Suffering In The Odyssey And The Epic Of Gilgamesh

In fiction, it is necessary for a character to suffer in order for a lesson to be learned and morals to be taught; however, the way it is shown by the author has become more of an internal, identity-focused conflict than a physical one over the course of the humanities agenda. We will traverse through all four years of high school humanities and describe how novels such as The Odyssey, Invisible Man, and Crime and Punishment differ in the sense of conflict while maintaining the human aspect of suffering. Novels read in freshman year focused on treacherous journeys and loss of life to convey suffering. The Odyssey and The Epic of Gilgamesh focus on physical tragedy to impact the audience. The first instance of physical torment is during Homer’s

He suffers many physical battles for the sake of returning to his home and wife. In a different form of physical suffering, Gilgamesh from The Epic of Gilgamesh begins to fear loss after Enkidu’s death: “What my brother is now, that shall I be when I am dead” (38). He mourns for the loss of his brother, and becomes terrified of the same happening to him. This form of suffering focuses on physical loss and the torment it can cause to loved ones. Odysseus and Gilgamesh faced different external conflicts, but the important theme of physical suffering is shared between them. Internal suffering is explored more often while still containing prevalent violence in books such as Frankenstein and Hamlet, read during sophomore year; the characters are wronged and cause the suffering of others. The monster Victor created accepts the title of ‘monster’ forced on him by the locals, and takes that role: “Should I feel kindness towards my enemies?” (Shelley 97). He indiscriminately harms those he sees as enemies, pushing his suffering on others to get revenge on the people who made him what he is. His mindset is complex and vulnerable, but he is still violent towards