Essay On The Hero's Journey In The Epic Of Gilgamesh

901 Words4 Pages
The Epic of Gilgamesh and the Odyssey are two epic poems that stand out in their own right. They have become a staple for humanities, providing us with a sense of life in ancient times as one of the earliest known works of literature. Both The Epic of Gilgamesh written in 7th century B.C. and Odyssey written in 8th century B.C. describe a hero’s quest, which have many similarities and differences. These can be seen in the reason they leave home, the trials involved in their return, their characters, and their rewards. The Epic of Gilgamesh is story revolved around Gilgamesh and the relationship he has with Enkidu. Gilgamesh, King of Uruk, is two-thirds God and one third human. He was extraordinarily strong and physically handsome however, as a ruler he took advantage of the fact. Known to rape women and fight anyone that he wanted to, his…show more content…
Utnapishtim explains to him the story of saving humankind from a terrible storm that should never have happened. He was rewarded with the gift of god for his good deed and related it to Gilgamesh, who had no reason to be deserved the gift of eternal life. Gilgamesh believes he is worthy of the opportunity and accepts the challenge of not sleeping for seven days to prove so. He fails however and finds the answer to his question, that he cannot escape death. It is impossible for Gilgamesh to not sleep for seven days as he is human. As he leaves, he is told of a plant beneath the water that can make you young again. Gilgamesh finds this plant and plans to share it amongst him and the elders back home. However a snake steals this away once stopped for camp overnight. Gilgamesh learns once again that death really cannot be escaped even though he had good intentions of sharing it with others. He comes to the realization that he must return home because and take care of his people as a better
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