Comparison of Gilgamesh and Odysseus Essay Example

people in modern Iraq lived around 2700B.C. He displays the symbol of physical power while his counterpart represents the power of wits and mental strengths. Above all, the most important similarity between Odysseus and Gilgamesh is that both characters try to show a stable connection between gods and the mortals.

Regarding this, Gilgamesh is born of a god and his life is involved in them despite being a warrior and a great ruler of his people. Coincidentally, Odysseus in his tale invokes Gods wrath for fighting at Troy and leading other warriors in a war raid that kills Cyclops, his son. Despite this circumstances, Odysseus’ and Gilgamesh epics make them serve as a single representation of Gods to the people and a representation of Humans to their gods. This god’s factor in them gives them a powerful impact in the realms in which they exist, making them influential people to the society they lived. Apart from this major similarity between the two characters, they still have much more in common. In this context, Both Odysseus’s and the Gilgamesh are great warriors and the results of their rule greatly affects the world in which they live. Odysseus’s killing of his son Cyclops provoked the gods to take action against him. Likewise, Gilgamesh in his defense kills a bull sent by his gods from heaven to eliminate him for the worst mistakes he committed in the past.

In response to this, it is evident that their fighting invokes an intervention of their gods resulting in diverse impacts to their respective worlds. In the same way, both of these rulers displays certain strengths granted to them. For instance, Gilgamesh is

a symbol of physical strength while Odysseus reveals the power of wits and mental powers in approaching leadership issues. Gilgamesh is demonstrated as a self-confident ruler with no love for his people despite being their king. He neglects the role to protect his people and at times he commits the worst sin, killing his son and raping their daughter. Despite their many similarities, these two warriors have many differences as well. For instance, Odysseus’ portrays a cocky character to most of the people he meets. He represents a sense of knowledge and expertise in his duties as a king.

Alternatively, Gilgamesh comes off as being more arrogant to his people. To add on this, Odysseus is termed as cunning and confident ruler while his counterpart is self-confident displaying brute force character. In this case, Gilgamesh undesirable behavior and arrogance has the adverse impact on his people and is the cause of anger to his people. Despite the tough hardships that happen to both rulers throughout their journeys, Gilgamesh predicaments happen to be the result of his faults whereas Odysseus struggles are associated with his bad luck. Odysseus’s is expressed as the “hero of thousand disguises”, a warrior who has interests for his people. Despite the many trials and tribulations, he undergoes in his journey he remains a loyal husband to his wife and a patriot to his nation. He returns home after the war, and nothing stands in his way to stop him from returning to his native home. Gilgamesh is portrayed as an external wander with the passion for his people.

After returning home from his journey, he still continues to wander until him, unfortunately, meets

his death.  Unlike Odysseus mischiefs, Gilgamesh remains much respected by his people throughout the entire epic.At the end of the epic, the two heroes Odysseus and Gilgamesh are subject to the same challenges people face today. They experience many hardships that prompt them to make a different direction in the approach to their mistakes. In response to this, this two tales presents a different approach in which humankind adopts to take control of their repercussions. Gilgamesh is a symbol of high-sighted leaders who takes control of their rule by use of wisdom and wise strategies. His tale reflects those leaders who have interest for their people in heart and they can do anything for their sacrifice to better their people.

Odysseus on the other side symbolizes wicked leaders with nothing to offer to the society. The manner in which he approaches issues is a symbol of tyrannical powers that uses force to rise for power for selfish gain. In respect to this, these two tales reflect historical aspects and other situations affecting people in their daily lives. In conclusion, these two epic tales present an argument that every society has various types of heroes with different qualities and characteristics. Their fate and success are determined by their strengths and weakness which defines their destinies.

Completion of their goals gives the hero a success and glory over his enemies. Despite the challenges and the obstacles we face in our daily life, determination, love for the people and respect to our Gods determines our success. Both the epic of Gilgamesh and Odyssey presents that immortality is in control of Gods, rather than a defined rule. The need for recognition

and the fear of being forgotten makes men go out and seek for victory to ensure that their good names are reserved and remembered. Moreover, these stories also reflect that the best part of ones living is life and glory may not count for anything after death. For instance, this paper draws the conclusion that life is ever amazing when cherished by doing good things, rejoicing and spending our time with our loved ones.

References

1. Crane, G. (1987). The" Odyssey" and Conventions of the Heroic Quest. Classical Antiquity, 6(1), 11-37.
2. Foley, J. M. (1991). Traditional Oral Epic: The Odyssey, Beowulf, and the Serbo-Croation Return Song. Univ of California Press.
3. Lord, M. L. (1967). Withdrawal and return: an epic story pattern in the Homeric hymn to Demeter and in the Homeric poems. The Classical Journal, 62(6), 241-248.
4. Wolff, H. N. (1987). A study in the narrative structure of three epic poems: Gilgamesh, the Odyssey, Beowulf. Taylor & Francis.