Epic heroes refer to brave main characters in mythical stories and they usually seem to possess extraordinary strength. The following essay is a comparison paper that compares the heroes from Gilgamesh, Rama and Odysseus texts. The main characters in the texts, Gilgamesh, Rama and Odysseys, have several similar abilities and characteristics that explain their relevance as epic heroes. Epic heroes are usually called to complete an adventure that becomes a learning experience for them and other people around them, and once the adventure gets accomplished, it eventually becomes beneficial to their people.
In the three stories, the main characters namely Gilgamesh, Rama and Odysseus are all heroes. Gilgamesh is a hero whose character and personality are portrayed with an element of super- human powers. He is also a brave, ambitious and tyrannical leader/ king, and he seems to be portrayed as the strongest super human on earth (Damrosch 32). However, due to his youthfulness, the king seems to oppress his people and treating them harshly. Rama is also the main character in the story Ramayana and he is portrayed as a man with extraordinary abilities and skills although he did not possess supernatural powers. Rama depicts a story of a real hero who was kind, strong, brave, fearless and benevolent. Also, Odysseus is the main character in the Greek epic poem The Odysseus, and he possesses supernatural powers. Odysseus, a king, seems to be in touch with the gods who offer him the protection that he needs and he keeps on offering sacrifices to the gods.
In the three epic stories, the heroes are charged with a quest. Gilgamesh was mortal just like other men, but he was two thirds god and one third human. This heroic character was charged with a quest for immortality after the gods took his close friend, Enkidu. He wanted to gain immortality but he seemed destined to die just like every other person in the world. Gilgamesh’s journeys characterized an unstable social climate and his willingness to defy death and find a meaning to life. Rama was also faced with a quest to rescue his wife from the evil hands of Ravana. Ravana had taken away Rama’s beloved wife by abducting her and making her a prisoner in his own kingdom. Rama extremely loved his wife and he decided to go and face the mighty Ravana in battle with an aim of rescuing his wife. Also, Odysseus was charged with a quest, quite different from the other two heroic characters whereby he decided to return to his home (Ithaca). His journeys depict an inner- self quest of rediscovering who he really was and most people have termed it as an inner struggle aimed at creating a sense of balance between his id and superego.
Gilgamesh, Rama and Odysseus were all tested in order to prove their worthiness and that of their quests. Gilgamesh’s worthiness for immortality needed to be tested and this was done by Utnapishtim who asked Gilgamesh not to sleep at all for seven consecutive nights. Utnaphishtim and his wife checked on him and discovered that he had been sleeping for days. Again, he was tested by tying down his ankle with stones and challenging him to go and grab a plant (a plant that would make him immortal) in the under sea. He managed to pluck the plant but on his way back, a snake took away the plant while Gilgamesh was taking a bath. Rama also faced a series of tests that involved wars and battles with either kings or demons (Leeming 24 ). During his wife’s kidnapping, Rama’s chastity and faithfulness were put to test. Odysseus quest was tested many times during his journeys by monsters that wanted to destroy him. His main mission was to go to his home and he had many temptations along the way that came in form of pleasant, safe and secure situations that would distract him from the main mission.
Significant to epic stories, the three stories consist of the presence of numerous mythical beings, helpful animals, human helpers and companions. For example, Gilgamesh had a helper and companion called Enkidu, whose death brought about Gilgamesh’s quest for immortality. Enkidu offered much companionship to Gilgamesh, and even when he died, Enkidu had gone on an adventure to the forest with his friend. Also, Gilgamesh had helpers in the form of Utnapishtim and his wife, together with the god of the Meditarrenian Sea, Apsu. These helpers offered advice to Gilgamesh because he seemed too distressed about the immortality issue. Rama also met many helpers as he worked towards his mission of defeating the enemies. For example, Rama was helped by Matali, the charioteer of the Chariot offered by god Indra to assist him in his battle. Also, Sugriwa, the king of wanaras, a race of huge monkeys, made a deal with Rama such that he would assist Rama in his mission and in return, Rama would help him in gaining his rightful throne in the land. The helpers of Odysseus during his quest consisted of gods and human beings. For example, Aeolus gave Odysseus and his companions a bag of wind that would assist him in sailing to his home faster while Circe gave him advice on how he would get home and avoid dangerous situations. His mother’s ghost and other ghosts also advised him throughout his journey while Calypso, Nausicaa and the Phaecians contributed to Odysseus’ healthy and safe arrival at Ithaca (Woodard 70).
In the three stories, the various quests undertaken by the heroes usually led them to a supernatural place whereby they would feel and appear defeated, making them to almost give up on their mission. For example, Gilgamesh went to the undersea to get a plant that would make him immortal. In his case, the ankles were tied with heavy stones that would make him sink into the deep waters with the help of the sea god. After successfully plucking the plant from the water, Gilgamesh started his journey back home and took a rest at some point in order to take a bath. As he was taking the bath, a snake came and carried away the plant. This denotes a low moment for the hero since all his attempts of becoming immortal seemed futile. In the case of Rama, he travelled to a supernatural world, one that normal human beings can not enter. Rama went to the forest where he sought the help of a group of monkeys, an unlikely source of help for normal human beings. During his quest to rescue his beloved wife, Sita, Rama faced his mighty opponent, Ravana, in a battle that most would have predicted that Rama would be defeated. In the beginning, Ravana barely missed to cut off Rama’s shoulder and whenever Rama cut off Ravana’s arm or head, that part of his body would grow back. This made the killing of Ravana seem impossible to the armies. Also, Odysseus traveled through the world of supernatural beings during his homecoming. He was advised, guided and healed by gods and ghosts. This is the kind of supernatural world that normal human beings are barred from entering. At some point, Odysseus would reach low points in his journey such that reaching his home seemed almost impossible. He had various temptations such as pleasant situations that could disorientate him from his main mission. Also, he met unpleasant situations such that he would seem to be giving up on his journey’s mission.
After the above episodes that acted as the learning aspects for the heroes, the three characters resurrected and were restituted as heroes due to their accomplishments that seemed to be beneficial to the people. Gilgamesh had tried to become an immortal being but he failed to succeed, a fact that made him finally to see the light. After his quest to become an immortal being and his eventual failure to succeed, Gilgamesh found a meaning in life and started identifying with his people’s interests (Miller 262). After being a harsh and a tyrant king, the quest changed Gilgamesh’s views on life and he became an exemplary king and a hero among the people. In the case of Rama, the character seemed to get defeated by the evil demon, Ravana, since the demon had more supernatural powers than him. However, Rama realized Ravana’s weak spot (after being advised by Ravana’s brother) and he took advantage of that and killed him while in the battlefield. After that episode, people acknowledged Rama as a hero and people viewed the battle as that of good (denoted by humans and monkeys) against the evil (demons and giants). After saving Sita, Rama was recognized as having undergone trials and winning battles and he went back with his wife to rule Ayudhya. Also, Odysseus quest ended in a resurrection and restitution in several ways. After the Trojan War, Odysseus was charged with a quest to return home and on his way he met many challenges but he eventually succeeded in his homecoming. When he got home, he was regarded as a hero who had overcome many battles and challenges throughout his journey, and one who would benefit his people by ruling them. In heroism, the characters become restituted due to their accomplishments and people benefit from the brave acts of the characters (Seal 30).
Works Cited
Damrosch, David. The buried book: the loss and rediscovery of the great Epic of Gilgamesh. New York: H. Holt, 2006. : 23- 45
Leeming, David. The oxford companion to world mythology: Ramayana. New york: Oxford University Press, 2005. : 12- 35
Miller, Dean. The epic hero. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press, 2000. : 245- 278
Seal, Graham. Encyclopedia of folk heroes: Qualities of folk heroism. California: ABC_CLIO, 2001. : 23- 45
Woodard, Roger. The Cambridge companion to Greek mythology. Cambridge: Cambridge University press, 2007. : 67- 78
