The epic poems The Odyssey‚ written by Homer‚ and Gilgamesh‚ translated by David Ferry‚ feature the struggles and triumphs of two epic heroes‚ Odysseus and Gilgamesh. Epic heroes exemplify six common traits. They are all strong fighters‚ complete with physical beauty and intimidation. The epic hero is dangerous yet protects ordinary people. There is always an encounter with death and the cosmos. They are superhuman‚ but they are not supernatural‚ although they come in contact with the supernatural
Premium Epic of Gilgamesh Odyssey Epic poetry
Gilgamesh: A Verse Narrative Gilgamesh crucially abused his power as King of Uruk and ruled as a “tyrant to his people” (15)‚ much like many leaders have before‚ but after meeting Enkidu‚ he grew as a person‚ saw things differently‚ and adjusted his concepts of holding the responsibility of leadership. He grew to come to terms with his struggles and accept them‚ which is what leaders are looked up to for. The idea that one can make mistakes and repent for them‚ being mortal and vulnerable
Premium Epic of Gilgamesh Human Leadership
Women in Gilgamesh and The Odyssey Although men are the Epic characters of Gilgamesh and The Odyssey‚ women also play a very important role in both stories. In general‚ these two stories portray women as being overly sexual‚ deceptive‚ and having a power over men. Women use their sexuality to hold control over men‚ to confuse and deceive them. One example of a female character using her sexuality to control a male character is Shamhat in her relations with Enkidu in Tablet I of Gilgamesh. Shamhat
Premium Odyssey Epic of Gilgamesh Athena
Since the two inspiring stories‚ The Epic of Gilgamesh by Beers & The Odyssey by Homer are similar to each other‚ what events happen in both of the stories and what lesson does one learn? The Epic of Gilgamesh & The Odyssey are similar to each other because events that happened in The Epic of Gilgamesh also happened in The Odyssey. Some events that happened in both of the stories include that they both had to overcome monsters and obstacles to get to their destination. Both of the powerful heroes
Premium Greek mythology Odyssey Trojan War
Most of the prominent male heroes seen in the media‚ including literature are men. This is not a new trend‚ from the first example of a hero‚ Gilgamesh‚ and onto today‚ men are more often cast
Premium Hero English-language films Character
At a glance‚ the epic of Gilgamesh‚ the Iliad and the Aeneid are some of the greatest works of literature pertaining to violence and its effects on the societies from which they’re derived from. In fact‚ these three works of literature are meant to teach the audience a lesson about what sin does to people all around the world. For this reason‚ the epics travel so well into the 21st century. We all can feel how sin pollutes our life. The sin of sexual desire hits us all at our core and tries to break
Premium Epic poetry Epic of Gilgamesh Sumer
In this essay we are to compare and contrast the heroism‚ motivations and values of Achilles of The Iliad with the heroism‚ motivations and values of Rama. Achilles‚ is known as the greatest and fastest hero on the Greek side during the Trojan War‚ and is also the subject of Homer’s great epic poem about the Trojan War‚ the Iliad. Rama is Achilles is known as one of the strongest warriors in his time‚ half god and half human. "The son of Peleus in the line of Zeus" as "strong‚ swift‚ and godlike"
Premium Iliad Achilles Trojan War
... [tags: heroes‚ Gilgamesh‚ ] 855 words (2.4 pages) $19.95 [preview] The Transformation of Gilgamesh in the Epic of Gilgamesh - The Transformation of Gilgamesh in the Epic of Gilgamesh In many literary works we see significant transitions in the hero ’s character as the story is developed. This is also true in the Epic of Gilgamesh with its hero‚ Gilgamesh. In this narrative poem‚ we get glimpses of who Gilgamesh is and what his purposes and goals are. We see Gilgamesh act in many different
Premium Religion Hero Joseph Campbell
religion and have been passed down for generations in their respective cultures. Striking similarities are readily seen between the Book of Genesis and the Epic of Gilgamesh of the Hebrews and Sumerians respectively. Both sources include a tale of a great flood that was to clear the earth of its inhabitants. Although the Epic of Gilgamesh predates the Book of Genesis by hundreds of years‚ the Sumerian text probably had a profound influence over the latter. Genesis‚ the first book of the Old Testament
Premium Fertile Crescent Uruk Sumer
I am not a soldier. I cannot begin to imagine how terrible coming come from the theater of war is. Today‚ we have a better understanding of the psychological effects of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. It would probably be helpful for soldiers suffering from this condition to see through works of art that they are not alone. Early in Ajax Athena describes to Odysseus how the great warrior Ajax was reduced to a frenzied killer. Odysseus asks‚ “And imagined he was killing Greeks? (page 6‚ Ajax)” To
Premium Death Life Trojan War