Heroes In Ancient Mythology

03 December 2012
Word Count: 1575
Epitome of the Hero
Courage, loyalty, honesty, and bravery are all characteristics that define the typical hero. Someone who goes through a challenge and overcomes it with extreme valor describes a hero. In The Epic of Gilgamesh, Gilgamesh portrays heroism with his equal Enkidu and they come out victorious. In the film The Hunger Games, main characters Katniss and Peeta also demonstrate heroism and survive the Hunger Games with boldness. While the heroes in both works are alike, they are also very different from one another. The Epic of Gilgamesh and The Hunger Games both illustrate: two heroes who overcome obstacles in different ways, wise advisors the heroes seek wisdom from, an unbreakable bond between two characters, and also two very distinctive but successful journeys and victories.
Heroes continuously overcome challenges during their various journeys. The Epic of Gilgamesh and The Hunger Games depict two different heroes who must deal with a challenge that puts each one of them in danger. In The Epic of Gilgamesh, Gilgamesh must stop Enkidu from terrorizing his kingdom of Uruk. Since Enkidu is created, he does not know how society functions. Enkidu, the uncivilized equal of Gilgamesh, is wild and uncontrollable. Gilgamesh plays the role of a hero when he sends Shamhat to seduce Enkidu. By sending Shamhat to meet with Enkidu, Gilgamesh allows Enkidu to become civilized, which in turn puts a stop to the terror Enkidu was causing. It becomes evident that the interaction of the woman and the untamed humanlike creation saves Gilgamesh’s kingdom. When one does not know how society functions because they come into the world in a supernatural way, they are outcasts of society. Enkidu was an outcast and he demonstrated that through his behavior. Gilgamesh also proves his power and ability when he decides to kill Humbaba. He puts his life in danger and goes into save something, not knowing what the outcome will be. Anyone willing to die in order to save something they believe in describes a hero. Someone who puts other people before themselves also characterizes a hero. Gilgamesh did just that when he went to search for Utnapishtim to gain knowledge about becoming immortal. When he found the plant that would give him eternal life, he said he would first take it to the elderly men who live in his kingdom, and then use it for himself. Gilgamesh is an unselfish and intelligent leader who not only is the head of his kingdom, but also the hero. In The Hunger Games, Katniss and Peeta also face a few challenges that put both of their lives in danger. Although both The Epic of Gilgamesh and The Hunger Games have heroes who encounter barriers, these barriers are very different from one another. Katniss and Peeta must kill people in order to get rid of their obstacles and live. Katniss exemplifies heroism when volunteering for the Hunger Games in place of her sister. She puts her own life in danger knowing the hindrances she will face. Katniss and Gilgamesh can both be considered heroes who fight to save not only themselves, but also their homes. They are also alike in the way that they are both very intelligent when they face obstacles. Gilgamesh uses his intelligence to defend his kingdom whereas Katniss uses her intelligence to survive and go back home. Katniss does everything for her district and family, while Gilgamesh does everything for his kingdom. Gilgamesh, however, differs from Katniss in heroism. In the beginning, Gilgamesh was known to be very violent and he harassed his subjects even though he was a good king. The creation of Enkidu changed Gilgamesh and allowed Gilgamesh to be challenged by someone of his equivalent ability. In contrast, Katniss was a normal girl who knew how to hunt and went against people who were not of equal ability to her. She continuously had to worry about her life and surviving the Hunger Games. Overall, heroes Katniss and Gilgamesh both overcome difficult tasks that are slightly dissimilar to one another for a common purpose.
No matter where a hero goes, he usually has some sort of aid or assistance that helps him get to where he wants to go. In The Epic of Gilgamesh, Gilgamesh continuously seeks his mother, Ninsun’s, wisdom. He tells her about a dream he had of a meteor and his mother says that it’s about a friend he will soon have. Always there for his son, Gilgamesh’s mother is the representation of a nurturing figure. She listens to him and he listens to what she has to say, which shows that they have a very close relationship. Utnapishtim, another wise figure in The Epic of Gilgamesh, tests Gilgamesh to his abilities. He challenges Gilgamesh when Gilgamesh goes to him to gain knowledge about immortality. Utnapishtim, a significant figure in The Epic of Gilgamesh, represents the epitome of a father figure, pushing Gilgamesh to the best of his abilities. Shamash is another character in The Epic of Gilgamesh whom Gilgamesh exceedingly respects. Gilgamesh always makes sure that Shamash knows what is going on and he always makes sure Shamash is okay with what he’s doing. In The Hunger Games, Katniss and Peeta’s mentor, Heymitch, acts as one of the wise figures in the movie. Heymitch becomes someone Katniss the hero looks up to. Heymitch teaches Katniss everything there is to know about survival. In both The Epic of Gilgamesh and The Hunger Games, hero figures are aided by an older, wise being. They highly respect this wise being and request support from them.
An impermeable bond between two people may be the single most important aspect of a friendship. The myth of The Epic of Gilgamesh and the movie of The Hunger Games accurately portray a bond that cannot be broken. In The Epic of Gilgamesh, Gilgamesh starts out not liking Enkidu, a creation equal in ability to himself. His destructive nature forces Gilgamesh to step in and tame him. Although they disagree at first, Gilgamesh and Enkidu end up being friends and great companions for one another. One can infer from this myth that a hero should always have a friend he can trust, which is where Enkidu comes in. One in the same, he and Gilgamesh go on journeys together and they understand one another. Enkidu and Gilgamesh kill Humbaba and they slay the Bull of Heaven together, which further proves their resilient bond. Their experiences permit them to become close to one another. Evident throughout the myth, Enkidu and Gilgamesh form the perfect brotherly bond. In The Hunger Games, Katniss and Peeta also form a strong, unbreakable bond. Leaving their hometown, they stick with each other throughout all the obstacles they face. Their experience in the Hunger Games allows them to come out together even stronger than before. The difference between the bonds of Gilgamesh with Enkidu and Katniss with Peeta is that Gilgamesh and Enkidu have a very strong brotherly bond while Katnis and Peeta have a bond which goes deeper than just a friendship; Peeta actually has feelings for Katniss. Both of the heroes in The Epic of Gilgamesh and in The Hunger Games create an impenetrable bond with another being.
The main difference between The Epic of Gilgamesh and The Hunger Games is the journey and outcome of the journey both heroes go on with their companions. In The Epic of Gilgamesh, Gilgamesh and Enkidu go on a journey to defeat Humbaba, who lives in the Pine Forest. Enkidu and Gilgamesh achieve victory after killing Humbaba; however, that victory is short lived for Enkidu as he becomes ill and dies days after. One can infer that the gods punished Enkidu for killing Humbaba and the Bull of Heaven. It is unusual, however, that the gods decided to curse Enkidu and not Gilgamesh. This may be because Enkidu was created after Gilgamesh and there was only room for one of them in the world, not two. Enkidu’s fate was to die after all and his out-of-the-ordinary dreams and nightmares proved it. In The Hunger Games, Peeta and Katniss’ journey was involuntary. They had to go on a journey they did not want to go on, which is different from The Epic of Gilgamesh. While Katniss and Peeta’s journey was forced, Enkidu and Gilgamesh’s journey was voluntary. Katniss and Peeta fought side by side and at the end, they both broke the rules and became the winners of the Hunger Games. They became winners together, while in The Epic of Gilgamesh, only Gilgamesh won life and Enkidu died. In The Hunger Games, Peeta and Katniss both survived and they were both allowed to exist in the world.
A hero displays extreme courage, way beyond the norm. His strength, intelligence, bravery, and unselfish nature allow him to be the perfect role model. While a hero may display difficulty in accomplishing a task, he always pulls through. Gilgamesh in The Epic of Gilgamesh demonstrates all of the characteristics of a respectable hero. He goes on a journey with his companion, Enkidu, and saves his kingdom. Katniss in The Hunger Games also demonstrates all of the characteristics of a hero. She goes on a perilous journey with her companion, Peeta, and triumphantly returns home. Both of the heroes overcome challenging barriers, pursue support from someone superior, create an unbreakable bond with a significant other, and attain a victory. The ideal fearless hero is correctly depicted in both The Epic of Gilgamesh and The Hunger Games.