Compare Contrast Gilgamesh and Beowulf - 1426 Words

Comparison and Contrast Essay Final Draft: Gilgamesh vs. Beowulf The epics of Beowulf and Gilgamesh are about a pair of heroes who had many common characteristics as well as characteristics that contradict one another. Beowulf is a Christian epic that roots from the Anglo Saxon culture. Throughout the plot, there are numerous biblical allusions. â€Å"Grendel who haunted the moors, the wild Marshes, and made his home in a hell not hell but earth. He was spawned in that slime, conceived by a pair of monsters born of Cain, murderous creatures banished By God,† (from Beowulf part one, translated by Burton Raffel pg. 21, lines 17-21) Gilgamesh is a story from the Mesopotamian culture, which is now present day Iraq. As Beowulf, Gilgamesh also has†¦show more content†¦Beowulf has numerous battles. He fights with Grendel, Grendel’s mother, and a dragon. Going into these fights, Beowulf already had God’s favor, because Grendel and his mother were descendants of Cain, and they were from hell. â€Å"Hail to those who will ris e to God, drop off their dead bodies, and seek our Father’s peace.† (from Beowulf part one, translated by Burton Raffel pg 23 lines 101-103). Although Gilgamesh is favored by many gods and Beowulf is favored by one god, it is this favor that makes them both heroes. In contrast, Beowulf and Gilgamesh had different endings to their lives. Beowulf died after his battle with the dragon. â€Å"That final day was the first time when Beowulf fought and fate had denied him glory in battle.† (from Beowulf Part two translated by Seamus Heaney pg 45 lines 723-725) Gilgamesh’s life went a bit different. He eventually died, but in the story, he went on a journey to find the secret to everlasting life. Seven days and nights I sat beside the body, weeping for Enkidu beside the body, and then I saw a worm fall out of his nose. Must I die too? Must Gilgamesh be like that? It was then I felt the fear of it in my belly. I roam the wilderness because of the fear.Enkidu, the companion, whom I loved, is dirt, nothing but clay is Enkidu.Weeping as if I were a woman I roam the paths andShow MoreRelatedMonsters And The Core Program1826 Words   |  8 Pages Monsters and Villains in the Core Program Monsters and villains have been a very crucial part in Core 3 and Core 4. We have read some of the most well none villains in Core including Humbaba from Gilgamesh, Polyphemus from The Odyssey, Grendel from Beowulf, and Iago from Othello. Teratology is the study of monsters and throughout Core we have learned some of the characteristics that are monsters have in common. Mostly all the monsters that we have studied reveals society’s fears or somethingRead MoreWhy Forrest Gump Is Very Much An Epic1584 Words   |  7 Pagesaesthetics compares with the different depictions of the typical epic hero. Gilgamesh embarks on the typical hero quest in which the hero is taken a great distance from his family and home in order to overcome overwhelming obstacles. Essentially, Gilgamesh and Forrest Gump are comparable in their great travels far from his the proverbial homeland to a bizarre place or places to battle tremendous evils, having their dearest friends ripped away, and in some cases playing Ping-Pong. Beowulf illustratesRead MoreSituational Analysis: 7th Grade Language Arts6569 Words   |  26 Pagesinteract? To explain rituals, customs, and beliefs. To explain historical events. To teach moral lessons. Tales of the hero and the heroic quest occur in nearly every world culture. If we look closely at the hero tales from all over the world and compare them, we find what the American mythologist Joseph Campbell called the mono-myth - literally, the one story. This mono-myth, or archetypal heroic quest story, has remarkably the same structure from culture to culture, but is really the same hero