Preview

Comparing The Gods In Epic Of Gilgamesh And Oedipus The King

Good Essays
Open Document
Open Document
518 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Comparing The Gods In Epic Of Gilgamesh And Oedipus The King
In most mythological stories, the divine play a significant role in the events of the narrative. While the actions of the hero drive the story, the gods are a powerful force that effortlessly refines the narrative. The gods of mythology conclusively control the fate of all mortal characters within stories.They hold complete power over the health of characters, the setting and even the very lives of protagonists. The Epic of Gilgamesh and the story of Oedipus The King both hold exemplary instances of this concept.

In the story of Gilgamesh, gods have a momentous role in the story. Despite their divinity, the Babylonian gods display human-like traits. Their moods and ulterior motives play significant roles in the story. Gilgamesh starts off as a wicked and arrogant king of Uruk. When the people of Uruk plea to the gods for tranquillity from their wicked king, the supernatural interferes for the first time in the story. They create an equaliser that is meant to subdue Gilgamesh; a godlike and hairy man named Enkidu. This interference inadvertently starts the entailing epic. Fate is a major theme in the narrative. Throughout the story, prophecies of the fate of both Ginga and Enkidu drive the narrative. Ginga’s fate was to meet Enkidu and form a detachable brotherly bond. Humbaba curses Enkidu with the fate of death, which is decisively brought upon him by the gods. …show more content…
When he turns down her advances, she is overcome by disconcertion and rage. Again the supernatural interferes with the story. Ishtar summons the Bull of Heaven to eradicate Uruk and slaughter Gilgamesh. When Enkidu and Gilgamesh defeat the Bull, the supernatural acts upon the story again. The enraged gods take the life of Enkidu, bringing him his eventual
Continue Reading
View Writing Issues

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Satisfactory Essays

    Comparing Gilgamesh And The God In Genisis
    • 72 Words
    • 1 Page

    Comparing Gilgamesh And The God In Genisis

    The Gods in Gilgamesh and the God in Genisis are not very different but the gods in Gilgamesh all control one thing for example Adad is the God of storm-, rain-, weather god. The God in Genisis is the god of everything. The Gods in Gilgamesh all rely on each other. The God in Genisis does not need to rely on anyone because he doesn`t just control one thing, he controls everything.…

    • 72 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
    Read More
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Why Did The Gods Want To Restrain Of Gilgamesh
    • 241 Words
    • 1 Page

    Why Did The Gods Want To Restrain Of Gilgamesh

    Gilgamesh was a strong and authoritative king of a kingdom called Uruk. Gilgamesh had power over all the women in the kingdom. Because of Gilgamesh authoritative nature, he refused to adhere to the rules of the society or community (page 11). Due to his ruthless behavior, the people of Uruk were unhappy and depressed. The people then prayed to their gods to punish Gilgamesh. This made the gods restrain Gilgamesh by bringing Enkidu who is also as strong as Gilgamesh.…

    • 241 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    World Lit 1 Take-Home Midterm, Section 3
    • 682 Words
    • 2 Pages

    World Lit 1 Take-Home Midterm, Section 3

    3. In the Epic of Gilgamesh, Gods came off as powerful and they interfered with the lives of the humans in their own way. There are many examples in this epic poem of the Gods trying to control the lives of the humans. An example is the complications of Gilgamesh as bin the ruler. Many people complained that Gilgamesh was a ruler who did not treat his people well. To fix this situation, Aruru the Goddess of Creation created Enkidu in hopes of fixing this problem. The Gods use their powers to affect daily situations of the humans, Gilgamesh was trying to be like a God. He…

    • 682 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Odyseeus and Gilgamesh as Strong Ancient Leaders
    • 886 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Odyseeus and Gilgamesh as Strong Ancient Leaders

    In ancient literature the epic hero is a character that embodies the values of his society. They are shown favor or disfavor by the gods and are generally larger than life figures. There are many similarities in the epic heroes Gilgamesh and Odysseus. They are both men of great power, cunning, and adoration. More important however is that they share many attributes that prove that both are strong ancient leaders. They rule their kingdoms with great respect from their peers, they both share a relationship with the gods that implies divine selection, and they both display immense physical strength. These assets show the similarities in the two epic heroes as strong ancient leaders.…

    • 886 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Book V Of Homer's Odyssey: Gods Vs. Humans
    • 680 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Book V Of Homer's Odyssey: Gods Vs. Humans

    For one, gods and goddesses are immortal beings where as a select few human beings possess this quality, and the ones that do were granted their status by the gods themselves. This is very prevalent throughout The Epic of Gilgamesh as Gilgamesh spends much of his time searching for a way to become immortal like the gods and goddesses. The only human he encounters with immortality, Utanapishtim, had it granted to him by the gods for following their will and creating the ark as instructed by Ea. Although Gilgamesh’s human body did not find a way to live an immortal life, he unveiled an alternate form of immortality by discovering a way to allow his name to live on forever. Another aspect that sets the gods apart is their ability to control nature. The gods and goddesses have special powers that they control Earth with. Through this power, they can affect the way people live by causing them great despair or by working in the peoples favor. Some gods have more power than others, such as Zeus, but they all have the power to affect the fate of a person. An example of this in Book V of The Odyssey is observed after the gods decide Odysseus has endured enough and Calypso is sees him off. “She put a breeze at his back, gentle and warm” (line 268) and gives him provisions to make the journey with. She uses her status as a…

    • 680 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Odysseus And Gilgamesh Comparison
    • 727 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Odysseus And Gilgamesh Comparison

    Gilgamesh tyrannically terrorizes the people of Uruk over which he rules. "when the people of Uruk complain about Gilgamesh's arrogance, the goddess aruru creates enkidu to contend with the king and absorb his energies." (heading for the battle with Humbaba). So, this guy oppresses his people into fearful prayer, yet through those prayers a savior comes to the occupants of Uruk. Enkidu ends up being friends with Gilgamesh and they purge the land of several evils. Eventually Enkidu dies and strikes fear into the heart of Gilgamesh. "how can I rest, how can I be at peace? Despair is in my heart. What my brother is now that shall I be when I am dead. Because I am afraid of death I will go as best I can to find Utnapishtim whom they call the faraway, for he has entered the assembly of the gods." (ll. 4-10 of The Search For Everlasting Life). The selfishness of this man to think that he deserves to be immortal. He eventually fails in his quest and…

    • 727 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Gilgamesh in response to Foster
    • 323 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Gilgamesh in response to Foster

    Gilgamesh’s experience of loss leads to strife, toil and extreme suffering which shows him what is truly means to be human. The disintegration of his relationship with Enkidu, through the absence of this friend, establishes pain in his life which develops in to a strong fear of death. His unsuccessful plight for immortality and the impossible leads him to further suffering but ultimate acceptance of his life and the importance of himself even without his dear friend.…

    • 323 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    The Role Of Mythology In The Epic Of Gilgamesh
    • 1471 Words
    • 6 Pages

    The Role Of Mythology In The Epic Of Gilgamesh

    This was going against something that the Gods did to protect the forest, but Gilgamesh still wanted to do it, so he convinced Enkidu to help him. Before they left to fight Humbaba, Gilgamesh told the people of Uruk about what their plans were (Mitchell, Stephen, 94-95). This was more for the Gods to hear about it before it happened, so they could get the okay from them. Ninsun prayed to Shamash to help Enkidu and Gilgamesh defeat Humbaba in the Cedar Forest (Mitchell, Stephen, 100). The whole journey to the Cedar Forest Gilgamesh kept having dreams that they couldn’t defeat Humbaba, but every night Enkidu convinced Gilgamesh that he was interpreting the dreams wrong (Mitchell, Stephen, 105-116). After defeating Humbaba, they came back to Uruk. Gilgamesh knew that he could not be King forever so he tried to do these “godly” like things, so that he would always be remembered ("Myths Encyclopedia."). After Gilgamesh completed this “godly” thing with Enkidu, Ishtar proposed to Gilgamesh. He denied her, because of all her past husbands. This made Ishtar upset so she convinced Anu to send the sacred bull of heaven after him. Enkidu and Gilgamesh defeated the bull together. That night Enkidu had a dream that one of them must be killed because this upset the Gods. They wanted Enkidu dead, not Gilgamesh. ("Myths Encyclopedia.").When he told Gilgamesh about it, he did not believe him. Then Enkidu had another bad dream, and when he told Gilgamesh about this one, he believed him. Gilgamesh prayed to the Gods to save them both. Enkidu knows his fate now and calls out to curse Shamata, since she tricked him into becoming civilized. Gilgamesh convinces him that she changed him for the better and not worse, so Enkidu takes back the horrible things he said (Mitchell, Stephen, 146-148). They destroyed Humbaba first and now the sacred bull of heaven, the Gods made…

    • 1471 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Enkidu Vs Gilgamesh
    • 577 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Enkidu Vs Gilgamesh

    Gilgamesh and Enkidu learn all too well that the gods are dangerous for mortals.There are many obstacles that these men endure during their journey. One of the many differences between Gilgamesh and Enkidu would be When the temple prostitute seduces Enkidu, he loses his animal attributes but gains his self-consciousness and his humanity. The theirs Gilgamesh; who has no afterlife to look forward to and no moral ideal to aspire to. Although he may not know, really Gilgamesh’s many journeys mirror his internal journey to become a selfless and devoted king. Sadly along this journey Gilgamesh looses Enkidu andgrieves heavily over the loss, and made a decision to find the key to everlasting life. The loss of a great friend and the thought of mortality were to much for Gilgamesh to bear. He tried hard to understand why one would both to stay on earth to end up in a terrible afterlife. He soon tried to become immortal like the…

    • 577 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Gilgamesh As A Hero Essay
    • 503 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Gilgamesh As A Hero Essay

    The people in Uruk began to pray to the Gods for help. The Gods created a worthy match specifically for Gilgamesh. His name was Enkidu and he was a wild man. Enkidu sleeps with a woman causing his fellow animals to start rejecting him since he’s no longer considered an animal. After that he is told about Gilgamesh and his rulings.…

    • 503 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Essay On The Epic Of Gilgamesh
    • 897 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Essay On The Epic Of Gilgamesh

    Divided by different episodes, it tells a trilling tale of adventure of “meeting of friends, a forest journey, the flouting of a fickle goddess, the death of the companion and the search for ancestral wisdom and immortality” (Sandars 22). It’s similar to other ancient tales, like Odyssey, it very different all the same. In tales such as Odyssey the main character is always the hero and could do no wrong. In The Epic of Gilgamesh is instead portrays the main character in a different light, making Gilgamesh a dark character and doing that teaches the most important lesson, human nature. Though gifted, being half god and half man, the leader of his people who “knew the countries of the world” (Sandars 61) was very cruel and arrogant. Upon meeting Enkidu, who is “innocent of mankind: he knew nothing of the cultivated land” becomes Gilgamesh’s equal and it’s his death that shows him how to value life. That it’s never too late to change, or impossible and anybody can be…

    • 897 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    The Epic of Gilgamesh
    • 857 Words
    • 4 Pages

    The Epic of Gilgamesh

    The Epic of Gilgamesh is a third person journey about a man’s change from bad to good because of a character named Enkidu. Gilgamesh starts out a mean spirited, bitter, tyrant-like man and turns to a good humble like hero. Throughout the story different experiences and journeys lead Gilgamesh to this ending. On page 99, lines 2-50 Gilgamesh comes off as a cocky and selfish young king. In a way Gilgamesh cannot help but to be the selfish king that he is because, he came into this personality due to his upbringing and surroundings and his overall being. Gilgamesh is the handsomest, strongest, and most powerful man in the world. He also is two thirds god and his father was the king before him.…

    • 857 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Compare And Contrast Gilgamesh And Enkidu
    • 535 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Compare And Contrast Gilgamesh And Enkidu

    One event that lead to the death of Enkidu was the killing of Humbaba. Gilgamesh…

    • 535 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Epic Of Gilgamesh Analysis
    • 771 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Epic Of Gilgamesh Analysis

    The Epic of Gilgamesh by Donna Rosenberg revealed the tale of the two-thirds god and one-third mortal king, Gilgamesh, whose biggest fear was the common fate of all human beings - death. Throughout his journey to find immortality, the story portrayed various examples of different categories of archetypes that influenced the passage, and added to the overall meaning of the text. The most important archetypes that impacted the plot of the story include Gilgamesh’s heroic characteristics, Enkidu’s death, and the idea of immortality.…

    • 771 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Similarities Between The Odyssey And Gilgamesh
    • 860 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Similarities Between The Odyssey And Gilgamesh

    Stories have been around since the beginning of time as a way to communicate ideas, past experiences and history passed down from generation to generation. According to the presentation in class a hero story deals with adventures, a fight/quest and a transformation. In the stories of Gilgamesh and The Odyssey both characters possess different and similar qualities involving the characteristic of a traditional hero story.…

    • 860 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More

Related Topics