The Odyssey And The Epic Of Gilgamesh Essay - 1193 Words

When it comes to the realm of epic poetry, and hero-like characters in literature, the two works The Odyssey and the Epic of Gilgamesh can be compared and contrasted in different ways. The Odyssey and the Epic of Gilgamesh can be compared as expressions of searches for the meaning of life through knowledge. The two stories are somewhat mirrors in this manner. Throughout each story, the characters Odysseus and Gilgamesh show growth and change. The Odyssey can be summed up by stating how the great warrior, Odysseus, is trying to return home to his wife and son after fighting an epic war. In the Epic of Gilgamesh, a partial god, by the name of Gilgamesh, faced retribution for poor leadership, but manages to redeem himself. In both the Odyssey and the Epic of Gilgamesh, both heroes are in search for the meaning of life. Both heroes want glory and everlasting fame. They want their name to last for eternity. It is important to notice the role that both characters play in these two lit eratures. They both heroes serve as connects between the gods and the mortals. Although both Odysseus and Gilgamesh are both mortals, they both were granted strengths. Odysseus has great mental strength and Gilgamesh has great physical strength. Both characters change throughout the story. As they gain more knowledge about life along the way, they eventually begin to discover their own meaning of life. In doing so, each Gilgamesh and Odysseus both change throughout their journey. ThereShow MoreRelatedThe Epic Of Gilgamesh And The Odyssey1636 Words   |  7 PagesThe Epic of Gilgamesh and the Odysseus both are poems that have since early times been viewed as stories that teach the reader valuable life lessons, almost like a self-help book in today’s society. They both teach a lot of the same general lessons but there are some key similarities and differences throughout both works. Such as perseverance, and the inevitability of death are both lessons that are taught in each poem but they are presented to the reader through different interpretations. In theRead MoreThe Epic Of Gilgamesh And The Odyssey Essay790 Words   |  4 Pagestaken by characters as a tool to exhibit the alteration of the character’s nature. Examples of such can be found in The Epic of Gilgamesh and The Odyssey. The journeys undertaken in The Epic of Gilgamesh and The Odyssey were transformative experiences for the characters in each and provided valuable cultural insights t o the audience. At the start of The Epic of Gilgamesh, Gilgamesh is the arrogant ruler of the city Uruk. He is obsessed with immortality, which can be seen in the description of himRead MoreThe Epic Of Gilgamesh And The Odyssey1765 Words   |  8 Pagesand how their values have been passed down and evolved over time. The Epic of Gilgamesh and The Odyssey are both considerable representations of not only their unique cultures that set the very foundation of both civilization and storytelling, but also for their similar and different aspects of what they considered to be a hero. The most familiar structure to mythological stories such as the Epic of Gilgamesh and The Odyssey is that of a â€Å"tragic plot†. A tragic plot is a perfect plot that is connectedRead MoreThe Epic Of Gilgamesh And The Odyssey888 Words   |  4 Pagesdifferent, it makes a comparison of Gilgamesh and Odysseus an interesting subject. Both stories, â€Å"The Epic of Gilgamesh† and â€Å"The Odyssey† identify the characters as successful warriors with many adventures to be told. Gilgamesh and Odysseus are human with many god-like qualities. Their perception of immortality, as well as regard for death and the influences of the gods in their lives and adventures, are similar; however, the characters are quite different. Gilgamesh was two-thirds God and one-thirdRead MoreThe Epic Of Gilgamesh And The Odyssey1487 Words   |  6 Pagesliterary pieces. In both the Epic of Gilgamesh and the Odyssey, water is used as a symbol that represents complex ideas, and it plays a significant role throughout both literary pieces. In the Epic of Gilgamesh, water is mainly used to symbolize life and death as well as rebirth or baptism. In several of Gilgamesh’s dreams water is used as a symbol that represents life. An example of this is when Gilgamesh and Enkidu journey into the forest to kill Humbaba. In one dream Gilgamesh dreams that Enkidu andRead MoreAnalysis Of The Epic Of Gilgamesh And Odyssey Essay1548 Words   |  7 Pagesmisogyny into stone. There are some exceptional cases in the famous epic poems, the Epic of Gilgamesh of the Sumerians and Akkadians and the Odyssey from Homer of the Greeks. We all can agree that these epic poems or at most the authors did not view women with our modern perspective – equality among gender. However, we cannot deny that female characters helped set the path of the epic heroes’ journey to their goals. In these epic poems, women are portrayed as figures and themes of knowledge, motherhoodRead MoreEssay on The Odyssey and the Epic of Gilgamesh84 7 Words   |  4 PagesThe Odyssey and The Epic of Gilgamesh (Similarities and Differences) Both The Odyssey and the Epic of Gilgamesh are two incredible stories written long ago everyone knows this but what a lot of people dont is that these two epics share many of the same concepts. Such as the nostro (the Greek term for homecoming), xenis (guest/host relationship), oikos (household), and aganoriss (recognition). In both epics these themes are illustrated. In The Odyssey the theme of nostro is very prevalentRead MoreThe Iliad, Odyssey, And Epic Of Gilgamesh1466 Words   |  6 PagesThe Iliad, Odyssey, and Epic of Gilgamesh all demonstrate the transformational process of their respective epic heroes through their strengths and weaknesses. Epic heroes such as Achilles, Odysseus, and Gilgamesh all possessed superior qualities that separated them from other individuals. Although their incredible abilities may support the societal perception of strong leadership, their weaknesses caused these characters to hold vices that went against the cultural expectations of what a strong leaderRead MoreThe Epic Of Gilgamesh, The Odyssey, And Beowulf854 Words   |  4 Pages Throughout the â€Å"Epic of Gilgamesh†, â€Å"Oedipus the King†, â€Å"The Odyssey†, and â€Å"Beowulf†, the readers notice how society defines each main character by their heroic characteristics, the relationship between the humans and the divine, a nd the differences of how each hero’s journey ends. Gilgamesh, Oedipus, Odysseus, and Beowulf display several characteristics classifying themselves as heroes. In the story of Gilgamesh, Gilgamesh is â€Å"two-thirds divine and one-third human† (Gilgamesh, par 2). He displaysRead MoreSymbolism : The Epic Of Gilgamesh, And The Odyssey870 Words   |  4 PagesWhen it comes to texts such as The Epic of Gilgamesh, the Hebrew Bible, and The Odyssey, symbolism plays a major role in understanding a piece of literature’s true intentions. This would explain the abundance of distinct character features, exaggerated scenarios, and countless approaches to new, bigger problems in these tales. But one of the most favored approaches to symbolism and interpretations seems to be through the way of dreams. Due to their unpredictable nature, dreams allow authors to take