the city that Gilgamesh rules as king. As Enkidu is on his deathbed, he has a dream about old kings being in hell because of the selfish lifestyle they lived, which gets Gilgamesh determined to find immortality. On his journey, he prays to the gods and as he awakens lions attack him, but he is able to defeat them with his bare hands thanks to his prayers being accepted by the gods. Gilgamesh is stopped at the gates of Mashu and a scorpion guard that warns him about the difficult journey he will face if he goes through the gate, but that does
Another way that an Anglo-Saxon warrior shows their love of glory is shown br Christopher Garcia: “A hero must be willing to die to achieve glory” (The Anglo-Saxon Hero). With this being said the warriors are to put everything on the line to achieve the ultimate amount of glory. Which is to die for one’s country or kingdom. These are just a few out of many ways Beowulf shows the Anglo-Saxon love of glory.
We admire about the soldier is that he has the power of losing his own life for the life of a larger cause. That, he holds his personal suffering of no account. He flings down in the rage of battle his all and says, “I will stand or fall with this cause .” (Weems 460 ) That, it seems to me, is the glorious thing we most admire and if we are going to preserve that same spirit in the civil life of the people, the same pride in civil warfare, the spirit of courage, and spirit of self-surrender which falls back to the american
"The good life is a process, not a state of being. It is a direction, not a destination. It is not...a state of virtue, or contentment, or nirvana or happiness. It is not a condition in which the individual is adjusted, or fulfilled or actualized"(187).
Perhaps one of the main reasons the Epic of Gilgamesh is so popular and has lasted such a long time, is because it offers insight into the human concerns of people four thousand years ago, many of which are still relevant today. Some of these human concerns found in the book that are still applicable today include: the fear and concerns people have in relation to death, overwhelming desires to be immortal, and the impact a friendship has on a person’s life. It does not take a great deal of insight into The Epic of Gilgamesh for a person to locate these themes in the story, and even less introspection to relate to them.
It is difficult for us to correctly analyze a piece of literature from a time before the development of writing or language. This recorded piece truly identifies what it means to be a part of Sumerian culture and is not only daunting, but insightful. “For there is nothing eternal on Earth.” I perceive this quote spoken by Utnapishtim not as words recorded in history but inhabited in time.
Gilgamesh was the eldest epic known, which dates back to 2000 B.C. Gilgamesh was a bad king who was very selfish, tyrant and didn’t care about whether his people were satisfied or disappointed. Day after day, the people of Uruk cried aloud to their king who didn’t seem to care, unfortunately there were other god who heard the people of Uruk. Just then, Aruru created a man who looked just like Gilgamesh named Enkidu. Enkidu was set in the forest with the animals. Enkidu and the animals became close friends. As everything went very well in the forest, a hunter speckled Enkidu and he ran to the tyrant king, Gilgamesh. After Gilgamesh heard about Enkidu, he sent a goddess name Harim to bring Enkidu to him. Harim convinced Enkidu to go back to Uruk to meet Gilgamesh. Enkidu and Harim finally have arrived to Gilgamesh. Gilgamesh and Enkidu had a quick battle and Gilgamesh won. Although Gilgamesh won the battle, Enkidu asked Gilgamesh to “stop oppressing your people. And try to be a more just and caring king.” Meaning stop being selfish, tyrant and start caring for your people Enkidu and the king eventually ended up becoming best friends more like “real brother” because of
I believe that this moral philosophy is the means by which we live. In general, any action done by a person is to produce some sort of pleasure. However, the fact that we cannot equate happiness and goodness means that we cannot use it as a means of judging pro...
The Epic of Gilgamesh is a moving tale of the friendship between Gilgamesh, the demigod king of Uruk, and the wild man Enkidu. Accepting ones own mortality is the overarching theme of the epic as Gilgamesh and Enkidu find their highest purpose in the pursuit of eternal life.