StudentShare
Contact Us
Sign In / Sign Up for FREE
Search
Go to advanced search...
Free

Compare the heroes Gilgamesh and Rama - Essay Example

Cite this document
Summary
Similarities between Gilgamesh and Rama: Text and Context The stories of Gilgamesh and Rama have certain sameness. These similarities can be observed in the narratives embedded in the epics of Gilgamesh and Rama. Further, their sameness transcends beyond the text itself…
Download full paper File format: .doc, available for editing
GRAB THE BEST PAPER91.5% of users find it useful
Compare the heroes Gilgamesh and Rama
Read Text Preview

Extract of sample "Compare the heroes Gilgamesh and Rama"

Similarities between Gilgamesh and Rama: Text and Context The stories of Gilgamesh and Rama have certain sameness. These similarities can be observed in the narratives embedded in the epics of Gilgamesh and Rama. Further, their sameness transcends beyond the text itself. The narratives of Gilgamesh and Rama are entrenched in the very society and history in which they are made. Gilgamesh and Rama have three general similarities: (1) both are divine kings, (2) they travel to different and alien places; and (3) shared tragedy.

First, Gilgamesh is a sacred king in the ancient Babylonian kingdom who greatly possesses the trait of “two-thirds divine” (Mitchell 10). By virtue of his god-like character, the Babylonian people fear and follow the absolute monarchy practiced by Gilgamesh, the demigod of the bygone civilization. Like Gilgamesh, Rama is a divine king in the age-old India who greatly ruled his devoted subjects with “universal or social conscience” (qtd. in Leeming, Madden, and Marlan 803). Second, Gilgamesh and Rama have sameness with respect to their journeys in finding their missions in life and/or love.

On the one hand, Gilgamesh travels to varied and tortuous places in order to find the person who “can tell him how to escape death” (Mitchell 1). After his friend’s death, Gilgamesh journeys into the terra incognita which he, consequently, “suffered all and accomplished all” (qtd. in Mitchell 9). On the other hand, Rama travels to the land of his mortal enemy in order to rescue his beloved Sita. On this way, Rama constantly remembers in the need to avoid the “sense enemies’ lust, ire and greed” (Das 69).

And third, both epic heroes greatly share tragedy (Gupta 23). The tragedy of Gilgamesh lies in his failure to attain immortality while Rama’s tragedy lies in the unfaithfulness of his beloved. Both stories of Gilgamesh and Rama are, by and large, shaped by their cultures and societies. In the context of the Babylonian civilization characterized in Gilgamesh narrative, sexuality is widely celebrated by the ancient Babylonians wherein love-making signifies “the intimate understanding of what a woman is” (Mitchell 15-16).

The social custom prominent in the antiquated Babylonia takes great pride in sex in which women “serve men’s pleasure.” It is noteworthy that Babylonia in the time of Gilgamesh was very prosperous and highly civilized; in fact, civilization is defined by sexual promiscuity and celebration. In the context of caste system marked in ancient India, moreover, the king has to cast away his wife if found unfaithful. Rumors had spread out that Sita had committed infidelity to her husband-king perhaps during the time when she was abducted by Ravana, Rama’s mortal enemy.

Following the social norm, Rama has banished his wife into the forest and away from his kingdom (Gupta 23). Here, it is fascinating to learn that the protagonist has forsaken his beloved in exchange for the social custom. Indeed, it is admirable to see Rama endures his personal sacrifice for the maintenance of the social order marked in the hierarchical India. Conversely, it is strange for the lover to abandon his beloved to utter danger and isolation. Works Cited Das, G. N. Shri Rama: The Man, and His Mission.

New Delhi: Abhinav, 1998. Print. Gupta, Dipak K. Path to Collective Madness: A Study in Social Order and Political Pathology. Westport, CT: Praeger, 2001. Print. Leeming, David, Kathryn Madden, and Stanton Marlan, eds. Encyclopedia of Psychology and Religion. New York: Springer, n.d. Print. Mitchell, Stephen. Gilgamesh: A New English Version. New York: Free Press, 2004. Print.

Read More
Cite this document
  • APA
  • MLA
  • CHICAGO
(“Compare the heroes Gilgamesh and Rama Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words”, n.d.)
Retrieved de https://studentshare.org/other/1421262-compare-the-heroes-gilgamesh-and-rama
(Compare the Heroes Gilgamesh and Rama Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 Words)
https://studentshare.org/other/1421262-compare-the-heroes-gilgamesh-and-rama.
“Compare the Heroes Gilgamesh and Rama Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 Words”, n.d. https://studentshare.org/other/1421262-compare-the-heroes-gilgamesh-and-rama.
  • Cited: 2 times

CHECK THESE SAMPLES OF Compare the heroes Gilgamesh and Rama

The Epic of Gilgamesh

The epic of gilgamesh is an extended narrative poem, which, on the bigger scale, is based on the manners of heroes and warriors.... The basic epic is primitive or oral, such as gilgamesh's epic.... … The epic of gilgamesh is an extended narrative poem, which, on the bigger scale, is based on the manners of heroes and warriors.... The basic epic is primitive or oral, such as gilgamesh's epic.... The Epic of gilgamesh dates back to 2150-2000 BC and before that there were only two huge Indian epics called the Ramayana and Mahabharata, which date back to 1000-800 BC....
5 Pages (1250 words) Assignment

Role of Gods and Goddesses in the Lives of the Romans and Greeks

The Epic of Gilgamesh: It tells the story of friendship of a superhuman gilgamesh and Enkidu, their decline, Enkidu death and Gilgamesh fear of his own mortality.... One goddess asked companionship of gilgamesh and got rejected.... Out of sheer anger, she decided to use Bull of Heaven to destroy gilgamesh....
5 Pages (1250 words) Research Paper

Gilgamesh Mesopotamia

In the paper “gilgamesh Mesopotamia” the author discusses a fascinating piece of art replete with well-chosen images of the mythological world.... The bull of heaven is introduced in the story for a fight in which gilgamesh defeats it and kills it.... It is an intermingling of such elements that give it the credit of being both an epic and mythological work of art, simultaneously....
9 Pages (2250 words) Assignment

The Heroic Exploits in Three Epics on the Creation

In this paper, we shall focus on three different versions of the Creation and try to point out similarities as well as differences among the exploits of Marduk in the Enuma Elish, Gilgamesh together with Enkidu in the Epic of gilgamesh and the God of Job in Bible history.... The dramatic action and dialogue of the Babylonian Creation Epic can be compared to epic writing from the Epic of gilgamesh and the Homeric epics, which treat human conflicts against a background of divine violence....
6 Pages (1500 words) Essay

City Comedy and Revenge Tragedy

In the essay “City Comedy and Revenge Tragedy” the author discusses the differences between tragedy (the tragic mode) and comedy (the comic mode), which lie principally in the mood, but there are also differences in the kind of action presented, the issues involved and their importance....
7 Pages (1750 words) Term Paper

Compare and Contrast

In his journey, Rama is willing to fall into submission for the sake of others, unlike gilgamesh and Odysseus.... Gilgamesh is in search of eternal life after his friend Enkidu Compare and Contrast Gilgamesh was a Mesopotamian demigod; rama was an Indian prince while Odysseus was the ruler of the Island kingdom of Ithaca.... rama is a formidable hunter.... rama gets viewed with a bow over his shoulders at all times.... Nevertheless, unlike Odysseus, rama only fights when provoked and participates in aggressive behavior when other people are under threat....
2 Pages (500 words) Essay

Comparing themes in Gilgamesh and Ramayana

Love motivates them into a life of interdependence as Enkidu ensures checks and balance on the restless and powerful energies of The theme of love in gilgamesh and Ramayana The theme of love in Gilgamesh appear to be both in the form of erotic and platonic which serves as a major agent of change in the story.... n the other hand, in the epic of Ramayana, affectionate love is made evident in the epic of Ramayan by how Sita who is the wife of rama begs to accompany him to the forest upon being banished....
2 Pages (500 words) Essay

The Birth of Super Humans on Earth

Gilgamesh, Herakles, and rama's birth have deep significance and each one was sent to earth with a definite purpose.... Herakles and rama were sons of kings.... While no evidence or myth is available about the birth of Gilgamesh, the births of rama and Herakles were mystical.... rama's father King Dasaratha of Ayodhya had no sons despite having three wives.... After consuming this holy sweet, rama was born to the eldest wife as the reincarnation of Lord Vishnu....
8 Pages (2000 words) Essay
sponsored ads
We use cookies to create the best experience for you. Keep on browsing if you are OK with that, or find out how to manage cookies.
Contact Us