Even from the very dawn of civilization, ancient people were aware of their existence’s constraints. They had no choice but to invent mythology to help themselves cope with the agony and helplessness of their predetermined destinies, which caused their lives to appear meaningless to them. To put it another way, they nurtured unrealistic expectations inside themselves. In the culture of ancient Mesopotamia, it is possible to transcend the limit of human lives and achieve immortality through one’s journey or adventures. On the other hand, in the culture of ancient India, one was already deathless as a part of an immortal soul, so there was no need to attempt to achieve immortality.
The Odyssey and The Epic of Gilgamesh are windows that allow people to see the ancient Greek and Sumerian perspectives on life, its meaning, and how they should live their own lives. The journey that Ulysses goes on serves as the primary focus of Odyssey. Several life lessons are contained inside each of these epic poems, most of which still apply to how modern humans go about their daily lives. Given that they were written approximately two millennia apart, it is reasonable to assume that the two will employ radically different methods while instructing their students. On the other hand, they have an astonishing number of parallels in presenting these lessons to the reader. The two epics are more similar than they are by providing numerous examples of how closely some of the lesson structures resemble their counterparts in the other poem.
The Bhagavad Gita is a sacred text that followers of the Hindu religion refer to for guidance and inspiration. It is mentioned in the Gita that there is a supernatural creature that goes by the name of God. There are no assertions within the Bhagavad Gita that can lead someone to question whether or not God exists because they are contradictory. Since the impact of God’s existence has been felt by people who believe in Him, it is believed that God does exist. Typically, this is revealed by Krishna, who serves as a teacher throughout the Gita (Easwaran, 167).
The sacred text is written in the epic style, and its lyrical quality contributes to the book’s overall effectiveness in conveying its message. The primary reason for the lyrical quality of the Bhagavad-Gita is due to the epic’s use of rhyming couplets; in addition, the meter of the text is quite melodious and harmonic. Each verse in a rhyming meter typically contains 32 syllables, and 18 chapters are further divided into many verses (Easwaran, 170). Additionally, each verse contains 32 syllables. It is what gives the Bhagavad-Gita its lyrical quality. It is a good thing that it has this quality because when something is lyrical, people are more likely to be quickly drawn to it and look up to the writers and the message portrayed in the book.
By comparing these two mythological heroes’ characteristics and heroic goals as presented in the literature, one can better appreciate how distinct they are from one another. Comparing The Odyssey and Gilgamesh has helped establish the similarities and differences between the two works. Since they provide a historical representation of the heroes and their friends, the Gilgamesh Epic and the Odyssey are highly respected by users of literature. It is because both of these epics provide the same information.
When thinking about them, one sees images in their heads that are predicated on their length and the amount of effort that went into writing them. These two epics are strikingly dissimilar regarding the writing styles, attention to characterization detail and significant ideas presented. They talk about a story of a guy who gets lost but eventually figures out how to find his way.
The Odyssey and the Gilgamesh Epic are two different legends that tell the tales of ordinary individuals in ancient Greece and Mesopotamia who possessed extraordinary powers. However, they make blunders throughout their lives, just like every other man. Gilgamesh was the hero of the epic Gilgamesh and the previous ruler of Uruk in Babylonia. Despite facing multiple obstacles during his reign, he once held power (Chappel, 810). People asserted he was cruel and slept with the brides before their husbands on the night of their weddings. At the story’s beginning, he is arrogant, and his humanity has no place. He ruled over them but offered them no protection. He believed he was once superior to them, as he was large and robust.
Odysseus, the protagonist of Homer’s Odyssey, is the king of Ithaca, a fabled island country located on the Greek island of Ithaca, and a legendary leader during the Trojan War. Moreover, he possesses self-confidence, Odysseus, unlike Gilgamesh, possessed mental abilities, was intellectual, and desired to learn and experience new things (Chappel, 814). He was not of divine ancestry and was entirely human and reasonable in his former existence. On his journey home, he encountered several obstacles, including various creatures, but he remained focused. People used to rely on him; hence, they valued and respected him.
According to historians, Gilgamesh was a prominent character in Mesopotamian history and played an essential role in society. As a reward for his courage in ancient times, he was elevated to the status of a god. Odysseus was a celebrated figure in Greek mythology, frequently portrayed as divine to the point where he was virtually indistinguishable from Zeus. Even though both Gilgamesh and Odysseus encountered obstacles on their journeys, everything that went wrong for Gilgamesh was initially his fault. At the same time, Odysseus’ tragedies appeared to result from poor luck. Gilgamesh and Odysseus possess godlike qualities that aid them in a war against their extraterrestrial adversaries.
Although they were both powerful, they acted like any other men, sometimes making judgments based on willpower and other times being irresponsible. Children appear to learn about themselves through their experiences, and their challenges contribute to the instruction of life lessons. Gilgamesh and Enkidu were compelled to face the Bull of Heaven, which was eventually brought to its knees by a goddess, while Odysseus was put to the test by the goddesses. Women played a vital role in each of these tales. Both of these narratives are comparable in terms of the lessons we might learn from our experiences and the challenges we must overcome in life. The Gilgamesh epic states, “Fill your bell with wonderful things, Gilgamesh: day and night, day and night, feast and delight, dance and be joyful,” (Thompson, 57) Allowing yourself to be clean, bathing in water, feeling the hand of a young child, and allowing your wife to feel comfortable in your embrace are all necessary. Permit oneself to be pure
Odysseus and Gilgamesh are similar in that they battle for consciousness while doing potentially dangerous occupations; nevertheless, what motivates them and causes them to flourish as heroes at the end of the story is what is necessary and different. When Odysseus lands in the land of the Cyclops, he must devise a plan to escape as soon as possible. During this time of crisis, Odysseus considers returning to his family in Ithaca to save himself and his crew. Odysseus is willing to give up himself and his abilities to protect his people. However, to show the people of Uruk that he, a mere mortal man, has effectively snatched the life of a god, Gilgamesh must slaughter Humbaba. “I, Gilgamesh, would see! / Whose identify is regarded in all the earth, / I will hunt him in the forest of cedars. / I will make the world a land.” (Thompson, 79).
Initially, Gilgamesh’s purpose for many choices was to garner attention. However, once Gilgamesh’s first-class friend Enkidu died abruptly, Gilgamesh experienced an unanticipated transformation, and he amended his explanations. Gilgamesh travels to receive the divine order and, upon arrival, feels more at ease in his role as king. The first of these transformations that Gilgamesh undergoes to maintain his love for Enkidu and the flood of Utanapishtim is when he recognizes that buying a life rather than destroying it is preferable. “Although it is questioned whether Odysseus is experiencing personal development or not,” (Homer, 213), “others can see how he is learning to adapt to the trials that have been reserved for him.” (Homer, 423) These tests have been set aside for him because he has been deemed deserving of them. Throughout his travels, Odysseus develops ways to employ less and less violence; however, Odysseus is regarded as a dry character due to his lack of heart and passion.
Epic characters such as Odysseus and Gilgamesh become heroes due to their hardships and sufferings. All the characters demonstrate the attributes required for effective leadership and heroic achievements on their paths. They begin as flawed people and leaders, but their challenges throughout their journeys educate them to evolve past their flaws and become more effective leaders and heroes. Since true leaders must be self-sufficient and capable of thinking for themselves, Gilgamesh experienced loneliness on several occasions throughout history (Chappel, 816). In the beginning, he is so lonely that he acts like a dictator, ignores his responsibilities as king, and pursues younger children and virgins around his realm to find company. On the other hand, he has been stranded on the island of Calypso for the past seven years with no way out. He longs to see his family, particularly his wife and son, but he lacks a boat and no one to assist him in getting there.
As a fundamental theme, each epic has heroism as a central component. They are residents with enormous strength and stature. Heroes provide access to total mental strength while also allowing us to perceive the energy inherent within heroes’ bodies. Both heroes overcame the tragedy of death and went on their quest with bravery and gratitude for themselves and Odysseus’ family. The latter had to face hardships during their ancestor’s long journey in search of wisdom and riches (Homer, 511). Both protagonists are changed into tyrants and heroes in the end. Gilgamesh is successful in his investigation into the fact that man will die in the not-too-distant future. He also saw that no matter how successful a man was, whether or not he was a god to Gilgamesh, people still valued the simple things in life.
When Odysseus’ journey lasted twenty years, it took Gilgamesh one day to realize that everyone needs their own life. Both Gilgamesh and Odysseus are intended to combat the external restrictions of human lifestyles and to restore facts taken from a supernatural perspective. Gilgamesh is rude to the beast and kills it after getting counsel from Enkidu, who says, “Kill Gilgamesh now.” One should display any bias or foolishness toward their opponent. Gilgamesh follows the advice provided to him and slays the beast. Despite Athena’s heavenly intervention, Odysseus was triumphant in removing all the suitors. They could complete this work with the help of Telemachus and a few other shepherds. One of the many names for Katabasis, often known as “the ride.” is a journey to the underworld. During an underground outage, Katabasis has been marketed as a one-day trip across the country to another airport.
In summary, comparing these two sets of manuscripts may improve readers’ understanding of historic Greek or Sumerian culture. Homer’s music demonstrates various values, such as marital fidelity, devotion to one’s homeland, and acceptance of the limitations that come with being human, including death. In contrast, the Epic of Gilgamesh emphasizes power, prestige, and the recognition of others. Both legendary heroes have shown that everyone has the ability and responsibility to face challenges and learn from mistakes.
As a result, the common thread that runs through both of these works of fiction implies that heroic qualities can be obtained by anyone willing to face challenges. In contrast to Gilgamesh, some aspects of the location are unique to Odysseus. On the other hand, the former is remarkably involved in the lives of those around him, whereas the latter engages in deceptive practices.
Works Cited
Chappel, Jacquelyn. “Engendering Cosmopolitanism on the Ground through Place-Based and Culturally Relevant Curriculum: The Experiences of Four Teachers of World Literature in Hawai’i.” Journal of Curriculum Studies, vol. 50, no. 6, 2018, pp. 805–819. Web.
Easwaran, Eknath. The Bhagavad Gita. Vintage Books, 2000.
Homer, Homer. Odyssey: A New Translation by Peter Green. University of California Press, 2019.
Thompson, R. Campbell. The Epic of Gilgamish. Clarendon Press, 1930.