More handpicked essays just for you.
Similarities between the epic of gilgamesh and the odyssey
People you may know poem analysis
Contrasting odyssey and epic of gilgamesh
Don’t take our word for it - see why 10 million students trust us with their essay needs.
During the episode of “The Cyclops” in epic The Odyssey, Odysseus falls prey to several of the eight Greek evil thoughts. His pride, boasting, and greed make his character evil because of the way the Greeks used to believe. Odysseus decides to roam the cave that Polyphemus lives, and tries to take the Cyclops’ food; Polyphemus then eats two of Odysseus’ men on the spot and decides to imprison Odysseus. Odysseus then develops a plan to mess with the Polyphemus because he is the son of Poseidon, and Odysseus believes that hassling the son of Poseidon, Zeus’ brother that does not like Zeus, he would be doing Zeus a favor. Odysseus portrays 3 of the 8 Greek Evil Thoughts of Philargyria (greed), Hyperephania (pride), and Kendoxia (boasting).
After blinding the cyclops, Polyphemus, Odysseus can not stand the thought of no one ever knowing his accomplishment, so he jeers at the cyclops and tells him that Odysseus of Ithaca is who blinded him. Obviously, Polyphemus is enraged, and since Odysseus had just basically given him his address, the cyclops prays to Poseidon, wishing that Odysseus never returns home. For the rest of the time Odysseus is at sea, he is dogged by Poseidon, as the surly god sends storm after storm to harry Odysseus and prevent his safe return home.
The Epic of Gilgamesh and The Song of Roland, once a story told person to person, is now a legendary Epic worth wasting time on. The Epic of Gilgamesh is a Sumerian Epic, which was written roughly about 5,000 to 6,000 years ago. While, The Song of Roland is an Epic that formed during the Middle Ages, about 800 years ago. The Song of Roland and The Epic of Gilgamesh has many similarities but their character has the most in common. They are also diverse because they obtain a different theme.
Although both kings survive the harsh quest, Gilgamesh and Odysseus seemingly swap places as being more ruthless to their kingdoms. Gilgamesh’s change parallels Odysseus’ change from a caring to ruthless king and vice versa. In the beginning of both stories, Odysseus and Gilgamesh are contrasting figures of
There are many similarities and differences between the Greek mythological epic, “The Odyssey”, and the Mesopotamian mythological epic, “The Epic of Gilgamesh” when you talk about death and the underworld/afterlife. I will be talking about the comparison of both encounters with the underworld and how the both take on the topic of death. From what we know the underworld and afterlife is a major part of a lot of religious cultures around the world such as the Greeks and the Mesopotamians. A difference we see is that the Greeks believe in a bad life after you die and go to the underworld.
Polyphemus began to eat Odysseus’ men and they were trying to escape and so they stabbed the cyclops in his eye and got away. As they were sailing away the cyclops was throwing boulders at their ship but could not aim because of his eye. Odysseus thinks he is a badass and calls out to the cyclops telling him his name and this is where his mistake was made. Boasting is typically seen as disrespectful to a lot of people, and in return Poseidon, god of the sea, seeks vengeance for is son by setting Odysseus and his men further off course from home. If Odysseus decided to not boast and just get away, then he would have probably been home eight years
After Odysseus has thrown the flaming spear in to Polyphemus’ eye, the other cyclops living there hear Polyphemus screaming and they ask what is wrong, Polyphemus screams, “ Nohbdy, Nohbdy’s tricked me, Nohbdy’s ruined me!” The other cyclops of course think that nothing happens and they go on with their day. Odysseus throws the spear so he can blind Polyphemus and hopefully get away. If Odysseus had not told him that his name was “Nohbdy” then the other cyclops living there would have been ready to kill Odysseus, but because he is smart, he thinks of this right away. But, because Odysseus is so arrogant, he ends up telling Polyphemus his real name, so Polyphemus prays to his father, Poseidon, Odysseus becomes cursed because of his actions.
In the “Epic of Gilgamesh” and “The Odyssey” by Homer, all the gods are portrayed as being very near, and having a very close relationship with the mortals. The authors showed this through their interactions, even though each epic portrayed a unique mode of interaction between the gods and the mortals. For instance, in the “Epic of Gilgamesh,” this interactions are mostly indirect, whereas in Homer’s Odyssey, they are direct. Another thing the authors tried to show is that the gods are limited in their powers, at least some of them. The authors portrayed this through the gods favoring or disfavoring certain mortals.
The Epic of Gilgamesh gives a lot of insight to what was happening and what was expected in ancient Mesopotamia. The epic poem which revolves around a king, includes many details in to the civilization, beliefs, and values of the Mesopotamians. The king thrives to be remembered and many of his actions reflect that. The Epic of Gilgamesh show how an ideal heroic king should be in ancient Mesopotamia. The first thing it shows us is that hero kings should be strong.
In comparison, it’s always observed on how different scholars find the similarity of especially marital settings, characters, and as well as the wanderings of the mythological world. Different events within the life of these characters cover broadly a huge range of epic encounters that are heroic. The character, emotional and psychological development of Gilgamesh can be borrowed especially from the ancient heroic perspectives of mortality and death while comparing with Achilles. Mesopotamian civilization has had several phases in which hero Gilgamesh has been in existence, however having similar attributes. One of the earliest stories of Gilgamesh is developed from Sumerian texts, one of the most influential and well-known poems (Michelakis & Pantelis 2007).
The epic characteristics include a vast setting, supernatural forces and superhuman courage. In The Odyssey, the central character Odysseus is a war hero who is travelling back home. He face many challenges in
Silvy Elsa Mathew Hum 120 3/1/18 Paper 1 - The Epic of Gilgamesh and Homer’s Iliad The two main oldest epic tales in the world, ‘Epic of the Gilgamesh’ and Homer’s ‘Iliad’ deals with many significant issues that pose a meaning in the life of an individual and communities. The Epic of Gilgamesh was written 1500 years before Homer wrote the Iliad.
While Odysseus and his crew are slowly moving away from Cyclopes Island, Odysseus tells Polyphemus that he is “Odysseus, Laertes’ son,” whose home “lies on Ithaca” (Homer 459 and 460). Because of his arrogant decision to tell Polyphemus the truth of his origins, he essentially dooms him and his crew. Polyphemus, who is Poseidon's son, asks of his father to punish Odysseus for his arrogance, whom grants his prayer. In cessation, Odysseus’ haughty decision to tell Polyphemus his whereabouts leads to his utter
Everybody likes rooting for a hero. And throughout the evolution of storytelling, from stories written in stone to those in tablets, heroes have always played a huge role in the stories we tell. As literature evolved, and more legends and tales began to appear in different cultures, the idea of a traditional epic hero was established. Stories like "The Epic of Gilgamesh," and "The Odyssey," set the mold for this type of heroes, an influence that can clearly be seen when analyzing literature. In fact, most of these characters, regardless of the time and place they were created in, shared similar characteristics to the two kings.
Odysseus blinds and taunts the Cyclops Polyphemus, which leads to Polyphemus praying to his father, Poseidon, to curse Odysseus. The curse bestowed upon Odysseus by Poseidon is mentioned in book 9 lines 445-451 of The
