Batman And Gilgamesh
Essay Assignment Gabriela Gutierrez-Duran
CLT3378-01 gg13e@my.fsu.edu
Word Count: 1,725 Batman Begins and the Babylonian Epic of Gilgamesh both feature the story of a culture hero. In both of these works, the heroic quest of the culture hero is significant. Apart from having similar narratives, these two stories also have significant differences in themes. In The Epic of Gilgamesh, Gilgamesh becomes a hero for fame and immortality, while in Batman Begins; Bruce Wayne becomes a hero to avenge the deaths of his parents and at the same time protect the city of Gotham. These two characters also show a difference in the conflicts that they face as they fight against overwhelming circumstances. Gilgamesh is at odds with mortality, while Bruce is at odds with the corruption of human nature. One can say that Bruce is also concerned with mortality, since the death of his parents was the main reason for his doings. But instead of directly facing mortality, he attempts to strike the system that creates it. Therefore, it can be seen that both Gilgamesh and Bruce Wayne are heroes of some kind, because they both have heroic characteristics and because they posses bravery against overwhelming circumstances. Nevertheless, they are very different in the way they plan to fight against the simple threat of physical human and social decay. The loss of a family or a friend is the driving force that causes both Bruce Wayne and Gilgamesh to set forth certain goals and start their heroic quest. When young Bruce witnessed his parents’ death, it changes him completely. Bruce says: “They told me there was nothing out there, nothing to fear. But the night my parents were murdered I caught a glimpse of something. I've looked for it ever since. I went around the world, searched in all the shadows. And there is something out there in the darkness, something terrifying, something that will not stop until it gets revenge...Me.” He tries to kill his parents’ murderer,
CLT3378-01 gg13e@my.fsu.edu
Word Count: 1,725 Batman Begins and the Babylonian Epic of Gilgamesh both feature the story of a culture hero. In both of these works, the heroic quest of the culture hero is significant. Apart from having similar narratives, these two stories also have significant differences in themes. In The Epic of Gilgamesh, Gilgamesh becomes a hero for fame and immortality, while in Batman Begins; Bruce Wayne becomes a hero to avenge the deaths of his parents and at the same time protect the city of Gotham. These two characters also show a difference in the conflicts that they face as they fight against overwhelming circumstances. Gilgamesh is at odds with mortality, while Bruce is at odds with the corruption of human nature. One can say that Bruce is also concerned with mortality, since the death of his parents was the main reason for his doings. But instead of directly facing mortality, he attempts to strike the system that creates it. Therefore, it can be seen that both Gilgamesh and Bruce Wayne are heroes of some kind, because they both have heroic characteristics and because they posses bravery against overwhelming circumstances. Nevertheless, they are very different in the way they plan to fight against the simple threat of physical human and social decay. The loss of a family or a friend is the driving force that causes both Bruce Wayne and Gilgamesh to set forth certain goals and start their heroic quest. When young Bruce witnessed his parents’ death, it changes him completely. Bruce says: “They told me there was nothing out there, nothing to fear. But the night my parents were murdered I caught a glimpse of something. I've looked for it ever since. I went around the world, searched in all the shadows. And there is something out there in the darkness, something terrifying, something that will not stop until it gets revenge...Me.” He tries to kill his parents’ murderer,