Gilgamesh and Odysseus: Different Heroic Research Proposal

Whereas the perception and description of Gilgamesh changed from rash individualism to a more hesitant and socially conscious figure, the perception of Odysseus -- along with the other Greek heroes -- changed from the rather unflattering view that historical records took of him and became a more important individual with great heroic qualities. This reflects the differences both in the societies and the times and situations that produced both the standardized Epic of Gilgamesh and Homer's the Iliad; the former celebrated the growing social consciousness of its hero, and the latter celebrated the greater individual achievements as a way of singling out individuals.

There are also some qualities of heroism that are common to Odysseus and Gilgamesh in most of the accounts regarding them. According to renowned historian Will Durant, the basic standards of male heroism during the hunting stage and in early civilizations were "acquisitiveness, pugnacity, and ready sexuality" (Durant, 2001). Interestingly, these qualities are more evident in Odysseus in Homer's later account of him, whereas they are more a part of Gilgamesh's character in the earlier versions of his epic. Again, this could very possibly illustrate the rise and progression of Sumerian and Babylonian society during the centuries between versions, whereas the change in Odysseus might reflect the degradation of Greek society.

Heroes exist in all times and places. What makes them heroic, however, is subject to change. This examination of two ancient heroes makes this fact very clear.

References

Durant, Will. (2003) Heroes of history. New York: Simon & Schuster.

Epic of Gilgamesh. Accessed 6 March 2009. http://www.ancienttexts.org/library/mesopotamian/gilgamesh/

George, a. (1999). The Epic of Gilgamesh. New York: Penguin.

Herodotus. The history of Herodotus, George Rawlinson, trans. Excerpted in Understanding the Odyssey. Westport: Greenwood Publishing,…