Jayana Vs Gilgamesh Essay

The two stories Gilgamesh and The Ramayana include many different archetypes that make them great stories that are still told centuries later. Gilgamesh tells the story of an ancient Sumerian king who goes on a quest to find immortality. The Ramayana shares a story of the ancient Sanskrit Prince Rama that is sent into exile by his father, the king. Both stories include a strong hero that leads the story to the ultimate outcome— victory. The two stories also include the help from supernatural Gods that guide them on their journeys. The tales of Gilgamesh and The Ramayana share two characteristics of having an iconic hero and gaining wisdom and help from their supernatural Gods, which further conveys why these stories are still relevant to this

The term hero is defined as, “a mythological or legendary figure often of divine descent endowed with great strength or ability.” (M-W Dictionary). Gilgamesh can be seen as a hero after he kills Humbaba, guardian of the forest. The epic states, “He slew the monster, guardian of the forest; At whose cry the mountains of Lebanon trembled; At whose cry all the mountains quaked.” (44). By Gilgamesh killing the monster, he and Enkidu were able to continue forth with their journey to find immortality. He can be seen as a hero because of his fearless murder of the obstacle in their quest. His strength proves his heroic traits that contribute to his story. Prince Rama can also be seen as a hero as described after he defeated Ravana. The text states, “Rāma was surrounded by mighty heroes and gods who were all joyously felicitating him on the victory” (662). The prince was deemed heroic after he murdered Ravana with his magical arrow that pierced his chest. Rama is considered the hero because in the end, he will also become victorious. Similar to that of Gilgamesh, Rama’s victory creates a heroic quality that makes them the protagonists of their stories. Their memorable battles that make them shine in the end always come after a long, hard-fought journey that in both cases, lasted a decent amount of time. Both hero’s had been through certain stages of their journeys that ultimately rewarded

The Epic of Gilgamesh features help from Gods Ea, Ishtar, Enlil, and more. The Ramayana includes the Gods Visnu and Lakshmi. The Gods that help their heroes on their journeys give them wisdom to help them move forward throughout the story. In Gilgamesh, the God Ninsun, the wild cow, tells Gilgamesh a quote in the beginning of his journey to find immortality. Ninsun states, “Trust not, Gilgamesh, in your own strength, Let your vision be clear, take care of yourself” (36). This advice gives Gilgamesh the courage needed to go forward upon his quest. In the Ramayana, Prince Rama is the God Visnu in a new and different form. Because of this, Rama is given God-like qualities that help him throughout his journey. These qualities include the mindfulness of dharma and overall goodness. Because there is supernatural intervention between the two heroes, they are able to better complete their quests or journeys. With the help from the God’s, Gilgamesh gets closer to finding immortality and Rama uses dharma to move forward becoming an influential leader. Their supernatural help gave them both wisdom and guidance when moving forward in their