Beowulf Vs. Gilgamesh Essay, Research Paper

Beowulf Vs. Gilgamesh

The two civilizations I chose to compare epic values for are the ancient Mesopotamia and ancient Anglo-Saxon civilizations. The texts I used in the comparing are Gilgamesh for Mesopotamia and Beowulf for Anglo-Saxon. Although they posses many similar heroic features they besides differ greatly.

Beowulf is the earliest surviving heroic poem verse form written in a modern European linguistic communication. It was written in Old English sometime before the 10th century A.D. The verse form describes the escapades of Beowulf, a Norse warrior of the 6th century.

Beowulf is described as a perfect hero who fights for his people and vanquishes evil with his extraordinary abilities to convey peace and justness. Three of Beowulf s traits that support this are his astonishing physical strength, his ability to set his people s public assistance before his ain, and the fact that he does non fear decease.

Beowulf is a hero in the eyes of his fellow work forces through his astonishing physical strength and bravery. He fought in legion conflicts and returned winning in all but his last. Beowulf was powerful plenty to kill the monster Grendel, who had been terrorising the Danes for twelve old ages, with his bare custodies. When the two squared off Beowulf grabbed Grendal s arm and ripped it off at the shoulder. Beowulf so fought Grendel & # 8217 ; s female parent, an even deadlier monster who was seeking retaliation against Beowulf for her boy & # 8217 ; s decease. Beowulf was able to murder her by cut downing her cervix with a Giant & # 8217 ; s sword that can merely be lifted by a individual every bit strong as Beowulf. When he chopped off her caput, he carried it from the ocean with easiness, but it took four work forces to raise the monster s caput and carry it back to Herot. This strength is a cardinal trait of Beowulf & # 8217 ; s gallantry.

Another heroic value Beowulf possessed was his tendancy to set the public assistance of others before his ain. Beowulf was asked by the Danes to assist free them of an evil monster that was terrorising their metropolis. Beowulf obliged and traveled far to confront an amazing force that he did non cognize he could get the better of. He realized the dangers of his conflicts but feared nil for his ain life. Beowulf risked his ain life to salvage the Danes from Grendal so one time once more when Grendal s female parent came for retaliation. Fifty old ages after murdering Grendal s female parent a ferocious firedrake began terrorising Beowulf s people. Beowulf was old and tired but he still set out to contend the firedrake to protect his people. As an old adult male Beowulf shortly realized he was no lucifer for the firedrake, but he didn t tally. With the aid of one of his followings Beowulf fought hard and eventually killed the firedrake, losing his ain life in the procedure. Even in decease he wished for the safety of his people.

The most heroic of traits within Beowulf is that he was non afraid to decease. He ever explained his decease wants before traveling into conflict and requested to hold all his wealth and properties distributed between his people. Beowulf was non afraid to decease because he lived a epic life and he felt it was his responsibility as a hero to get the better of any evil or die seeking. & # 8220 ; When we crossed the sea, my companions and I, I already knew that all my intent was this: to win the good will of your people or decease in conflict, pressed in Grendel & # 8217 ; s ferocious clasp. Let me populate in illustriousness and bravery, or here in this hall welcome my decease! ( 22 ) & # 8221 ; Beowulf knew that by

combating evil monsters such as Grendal he would accomplish immortality. The narratives of his unconquerable bravery would be retold once more and once more, everlastingly. In life or in decease a hero is glorified for their actions.

. His strength, his ability to set his people s public assistance before his ain, and the fact that he does non fear decease makes him revered by all, particularly those of his clip. These are premier illustrations that support the thought that Beowulf was an heroic poem hero that served as an illustration to those of his clip.

The 2nd text I will be utilizing for this comparing is The Epic of Gilgamesh. The Epic of Gilgamesh was one of the first pieces of literature known to adult male. The heroic poem was found among ruins in Ninevah in the signifier of 12 big tablets, dating to 2,000 B.C. The heroic poem is believed to be based on the Archaic Sumerian king Gilgamesh who ruled the metropolis of Uruk around 2700 B.C. The chief character in The Epic of Gilgamesh is a really powerful adult male who is two-thirds immortal and one-third adult male. He excessively is thought to be a hero and possesses many of Beowulf s heroic values, but he besides possesses many differences.

Like Beowulf, Gilgamesh possessed great physical strength unmatched by any adult male. He besides had unsurmountable bravery. Gilgamesh fought legion conflicts that were considered impossible to win. Gilgamesh foremost destroys an evil monster known as Humbaba. Humbaba is feared by all who enter his cedar wood. Gilgamesh arrives and putting to deaths Humbaba with a blade given to him by the God Shamash. After killing Humbaba the goddess Ishtar sends The Bull of Heaven to destruct Gilgamesh. After the bull killed many of the townspeople Gilgamesh grabbed it by its tail and stabbed it in the dorsum of its caput. On his concluding pursuit for everlasting life Gilgamesh is attacked by a battalion of king of beastss. He takes an axe in one manus and a blade in the other and kills many of the king of beastss, directing the remainder fleeing in fright. Gilgamesh s strength and bravery is much like that of Beowulf.

Gilgamesh did non set his people before him. He was an evil male monarch. Gilgamesh sounds of alarm bell for his amusement, his haughtiness has no bounds by twenty-four hours or dark. No boy is left with his male parent, for Gilgamesh takes them all, even the kids ; yet the male monarch should be a Shepard to his people. His lust leaves no virgin to her lover, neither the warrior s girl nor the married woman of the baronial In this manner Gilgamesh did non expose the same heroic values as Beowulf. Even when Gilgamesh set out on his first escapade to kill Humbaba his people and councilors pleaded with Gilgamesh non to travel. But Gilgamesh was obsessed with going a hero. He set out to destruct Humbaba, his lone aspiration being to go forth an enduring name.

The one thing Gilgamesh feared was decease. After his friend and comrade, Enkidu, died Gigamesh became haunted with decease. He wept for seven yearss and seven darks before get downing a great journey to happen ageless life. He searchers for a adult male named Utnapishtim, who was given ageless life by the Gods, to happen out how he escaped decease.

In both civilizations the heros possessed god-like strength and defeated many evil existences. Both were brave and feared no adult male or animal. Anglo-saxon heros stick to a stricter codification of ethics.Beowulf is the premier illustration of an heroic poem hero, and he embodies the behavior that the Anglo-saxons of that clip admired and besides used as a theoretical account of flawlessness