Epic Of Gilgamesh Literary Analysis

Every culture contains heroes. In epic tales/stories, this is an individual to admire and to live by their ways, and because of this he/she is the embodiment of the values and concerns of the culture of the author that created him/she. The values of every culture were shaped by the social conditions of that time and different attributes became valued. Cultural values are expressed in both actions of a hero and his motivations. As heroes, Gilgamesh and Rama reflect the values of the cultures that created them. First epic hero to be discussed is Gilgamesh. The epic of Gilgamesh allows us to see the values and concerns about Mesopotamian culture. This epic shows us that one strong male leader, advised by a counsel of city elders, was the form of government during this time. However, there seems to be a concern with the privileges of the people, as Gilgamesh is expected to be a benevolent ruler. The outrage over his abuses leads to the creation of Enkidu in
Gilgamesh and Enkidu show that the gods are dangerous for mortals. Gods live by their own laws and frequently behave as children throughing a temper when upset or when they are pleased and being loving. Piety is important to the gods, and they expect obedience and love. They can often be helpful, but angering them is wrong (12). Ziggurats were constructed to praise the gods and do offerings to flatter the gods and keep them happy. The next epic hero to be discussed is Rama. The Ramayana allows us to see the values and concerns in early Hindu culture (1500 B.C.). He is the main protagonist of the Ramayana. Rama is an epic hero who is the incarnation of the god Vishnu established human values in society. The hero was willing to give up everything no matter the cost to preserve the integrity of his kingdom. He dedicated his life to keeping social values and principles. He is the ideal man and one to whom all should aspire (Narayan,