Question 1
In Homer’s “The Iliad”, the central character is Achilles, a famous and mythological war hero. Achilles is expressed is described as a person who is extremely filled with and fury. One particular quote that exemplifies this quote is from The Embassy who says to Achilles – “But now, Achilles beat down your mounting fury! It's wrong to have such an iron, ruthless heart. Even the gods themselves can bend and change, and theirs is the greater power, honor, strength.”
This quote actually shows the volatile nature of Achilles. The Embassy accuses Achilles of having an inflexible heart and iron heart that is not open to other’s opinions or criticisms. He states that even the Greek god’s who are even more powerful, stronger, and honorable than Achilles sometimes have a change of mind or heart unlike Achilles. Achilles rage often comes up whenever he is insulted by someone or when his feelings are hurt. Due to this, Achilles abandons his people who are going to war just because his commanding officer, Agamemnon, makes offending remarks about him. He only re enters the war when his friend, Hector is killed, but this is once again due to the anger and the rage that completely overtakes him. Even after avenging his friend, Achilles anger does not end and it is only resolved when his friend’s father Priam, comes to request for the body of his dead son. Even if he is man with a swift temper, towards the story’s end, he indeed starts showing a little sympathy.
Throughout the story, we observe the transformation of Achilles from a youth to a mature adult. Achilles undergoes some fundamental and permanent change in personality that is from a very ferocious warrior to more hospitable and reserved gentleman towards the story’s end. He is also exhibited as an immortality seeker by his constant need through his constant need for glorification
Question 2
In The Epic of Gilgamesh, the theme of life and death is constantly explored. Gilgamesh is used to demonstrate the theme of life and death in The Epic of Gilgamesh. Gilgamesh has to learn an important lesson that even though he is king, he has to face the death reality just like other people.
When Enkidu talks to Gilgamesh about his death concerns, Gilgamesh initially laughs him off and tells him that life is very short indeed and no one can live forever. However, when Enkidu passes away, Gilgamesh becomes so distraught and he starts seeking Utnapishtim so that can learn secrets to immortality. Utnapishtim however informs Gilgamesh that his immortality quest is actually infutile since every creation contains a death seed that makes death inescapable. He then tells him that it is the gods who personally did this. Gilgamesh eventually goes back to Uruk with the understanding that one’s life quality is not measured by fame or wealth but rather by quality spent while alive and all the people which one surrounded himself with.
The theme of life and death is also explored in The Odyssey particularly through Odysseus. Penelope tells Odysseus that “men’s life is short”. When Calypso is informed by Hermes that Zeus requires her to immediately send Odysseus away, she states to Odysseus that he does not need to grieve any more or feel that his life is incomplete. She wants him to stay forever with her and even promises him immortality telling him that if he does not accept, he is one day bound to die. Odysseus replies to her by telling her old age and death are unknown even to the gods and that just like all mortal beings do; Penelope will also one day grow old and eventually die.
Question 3
The character who demonstrates a real modern sense of mortality and immortality is Gilgamesh. Initially, Gilgamesh just like many other people knows that life is indeed not permanent and everyone must die some day. Even when Enkidu starts talking to him about matters related to death, he tells him this fact while laughing at him. However, when Enkidu passes away, Gilgamesh is completely astonished and he even goes to seek for immortality. It seems like he had not really given much thought to what he believed earlier about death. Gilgamesh demonstrates the modern sense of mortality and immortality because just like many other humans in the modern world, he does not actually realize the short nature of life. Most us go on with our daily activities without really giving thought to the fact that one might die any day. This is particularly very evident when it comes to friends and family.
Just like Gilgamesh and Enkidu, we become so used to people that sometimes we start viewing them as immortals. Therefore, if by bad misfortune a person passes away, the death hits each one of us like an electric shock and it is only then do we realize that no one is actually immortal and that each one of us will surely die some day. The endeavors of Gilgamesh concerning mortality and immortality therefore completely resonate with the modern view of the same issue.
References
D.S. Gochberg, S.S. Dulai, E.D. Graham, and K.W. Harrow, World Literature and Thought, Vol. 1, The Ancient Worlds (Belmont, Calif.: Wadsworth, Thomson Learning, 2002)
Beye, C. R. (2006). Ancient epic poetry: Homer, Apollonius, Virgil: with a chapter on the Gilgamesh poems. Wauconda, Ill: Bolchazy-Carducci.
