The last step of the return stage is the Belly of the Whale. This when the hero becomes spiraled into the unknown and may experience self-destruction. During this stage, the hero undergoes a change. In Gilgamesh, the Belly of the Whale occurs when Enkidu dies and Gilgamesh starts to feel lonely and isolated. As a result, he fears mortality. Beowulf goes through this stage when he is fighting Grendel’s mother. Unlike his other battles, he faces some difficulty when his sword does not cut her. At the surface, Hrothgar’s men are fearful that Beowulf might dies, as the water was tinted red from the amount of blood being lost. Similar to Gilgamesh, Okonkwo starts to drown in guilt after he participates in murdering Ikefemuna. He shows a shift in his behavior, refusing to eat and keeping to himself . He holds in his emotions and refuses to show any sense of remorse to not be labeled weak.
To begin the second stage of Initiation is The Road of Trials. In this stage, the hero has to survive a series of obstacles. In order for Gilgamesh to meet Utnapishtim he has to undergo a long journey to the underworld. On this trip, he has to plead with the scorpions, travel in total darkness and cross the Sea of Death. Beowulf enders another trial when he is able to defeat
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The hero may need support from an outsider to help with his escape. When Gigamesh is devastated from his loss of the plant. he takes a moment and realizes that his city, Uruk, needs him. This is what brings him back to his home and ultimately saves him from depression. Beowulf receives help from Wiglaf when battling the Dragon. Although many of the soldiers had left Beowulf to die, Wiglaf was the only one that stepped in to aid him in taking down the Dragon. Okonkwo and the other leaders that were taken captive receive help from the men of Umuofia. They gather the two hundred and fifty cowries needed to pay the fine to have them