The Epic of Gilgamesh and the Hebrew Bible illustrate the origin of the world and the coexistence between mortals and gods. However, while both pieces seem to be primary sources and share many similarities, there are many differences. Gods in the Epic strive to dominate humans and the Hebrew Bible illustrates God as a powerful force that respects mankind and desires to teach it and administer justice.
Discussion
First, the Sumerian hero Gilgamesh encounters Utnapishtim who speaks of a flood, and in the Book of Genesis, there is an account of the flood as well. However, there are differences between the two creations. The first dissimilarity is the relationship between the gods and people. In The Epic of Gilgamesh, deities and humans share an improbable bond (Kozlova, 2021). One of the great gods, Ea, shared the plan to flood in order to save Utnapishtim (The Epic of Gilgamesh, 1989, p. 97). The Epic shows the self-interest of the god since she wants to protect only this man and asks him to tell everyone that he will live with my lord Ea (The Epic of Gilgamesh, 1989, p. 98). Yet, in the Hebrew Bible, one God refers to humans as sons , and his interaction with them is based on administering justice (Holy Bible, 2013, p. 10). When God saw the sins people committed, he decided to restore righteousness through the flood and punish the children.
The second difference is the purpose of Gods in the Epic and Bible. In the Epic, gods purpose is to flood the earth so that they can rest since the noise of humans prickled their ears (The Epic of Gilgamesh, 1989, p.23). On the other hand, the Hebrew Bible indicates that God strives to help humans via flood and as the Lord put it: I will strengthen you and help you (Holy Bible, 2013, p.507). The Hebrew Bible says that the purpose of the Lord is to create new pure mankind and never afflict pain upon anyone.
Conclusion
Hence, in the Epic, gods influence people, in contrast to the Hebrew Bible, where there is only one God who helps humanity while being omnipotent. The Hebrew Bible describes a single God who acts as a guardian and judge. Meanwhile, The Epic of Gilgamesh talks about the inequality between gods and mankind. This indicates the supremacy of Gods in the Epic and just force as a God in the Hebrew Bible.
References
Holy Bible. (2013). Zondervan.
Kozlova, E. E. (2021). Acedia, Bourgeois Ennui, and kingship in the Hebrew Bible and The Epic of Gilgamesh. The Journal of Theological Studies, 72(2), 539-579.
The Epic of Gilgamesh. (1989). Stanford University Press.
Men and women alike have tried to define the purpose of life in vain. Trying to answer the question what is the meaning of life? has been one of the hardest tasks for humanity. In this article, I will make an attempt to briefly shade some light on this question.
I will heavily borrow from the works of Gilgamesh and Agamemnon in trying to answer this question. I view these two works to be quite relevant in answering the question as the events taking place in the two works have an accurate reflection of the present day life.
What is the meaning of life?
Answering the above question needs a deep reflection. From the religious point of view, a person has a divine purpose which he/she ought to accomplish in his/her lifetime. Does that therefore mean that ones life is predetermined? And if it is predetermined, then why should we struggle to accomplish missions which will somehow be accomplished since they are predetermined!
Gilgamesh and Agamemnon
Examining the works and lives of the Gilgamesh and Agamemnon one is left wondering why a person in a prestigious position should undergo so many miseries. Is it justified to suffer for the sake of gaining fame? This is what we mostly see in the lives of Gilgamesh and Agamemnon. Gilgamesh goes to all lengths to gain fame.
In the course of doing this, there are a number of people who suffer because of his quests: Enkidu died miserably as a result of the conquests of Gilgamesh. It is a pity to see Gilgamesh trying to make the afterlife of Enkidu smooth by trying to appease the gods to accept him (Mack, 1997).
Is it not ironical that at the end of his great conquests, Gilgamesh and Enkidu have bitter endings? One readily gets attempted to ask the question, is life meant to have a bitter ending after a sweet lifetime? If the answer is yes, then what is the meaning of life?
Life reciprocates proportionally
Arguing philosophically we can claim that one determines the fate of his life. With respect to this view, then the meaning of life will be what you want it to be.
In other words you determine what meaning your life will have. I find this argument quite practical in the present life as well I find it quite applicable in the two works being discussion in this article. Gilgamesh is seen seeking fame by trying to dethrone some gods and exalting himself above them, what does he expect back? This is also very evident in the life Agamemnon.
Agamemnon gets involved in heinous activities, what does he expect back? Agamemnons miseries clearly have roots in the evils committed by him and those close to him. This argument leads us to the point of knowing that life reciprocates proportionally to what we do.
So, what is the meaning of life?
Now that we know that life reciprocates proportionally to what we do then what does that mean. From the above arguments I have made above, I believe that life is a chance one gets to make the world a better place or at least to participate in making the world a better place.
Logically, then life is chance for one to experience his/her own actions. This calls for the need for every person to be accountable for what he/she does. If we embrace hearts of good faith towards our neighbors including the environment then we are more likely to find life a bit enjoyable. We are less likely to face misfortunes which often make us wonder what life means.
Reference
Mack, M. (1997). The Norton anthology of world masterpieces. New York, NY: Norton.
In world literature 1, the story of Gilgamesh is among the oldest narratives around the world. The story was initially an oral tradition story and was later recorded on clay in Mesopotamia. The legendary story comes in different Sumerian versions from around 2700 B.C. The story talks about the powers of Gilgamesh who was the King of Uruk and the influence of other gods in the land.
Later on it was recorded in a Akkadian version and then reserved in King Assurbanipals library. According to the story, Gilgamesh was a super human creature and a powerful king who could destroy and conquer others (Lishtar para.1). This paper seeks to critique the nature and powers of historical gods and their relationship to humanity in the past centuries as depicted by the narrative.
Discussion
Heroism of the kings is limited. The story describes how Gilgamesh oppressed people and slept with every woman. This made the people plead with other gods to provide security for them. As a result, Enkidu is created to counter Gilgamesh powers. Enkidu is however not as powerful as the superhuman king because he is part man and part animal.
The limitation of the kings powers is further seen when Gilgamesh fails to prevent death of Enkidu. This incident occurred after Enkidu and Gilgamesh collaborated to kill the Bull of Heaven (drought) who wanted to crush Gilgamesh to death (George 2). Drought had been sent by Anu the father of Ishatar who wanted Gilgamesh to marry her. On refusal, Ishtar compelled her father to kill the King of Uruk. But because two thirds of Gilgamesh was a god and the other third human, Enkidu died.
The other issue that emerges from the myth is that the gods in Ukur are uncooperative. This can be seen when the council of gods decide to kill Enkidu as a punishment for Gilgameshs actions. This exposed the other humans to the exploitive powers of the King of Ukur. This further shows that the people in Babylonia were subjects to the gods and had no voice. Human beings are also depicted as creatures that have no freedom.
According to the story, Gilgamesh gods have the power over life and death but Gilgamesh still becomes worried after realizing that she would also die. When the people pleaded with gods to create a god who would match Gilgameshs powers, the gods created Enkidu and also brought an end to his life. In the story, Gilgamesh is determined to learn the secrets behind life and death. The story says that Utnapishtim was the only creature who had the power to eternally live.
In his search for the secret, he meets Utnapishtim who tells him about the flood story that is also described in Genesis, in the Bible. The floods symbolically represent the end and punishment for human kind. Utnapishshtim says that they were saved from the floods by other gods and that it would not occur again. However, human beings have to die since they are not immortal.
According to the story, the Bull of heaven is referred to as drought. This is an irony. Naturally, drought is known to be catastrophic because it causes human suffering. However, the Bull springs from heaven where people believe that there are good things and that it is a beautiful land.
The other ironic incident is between King Gilgamesh and Enkidu. Gilgamesh is portrayed as a god and a man whereas Enkidu is illustrated as an animal and a man. This is a clear indicator of the differences in the two divinities who were created to control humanity.
Conclusion
The floods are symbolically used to show that man is immortal and death is inevitable. The narrative describes the birth and death of Babylonian gods.
Gilgamesh is depicted as a remorseless leader who has no responsibility for his people. He is depicted as a womanizer and an oppressor. He forces the citys inhabitants to build walls for the temple so as gain fame. These are indicators of abuse of power and therefore the need to limit the powers of gods.
Work Cited
George, Andrew. The epic of Gigalmesh: the Babylonian epic poem and other texts in Akkadian and Summerian. London, Great Britain: The Penguin Press, 1999. Print.
The epic of Gilgamesh is one of the oldest poems written from Mesopotamia, a country that is present day Iraq. It is a story of two legends, Gilgamesh and Enkidu who were the greatest of friends. In the story, Enkidu who was created to be wild is meant to counteract the oppression of King Gilgamesh on the inhabitants of the Uruk territory.
They become legends while working together and the number of dangerous encounters they conquer causes the gods to be unhappy with them. Together they make a sojourn to the wild mountains of Cedar and concertedly kill Humbaba who was the monster guarding the mountains. The wrath of the gods becomes evident when the two comrades put the Bull of Heaven to death; goddess Ishtar had sent this bull to check the excesses of Gilgamesh. It was an abomination to kill the messenger of the gods.
Displeased by their actions the gods in turn kill Enkidu and this incident marks a turning point in the life of Gilgamesh. The death of his close confidant sends him to embark on a quest to discover immortality. The remaining part of his life, he spends trying to seek the solution to cheat death.
The concept of immortality comes out more clearly when he sets out to meet Utnapishti who is considered an immortal hero but he breaks his heart when he announces that the gods during creation give only death but retain with them eternal life. This ideally ends his perilous search for eternity and indeed justifies the preposition that it would have been difficult for Gilgamesh to change if Enkidu would have remained alive. Enkidus death therefore changed the life of Gilgamesh.
Discussion
The entire epic can be rightly divided in two halves, the beginning essentially exploring the exploits of the two legends working together. Heroism is explicated from their conquests of the giant Humbaba and the messenger of the gods (the Bull of Heaven).
Their friendship and togetherness (unity of purpose) is fundamental as they support each other to destroy a common enemy (Humbaba and the Bull). In this except Hurry up, step up to him, do not let him go. Climb to the woods, do not be afraid. (Tablet IV, Column V, 43-44). We see how the two collaborate and They cut off the head of Humbaba (Sandars, 47).
This death infuriates the gods who now vow to destroy Enkidu. Enkidu finally dies and this marks the turning point in the life of Gilgamesh, he is worried and is forced to change his antics, his lifestyle and convictions, he now realizes that he was mistaken to imagine that he would live forever.
The gods intentionally decide to take away his closest companion in order to warn him that one day soon, he too shall die. Confused and worried by the truth, Gilgamesh is in a state of denial. With the corpse of his colleague before him as per (Tablet VIII, Column II, 15-16) it says, I touched his heart, it does not beat
He embarks on a quest to find immortality and reverse death, me! Will I too not die like Enkidu? Sorrow was come into my belly. I fear death; I roam over the hills. I will seize the road; quickly I will go to the house of Utnapishiti offspring of Ubaratutu. I approach the entrance of the mountain at night. Lions I see, and am terrified. I lift my head to pray to the mood god sin: For a dream I go to the gods in prayer& preserve me! (Tablet IX, Column I, 3-12).
Death is permanently inevitable and man can never attain eternity. Gilgamesh finally realizes this though late in the epic. A legend previously portrayed as a hero and conqueror of many now cannot conquer immortality, his entire lifestyle changes from a brave and confident warrior to a fearful personality in complete denial of the facts of life.
His initial life of bravery was useless as he finally discovers in the final sections of the text. The response he receives from Utnapishitim deflates his ambition and brings him back to earth. Never has a mortal man done that Gilgamesh (Tablet IX Column III, 8).
The death of his colleague humbles him as he had initially placed himself on the same status with the gods not knowing that he was a mortal man. The fate of mankind overtook him& in fear of death I roam the wilderness&. Me shall not lie down like him, never to move? (Tablet X Column II, 3, 8, 13-14) it finally dawns on him that From the beginning, there is no permanence (Tablet X, Column VII, 32).
In the beginning, the great warrior king Gilgamesh had acquired great amount of wisdom and experience s in combat. In the end however, he is unable to translate his prowess in war and battle to conquer immortality, this indicates a significant shift in his life from a hero to a defeated warrior, it illustrates that however strong, one cannot conquer himself
In the beginning also Gilgamesh was seen as a king who put his subjects under an oppressive regime, that is the reason the gods sent Enkidu to help counter his oppressive regime but instead they collaborate with Enkidu to destroy and kill the messenger of the gods, the gods are unhappy and want to communicate to him that he cannot conquer immortality; they however do this indirectly by killing Enkidu and this manages to instill fear in his life. Thus his oppressive regime on the outset finally comes to haunt him in his latter years.
He was oppressive to his subjects but now the thought that he too shall finally die oppresses him too and puts him at the same level with the people he ruled. No one is special in life; death is for everyone and makes all people equal, king or servant, warrior or subject.
From the beginning, the warrior king is seen as being adventurous, self righteous and one who is motivated by fame. Had the partnership between him and his comrade Enkidu persisted, he would never have changed his lifestyle and convictions; however the death of his accomplice makes to seriously contemplate his purpose for living.
He begins to ask questions about his own morality, he fails to accept the truth and tries to disapprove it but realizes that his efforts to justify himself are futile, this is what caused the kings wander dangerously in search for morality and personal growth (Sparknotes, 45).
In essence the epic of Gilgamesh emphasizes the significance of a simple life. It is important for one to live within their means without struggling to achieve what is impossible or unachievable. Life itself is limited to mortality and an understanding of this fact shall lead to living it honestly and morally.
It teaches us the importance of humility and demonstrates how difficult it is for one to achieve greatness and fame with humility. Human beings are encouraged to strike a balance between greatness and humility in as much the two are in opposition to each other. King Gilgamesh by being a great legend in battle lost his human perspective of morality and humility. He was too full of himself and wanted to place himself next to the gods because he had forgotten that he was a mortal being.
The aim of the mythic expedition of the male protagonist is to discover special understanding which will re-establish steadiness to him and the entire society. The conclusion of this knowledge is in most cases is personified in the female personality that the male protagonist comes across in his expedition. It also helps the reader to understand the Mesopotamian notion of women.
Nevertheless, the female personality could be hazardous since she has ability to build or put into destruction with respect to how she is tackled and how she utilizes her authority. Epic of Gilgamesh portrays women as possessing ample knowledge, authority and lure to put into success or into destruction. The hero when tangled with a woman is at liberty from illusion of contestants and achieves knowledge to dictate his destiny. However, the same woman could be risky and beholding her might be detrimental if not properly armed.
According to the Greek mythology, the ideal character is awarded with the role of facing limitations and, obstacles but overcomes them though courage, noble deeds and a spirit self sacrifice for the wellbeing of the society.
Gilgamesh is portrayed as a hero in the epic whose heroism is significantly developed by women in various instances. Epic of Gilgamesh presents female characters that express their knowledge and understanding in line with his mission. Gilgamesh, the Sumerian King whose quest for immortality was real is a character with great power, bravery and might.
The leader is a true hero whose intelligence is revealed in the eyes of women. He is brave while at war to remove evil beasts and pursues mission to find out the solution to the communitys problem. Gilgamesh relies to God for might in times of war, he heeds to his mothers counsel to attain wisdom as well as the people he encounters.
Priestess Shamhat is the foremost female character awarded with the responsibility of calming Enkidu, the untamed man. She achieves it by moving into the wilderness and undressing to expose her womanhood to seduce Enkidu for a whole week. Enkidu could not resist the temptation and he engages into sex with her.
This makes him a real man and stops being primitive which marks the initiation of civilization (Spielvogel 13). He is become involved in a loyal relationship to his community and more particularly with Gilgamesh. In turn, through the epic, Gilgamesh portrays despicable ability being a warrior with the supplement of Enkidu.
His might in encouraging the armies is obvious since he leads them with bravery and attains victory over his opponents. His leadership skills are seen when the tribe is enthusiastic to go into war since they have faith in their king as they are assured of victory. For instance, his mightiness is portrayed in the war against Humbaba in which he comes victorious.
This war is not any easy since even the elders would advise him to led Enkidu being on the lead. He is anxious while going into the battle but he proved his expertise by assassinating the beast and going back home securely. It is evident that Gilgamesh is a real hero, with ample skills and is a wise leader willing to sacrifice his life for his kingdom.
He sought wisdom on death and now he could not fear it since it was inevitable and that why he faces it head-on through dangerous encounters. He also recognizes other peoples efforts and awards them accordingly. Therefore, a woman is the initiator of his heroism which is enhanced by Enkidu, a man who was initially valueless.
Enkidu becomes domesticated and he turns to be wiser. This portrays a woman as a benevolent power capable of transmitting wisdom and civilization into the male character, Enkidu which arms him for future escapades. He helps Gilgamesh to pursue risky missions to save his people and thus, emerges a hero.
However, his close ally, Enkidu, dies and this reawakens Gilgamesh to become aware of his human nature. He now comprehend that death is inevitable and at one time, he would lose his kingdom due to his death. He now quest to become immortal as he questions the prejudices that life has to offer. Gilgamesh and Enkidu represent true friendship that coexists harmoniously to salvage their society. When Enkidu dies, Gilgamesh is so annoyed about death and engages in a mission to fight it.
Nevertheless, he encounters Shamash, a woman who enlightens him on the meaning of death as one meant to endow memories of the one who has passed on. Gilgameshs, grief reveals a spirit of self denial stating that he cannot die like his friend and pursues to achieve everlasting life. This exposes his fears of having to work hard only to die and become forgotten.
He forgets that immortality belongs only to the gods and therefore, he should live his life to the fullest. Shamash helps him to become aware that immortality cannot be attained by the common man and therefore, there is no need to pursue it. What is important is to leave behind a legacy that you truly were a great man who lived harmoniously with others.
In the Epic of Gilgamesh, another most important woman is Shiduri, the pub custodian who meet Gilgamesh as he is morning the demise of Enkidu and trying to find ways become immortal. When he gives details his motives, Shiduri explains her personal opinion stating that human are meant to ultimately die as the gods dictates it.
Therefore, man should enjoy as long as he lives, not in grieve but in happiness. Gilgamesh disregards her wisdom and as a result, he submerges in great agony and never attains immortality. In a different case, a woman is also seen as a destroyer who puts the hero into temptation.
Ishtar, a goddess exposes this when she seductively summons Gilgamesh to marry her when he is successful over Humbaba. She tells him that he would be rich if he married her and his kingdom would be unending. Gilgamesh wisely avoids being ensnared by her seductions since he is conscious of his limitations. He also cares about Ishtars character of causing demise to men who do not heed to her desires, pointing forward various instances.
He wonders if he would be peculiar to her if he married her since he would most likely, also have a catastrophic end. This emphasizes his focus in salvaging his people irrespective of seductions from women. His expertise is also seen when he resists Ishtas seductions and when he faces her wrath.
In conclusion, Gilgamesh is so eager to free his people from all evils that have plagued the city. In the epic, Gilgamesh is foresighted and is able to sense danger to ensure his society is secure.
He is apple to win the trust of his people for them to entrust their safety in his hands. Women appear to be the most important tool in arming the hero with essential knowledge that he needs to alter him and the entire society as well. A woman is portrayed as a symbol of magnificence and power in the Mesopotamian society where sex with a woman is viewed as sacred and able to transform a person.
Work Cited
Spielvogel, Jackson. Western Civilizations: A Brief History. 7Ed. Boston. Cengage Learning. 2010. Print.
The idea of psychological archetypes has an important connection with the portrayal of mythology. This concept is mainly in agreement with Joseph Campbells suggestions of mythology in regard to the hero archetype. Campbell claims that the power of mythology lies in the fact that myths reflect realistic and valid archetypes.
Since the ancient time, myths have been the main way of explaining battles, major life events and peoples behavior. There is always a hero in such stories or myths, who faces a struggle that acts as the basis of the storys plot.
With a lot of strength, talent, as well as admiration, the hero upholds the most precious thing to the audience, heroism. However, as time goes, the role of the hero remains indistinguishable from any other character (Mitchell 1).
A myth about Gilgamesh describes the main hero as a person that beholds different heroic characteristics seen in many stories. At the beginning of the myth, Gilgamesh decides to conquer the jungles beast, Humbaba. Gilgamesh sets this goal for himself. Every hero must set a certain aim.
Otherwise, there would be nothing to accomplish or tell in a myth. After Gilgamesh defeats the Humbaba, he loses Enkidu, his best friend, which is a great loss and challenge to any hero. In his mourning, Gilgamesh goes through a transformation making him appear like Enkidu.
The hero appears in tatters and puts on animal skins. This makes Gilgamesh the opposite to Enkidu. Civilization influences the appearance of Enkidu like that of Gilgamesh. In this case, the hero becomes more savage. Changing appearance is a way of keeping Enkidu alive by appearing like him (Mitchell 11).
Gilgamesh finds it hard to believe Enkidu is dead and is in denial of the idea of his death. However, after seeing a worm coming out of Enkidus body, Gilgamesh accepts the fact that his friend is no more alive. He realizes that he is not immortal.
This makes Gilgamesh seek a way to cheat death. Gilgamesh chooses to look for Utnapishtin, thus he goes to Mashu. He encounters lions on his way and seeks the protection of Sin. These adventures are presented as a dream and actual encounters. In some cases, Gilgamesh is scared even though it is not clear whom the hero faces (Mitchell 1).
As Gilgamesh reaches Mashu, at the mountains entrance, he walks into darkness. This is a common feature in most heroic myths. Gilgamesh faces a terrifying encounter as he meets Hunbaba. This proves Gilgameshs heroism.
As a hero, Gilgamesh must go through this experience alone. The whole place is dark, and Gilgamesh can see neither front nor behind. Gilgamesh cannot escape his solitude. Literally, there is nowhere for Gilgamesh to go. There is also nobody to turn to for assistance. In the literal sense, the darkness symbolizes Gilgameshs solitude.
After challenging Hunbaba, Gilgamesh arrives at the other part of the mountain. He enters beautiful gardens filled with brightly colored flowers and fruits. Gilgamesh can see the sea beyond the garden. Gilgamesh is now in a new world. The passage through darkness symbolizes the process of birth. Gilgameshs emergence in the new world symbolizes his rebirth.
In his mourning for Enkidu, Gilgamesh is actually seeking to have his own salvation. Even though Gilgamesh believes these problems can be solved by immortality, he discovers that there are different forms of salvation.
Joseph Campbell suggests that the power of mythology is that myths are reflection of psychologically realistic and valid archetypes. The heroes behavior in the myth is similar to the stereotype human conduct. Just as seen in the case of Gilgamesh, every hero goes through various stages of progression.
These include the hero being introduced to the ordinary world, being called for adventure, being reluctant at first and then being encouraged by a wise man or a woman. After Gilgamesh goes through the first threshold, he faces various tests as well as meets friends ready to help him.
The hero then reaches darkness and faces an extreme ordeal. The hero decides to fight, goes through reemergence and finally returns with his treasure (Mitchell 51). These are interesting elaborations that are clear in the case of Gilgamesh.
The myth of Gilgamesh is a well-known literary piece. Gilgamesh is a renowned king. He encompasses all the characteristics of an archetypal hero. Joseph Campbell suggests that Gilgamesh represents the greatest myth of the quest for the elixir of immortality.
However, the objectives of Gilgamesh in his heroic journey are not the same as those experienced in the modern day world. Gilgamesh looks for immortality and glory. These rewards are impossible for heroes in the modern world. In most cases, the opposite happens.
The heroes usually end up giving their life for the sake of humanity. However, their traits still incorporate all the attributes of a hero. The hero does not die as such; he merely takes a different form in accordance to the changing world in terms of technology and various values a hero should have (Mitchell 2).
Works Cited
Mitchell, Stephen. Gilgamesh: A New English Version. New York: Free Press, 2010, Print.
The flood stories in the Babylonian text The Epic of Gilgamesh, Tablet XI and the Hebrew text Genesis 6-9 (Deem) have been targets of international attention due to a controversy created by enemies of Christianity, namely, that the tale in Genesis is not a genuine historical event, but just an unethical copy of a flood story in Mesopotamia as recorded in the Babylonian text. While both stories have many similarities, they also contradict each other in several points, due to which, along with its other inherent strengths, the Genesis version appears to be the accurate one.
Similarities
The first set of 3 similarities in both stories deals with divine anger and divine decision to punish mankind, culminating in the choice of a righteous man. God/the Gods wanted to punish mankind. Genesis states mans crime as having become too evil and sinful, while the Babylonian text charges mankind with having become too numerous and clamorous. Secondly, God/the Gods decided that the appropriate punishment was a huge flood that would deluge the whole world and destroy mankind as well as all land-based birds and animals. Thirdly, God/the Gods chose one man whom they considered was righteous. Genesis names him as Noah while The Epic of Gilgamesh calls him Ut-Napishtim (Robinson).
The second set of 6 similarities relate to the ark. God/the Gods commanded the chosen one to construct a multi-storey ark made of wood. It must be sealed with tar. It should have one main door. It should have at least one window. It should have several inside compartments. Once it was completed, it must be boarded by the chosen one, a few other people and a sample of every kind of land animal (Robinson).
The third set of 3 similarities concern the description of the flood. The entire land was deluged with water due to heavy rain. Even the mountains were covered with water. The ark finally came to rest on top of a mountain located in the Middle East (Robinson).
The last set of 7 similarities occurs in the aftermath of the flood. The chosen one sent out 3 birds periodically to check if there was any dry land in the surrounding area. The first 2 birds came back to the ark. The third bird obviously found dry land as it did not come back to the ark. The chosen one and his family disembarked from the ark, performed the rite of killing an animal, and presented it to God/the Gods as an act of worship. The aroma of the roasted sacrificial animal reached God/the Gods. The chosen one was blessed. God/the Gods appeared to truly regret the destruction they had created (Robinson).
Arguments that prove The Epic of Gilgamesh copied from Genesis
The first argument is that there are several differences between the two stories. One would not expect such dissimilarities to appear if one story was indeed copied from the other due to the lack of any obvious or understandable reason for doing so (Deem). The first dissimilarity is that Noah got his message directly from God, while Ut-Napishtim got his instructions indirectly during the course of a dream. Secondly, although both arks landed on top of mountains in the Middle East, Noahs ark came to rest on Mount Arafat, while the Babylonian ark landed on Mount Nisir; the distance between the 2 mountains is in excess of one hundred miles. Thirdly, Noahs flood came in 2 parts: some underground water came to the surface while heavy rains lashed the world continuously for 40 days and nights . In the Babylonian text, the flood only originated from heavy rains that fell continuously for 6 days (Robinson). Fourthly, there is a difference in the birds sent out by the chosen one. Noah first sent out a raven, while Ut-Napishtim sent out a dove. Noah next sent out a dove, while Ut-Napishtim sent out a swallow. The third bird sent out by Ut-Napishtim was a raven, while Noah sent out a dove again . There is no fourth bird sent out by Ut-Napishtim, whereas in Genesis the fourth bird sent out by Noah was a dove . Lastly, the sacrificial offering made by Ut-Napishtim to the Gods involved wines and a sheep, while Noahs offering involved roasted parts of clean animals, but no wine (Deem).
The second argument is that since Genesis was written 8 centuries before The Epic of Gilgamesh, it is impossible that the flood story contained in it could have been copied from the latter. The Epic of Gilgamesh was written on 12 large stone tablets that are dated around 650 B.C (Deem), whereas the Christian Prophet Moses wrote Genesis much earlier than that , just before he died (Robinson). The gross disparity in dates is underlined by archeological evidence that puts the date of the Babylonian text as 650 B.C (Sarfati).
The third argument lies in the description of both arks. God commanded Noah to build his ark according to the size 300x50x30 cubits , that is nearly 140x23x13.5 meters or 459x75x44 feet with a volume of 43,500 cubic meters or 1.54 million cubic feet. These dimensions made the ark exceptionally stable and safe to navigate in disturbed waters that one would encounter during a flood. In contrast, Ut-Napishtims ark was merely a large cube that would surely capsize and roll over in every direction if it encountered even the least disturbance. The only conclusion from this comparison is that while the authors of the Babylonian story did not understand why the genuine arks measurements had to be the way they were projected , the opposite is impossible, namely, that the Hebrew authors of Genesis, with hardly any reputation in the naval architectural field, copied the imaginary cubic ark and magically transformed it into a wooden vessel with optimal stability (Sarfati).
The fourth argument is that God/the Gods in both texts are portrayed differently in several parts of the flood story. Genesis relates that Gods decisions are just, He displayed patience towards mankind for 120 years , He is merciful to Noah, and He is sovereign. In contrast, the Gods in the Babylonian story are given to sudden changes, quarrel among themselves, cringe in fear at the flood, and starve without human beings to provide them sacrificial food. This proves that while God in Genesis is indeed divine, the authors of The Epic of Gilgamesh rewrote the truthful account by creating their Gods in their own image (Sarfati).
The last argument is that it has so far never been proven that any part of the Bible is false. It therefore follows that Genesis 6:9 which contains the account of the flood is also inerrant in that it is totally honest, accurate and includes no mistake in its original form (Robinson). The most conclusive proof of the Bibles accuracy is that it contains predictions from Prophets that have come true, whereas the same has not happened even once in the case of any other religions holy book including the Koran, which is the holy book of Islam, the religion that has the second largest following in the world. A prediction has to abide by 4 mandatory qualifications. It must take place earlier than the even foretold, it must be fulfilled by people or events beyond the periphery of the predictors influence, it must be made in reasonable detail and it must correctly take place at a later date. For example, Prophet Jeremiah predicted in 626 B.C that, as a punishment to the sinners in Judah, God would arrange for King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon to attack Judah, subdue it and take the vanquished Jews as captives to Babylon; the Jews would remain in captivity for 7 decades, after which Babylon would be defeated and God would arrange for the return of most of the Jewish captives to Judah (Totten). In addition to the above, Jesus Christ himself describes the flood as a genuine event of history, as genuine as His own Future second coming: Just as it was in the days of Noah, so also it will be in the days of the Son of Man. People were eating, drinking, marrying and being given in marriage up to the day Noah entered the Ark. Then the flood came, and destroyed them all (Sarfati).
Conclusion
The many differences between The Epic of Gilgamesh and Genesis, especially the disparity in timing of each flood story and the structure of the arks underlined by the fact that Genesis was written much earlier than the Babylonian text, when coupled with the proven honesty and accuracy of the Bible, leads to the inescapable conclusion that the flood story in The Epic of Gilgamesh is nothing but a dishonest account of the true Genesis version.
References
Deem, R. Is the Biblical Flood Account a Modified Copy of The Epic of Gilgamesh? Godandscience.org. 2008. Web.
Robinson, B.A. Comparison of the Babylonian & Noachian Flood Stories. Religioustolerance.org. 2007. Web.
Sarfati, J. Noahs Flood & the Gilgamesh Epic. Creation Ministries International. 2004. Web.
Totten, R. The Koran (Quran) vs. the Bible: Prophets Predictions show which one is truly from God. Geocities.com. 2002. Web.
The Importance of Exile Experienced by Gilgamesh and Prospero
The theme of exile can be examined with references to many literary works that can differ dramatically in terms of their genre, style, and historical period. This paper focuses on discussing The Epic of Gilgamesh which was created in ancient Mesopotamia. Furthermore, it is necessary to concentrate on William Shakespeares play The Tempest. The theme of exile and inner struggle is presented in the works in different ways. Thus, Gilgamesh cannot accept the fact that he is a mortal human who has many limitations such as the lack of courage or sense of justice. In his turn, Prospero is deprived of an opportunity to rule other people, and this loss is unbearable for him. However, both the characters become enriched because of their journey. For instance, Gilgamesh reconciles himself with his mortality and learns how to become a better king, and Prospero understands the value of forgiving and empathy. The authors of these famous texts show in detail how the main characters Gilgamesh and Prospero struggle with the sense of alienation because of their exile, but overcoming this challenging experience, the characters develop their personalities and enrich spirituality. This point of view can be illustrated by examining the characters feelings of loss and their evolution, and these main aspects should be discussed more closely.
Exile is discussed by many people as a traumatic experience that also influences Prospero and Gilgamesh significantly. For instance, Gilgamesh becomes alienated from the other people at the time when he becomes aware of his mortality. In this situation, he understands that he was no more a king, but just a man who now had lost his way (Mason 54). This character is extremely afraid of his mortality because it reveals many of his weaknesses and provides a lot of limitations such as his intemperance and lack of fortitude. That is why Gilgamesh starts his quest for immortality. In his turn, Prospero, who is accustomed to being a ruler, is forced to live on an island where his power proves to be virtually useless. That is why the character appears to be a despotic person who can use coercion to make Ariel and Caliban obey his commands. This behavior is his initial response to the loss. Therefore, the exile profoundly affects the life of the main characters, and it reveals some of their worst qualities. Thus, it is critical to explain how they eventually cope with these difficulties.
Nevertheless, both the characters have to take a new look at their inner world and their qualities and attributes in the course of their exile. In particular, Gilgamesh gradually discovers that immortality may not bring some happiness to him. One of the main events discussed in the work is his encounter with the goddess Siduri who reminds him that many earthly pleasures can make life more enjoyable (Mason 62; Jarman 330). This goddess focuses on many values that are established and followed in ancient Mesopotamia (Jarman 330). Additionally, Prospero has to reconsider his values when his daughter Miranda falls in love with Ferdinand. Her behavior makes him remember that a person cannot be driven only by vengeance or will for power because this behavior is mostly self-destructive. To a great extent, these events make the protagonists understand that their previous existence and views were not complete. Thus, it is necessary to demonstrate these protagonists process of evolving in detail.
It is also important to examine the transformation of the main characters and how exile can enrich their inner world. From this point, Gilgamesh succeeds to understand that his mortality is a powerful stimulus for acquiring or developing better qualities. In particular, he acquires such virtues as temperance, sense of justice, and fortitude. These qualities are some of the virtues that could be valued by the anonymous author of this epic poem because of the cultural and moral heritage (Jarman 330). These virtues helped the protagonist become a better king. Furthermore, one should look at the transformation of Prospero. The readers of Shakespeares play can see that Prospero is not only a vindictive despot who cares only about his power. The narrative of this play indicates that he can forgive his enemies and accept the opinions and decisions presented by the others. To a great extent, these changes are the results of the exile experienced by Gilgamesh and Prospero.
The discussed situations of Gilgamesh and Prosperos experiences support the idea that the difficulties encountered by the main characters not only make them struggle but also enrich the inner world of these people. These individuals have to live in a specific environment in which they lose something that they value greatly. For instance, Prospero is deprived of his power, and Gilgamesh understands that he is not comparable to immortal gods. Nevertheless, these characters eventually become enriched because they develop inner virtues that they did not possess in the past. The evolution of the protagonists should be emphasized because it can throw light on the value systems existing during different historical periods. On the whole, these literary works demonstrate that the experience of exile can assist a person in rediscovering his or her identity. Thus, the changes undergone by the protagonists throw light on the qualities and values that were of great priority for the authors and definite periods.
Works Cited
Jarman, Mark. When the Light Came On: The Epic of Gilgamesh . Hudson Review 58.2 (2005): 329-334. Print.
Mason, Herbert. Gilgamesh: A Verse Narrative. New York: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2003. Print.
The writing style of The Epic of Gilgamesh is relatively simple. The story is just narrated. There are no special stylistic techniques. One distinct feature that can be noticed in the epic is repetition; the certain word combinations recur in the text, which is rather typical for epic writing. For example, He who saw the Deep, the countrys foundation/ who knew&, was wise in all manners! / Gilgamesh, who saw the Deep, the countrys foundation, /who knew&, was wise in all matters! (Sinleqqiunninni, 1, 1).
Leadership
The three compared readings are filled with leaders of various kinds. Epic of Gilgamesh has one distinct leader Gilgamesh, who is brave, proud, sometimes cocky, egotistical, but loyal to his friend. The Iliad features Achilles, also reliable, but mostly merciless, robust and straightforward, and Agamemnon, the bully of a leader, who often acts selfishly. The king figure in One Thousand and One Nights is Shahryar; this character evolves through the course of the reading and transforms from a women-hater to a wise ruler. All of these leaders demonstrate explosive and fierce sides of a modern idea of a leader, yet they fail to fully bring out the humane and diplomatic side.
Immortality
In the Epic of Gilgamesh, the young king begins his quest to find immortality. As we can see, this desire has been a shared obsession with humankind since ancient times. Gilgamesh refused to obey the laws of our mortal nature; he was desperate to find a way to bend them. Other characters who found out about Gilgameshs desire tried to give him advice. Gilgamesh is taught that there is no permanence.
Monsters
Epic of Gilgamesh contains descriptions of actual monsters such as Humbaba, who is described as a creature who can change faces and wears seven layers of armor, as well as stories of beast-like people. An excellent example of one is Enkidu, who is half-animal and half-man. Enkidu is friends with Gilgamesh, yet he does not fully comprehend the life of people. Enkidu is somewhat confused; he keeps following both parts of his nature, which makes him explosive and quick to judge. For example, in the passage where he is cursing Shamhat, she responds with a note that if it was not for her, Enkidus friendship with Gilgamesh would have never happened. The response of Shamhat immediately changes Enkidus mind, and he begins to bless her. The Iliad and One Thousand and One Nights do not contain as many monsters, yet they clearly depict relationships between the norm and the other being quite strict when it comes to homogeneity and categorization.
Women
In the Epic of Gilgamesh Ninsun serves as a mother figure (similar to This, the mother of Achilles from The Iliad ); she is devoted to her son Gilgamesh and is ready to help him in his endeavors. She assists with the killing of Humbaba. Ishtars rage is pivotal; she sends the Bull of Heaven to attack Gilgamesh. Shamhat brings the main characters together and also brings out the human half of Enkidu, teaching him how to live as a man.
In One Thousand and One Nights, womens description fits the modern stereotype of the Muslim world. Womens rights are limited; they have to obey their men and often are murdered for no particular reason. Yet, not all women are the same; for example, Scheherazades wisdom and wit help her survive and also make Shahryar a better ruler. Many female characters share somewhat envious and mean nature creating intrigues and evil plans, destroying other peoples happiness: but as soon as we had fallen asleep, my sisters took us up in our bed, both myself and the young man, and threw us into the sea. The youth, being unable to swim, was drowned (The Story of the First of the Three Ladies of Baghdad, 6, 12-14).
Womens roles in The Iliad are similar to those in Epic of Gilgamesh. Women are not the main characters, yet they contribute to the story significantly.
Genre Expectations
Epic of Gilgamesh fits into the standard conventions of an epic defined by various ancient authors; an epic has to describe the adventures of a hero, his bravery and outstanding deeds. A hero is supposed to accomplish an incredible mission but does not have to be the example of perfect morals, which makes Gilgamesh a typical epic hero.
Most of the stories in One Thousand and One Nights are written in the genre of tales; they describe an adventure and a hero; they also tend to teach a particular lesson to the audience. Some of the stories of Scheherazade could be recognized as fantasy, fiction, drama, or tragicomedy.
An epic poem such as The Iliad is recognized due to its lengthy narrative nature and a description of a journey, events, and heroic deeds specific to the nation of origin. The Iliad begins with the following lines Sing, O goddess, the anger of Achilles, son of Peleus that brought countless ills upon the Achaeans. Many a brave soul did it send hurrying down to Hades, and many a hero did it yield a prey to dogs and vultures, for so were the counsels of Jove fulfilled from the day on which the son of Atreus, king of men, and great Achilles, first fell out with one another (Homer 1, 1).
Emotion vs. Reason
In The Iliad, the characters known for their explosiveness are Achilles and Agamemnon; they often clash with others experiencing wrath, fear, pain, desire for revenge. In the Epic of Gilgamesh, such characters are Gilgamesh, Enkidu, and Ishtar. Gilgamesh is young and cocky; he gets lost after Enkidus death. Ishtar is a jealous and selfish goddess, and Enkidu has a problem controlling his animalistic nature. In One Thousand and One Nights, the emotions that drive characters are often jealousy, envy, or greed.
Divine
All of the three readings have a lot of divine and supernatural characters, such as gods, demons, and djinns. These characters actively participate in the course of events. The Iliad and the Epic of Gilgamesh originate from polytheistic cultures; they show the hierarchy of gods, their feelings towards people, different opinions and goals. The only power higher than gods, The Iliad, is faith. In modern understanding, faith is tightly connected with God. Supernatural characters in One Thousand and One Nights also vary; not all of them are evil.
Promises
Oaths are sacred in all of the three readings; the main characters treat their promises very seriously. Breaking promises is unacceptable and immoral. Keeping ones word is considered honorable.
Sex
All of the three readings contain a lot of sexual moments. All of them are filled with a specific meaning. In One Thousand and One Nights, sex is a demonstration of connection. In The Iliad and the Epic of Gilgamesh, sex is viewed more casually, yet it impacts the characters, makes them change internally or externally.
The sphere of literature is enormous; it contains various themes raised by different authors. The works of literature are created by people in order to share their own experience, describe some events for the successive generations, and even to create beautiful myths which help the progeny to understand their history and origins.
Thus, the myth is one of the literary genre which helped ancient people to understand and explain the structure and natural phenomena of the world, environment, people and other creatures around, the origins of everything and the reasons why and how it happens. As every literary genre myth includes certain characters which are aimed to make the description of the heroic adventures more vivid.
So, every myth is the description of certain events in the life of the main character. Consequently, the protagonist must be opposed to an antagonist. The antagonist is a negative character who makes attempts to prevent the main characters victory and success. Thereby, it is necessary to mention that every hero has an antihero who lacks the traditional heroic virtues.
The protagonist can be represented by a human being that possesses negative features opposed to the main character; a mysterious creature (dragon, Cyclopes, giant, monster, or some other figure) which is extremely strong and enormously big, usually such creatures tyrannize inhabitants of the neighboring villages or demand more victims.
The hero appears to be the only person who can defeat the monster or the villain that has become the threat for the whole kingdom. Moreover, the hero usually finds his significant other as the story progresses. But the reader can encounter another problem; the main character of the myth with all his actions throughout the story does not always resemble the description of the genuine hero.
In this case the reader is not likely to meet the real hero until the end of the story, because only after all the adventures and challenges the main character becomes a real hero. Thereby, it is necessary to discuss several myths in order to analyze the main characters and their antagonists.
Looking at villains throughout myth and legend gives us an interesting picture of the qualities that we try to guard against. Each character throughout myth and legend that is cast in the role of villain seems to have a set of characteristics that is common to all.
The first myth that should be analyzed is The Epic of Gilgamesh. It is a mixture of tragedy, morality and pure adventure. Through the action the reader is shown a truly human relation of mortality, the search for knowledge, and the escape from the general lot of man.
The gods cannot be tragic if they do not die. Gilgamesh is the king of Uruk in Mesopotamia. He is strong, wise, handsome and courageous as gods created him two-thirds god and one third-man. Thus, nobody could overcome him and he took all sons away of their fathers, he left no virgins or wives of nobles, he was no shepherd to his people.
At the beginning of his governing the kingdom Gilgamesh is represented a despot. But then a goddess created noble Enkidu, the one who might fight Gilgamesh and defeat him. Gilgamesh and Enkidu became companions, the greatest heroes to have left an allusion of themselves from the ancient sources of Babylon, perpetuated in this epic poem. He [Enkidu] wrestles with Gilgamesh and they become fast friends (Thury, 182).
The two heroes were overcoming all the obstacles on their way to the Cedar Forest, where they slew the monster Humbaba, after that they managed to defeat the Bull of Heaven. Gilgamesh wants to find out the secret of eternal life from one man, the only one known to have reached it.
Along the journey Gilgamesh encounters strange mysterious creatures who warn him of the unrealizability of his mission. He finally finds that man and gets the secret of the eternal life but looses it on the way home and returns empty-handed. Thus his research did not result in a successful way. He was afraid to die but his immortality was destroyed by a snake.
The theme of fear of death is one of the basic in this poem. The poem tells about a heroic violent struggle against death, a terrific failure and the final comprehension that the only immortality the hero may expect is the permanent name of his great achievements.
One more interesting theme that should be analyzed concerning The Epic of Gilgamesh is that the main character in the very beginning of his governing the kingdom does not seem to be positive at all. Gilgamesh is represented as a despot who has no opposition.
As the story progresses Gilgamesh becomes a positive hero; Enkidu is the only reason due to which the main character changes his features. Gilgamesh and Enkidu became devoted friends; Gilgameshs heart became better, his actions became positive. The qualities that Gilgamesh possesses and that we try to guard against are the tyrannical violence hidden under the beauty of the face and body. Diversity of these features terrifies because the bad things and people are believed to be obvious.
The next story that should be analyzed in order to disclose the qualities that we try to guard against is the Valmikis Ramayana. This piece of literature represents an ancient Indian epic poem about the adventures of the greatest warrior Rama. The story describes the life of Rama before the cruel decision of the second queen, his origin, his family, and the life in banishment.
The main character is Rama, the first and the bravest son of king Dasharatha and one of his wives Kousalya. Rama is forced to go to an exile, where he lives happily with his beautiful wife Sita and his younger brother Lakshman. The main character should have an opposition represented by an antagonist.
In the epic poem Ramayana the cruel king of Lanka, Ravana, is opposed to the great hero Rama. Ravana is described as a ten-headed ruler of Lanka, whose cruelty has no boundaries, his tyrannical methods of governing the kingdom make all his subjects suffer. The cruel king decides to abduct Ramas wife Sita and make her marry him.
Sita resists Ravanas attempts and refuses to marry him. Finally, Ravana is defeated and killed by Rama. Ravana is believed to be very brainy; his wisdom is one of his beautiful talents, as well as his weakness for women. Nevertheless, his wisdom did not make him a wise governor and did not help him to defeat Rama; either it did not make Sita marry him.
Ravana is not deprived of positive human features, but he uses the good features, his intelligence and wisdom with cruel and tyrannical intentions. People within his kingdom suffered from his cruelty. Thus, the features that are likely to be possessed by the protagonist are the features given to the negative figure.
Thereby, as the king Ravana can be opposed to the father of Rama Dasharatha who is believed to be the best king of all times. Dasharatha was loved by all his subjects because he made his kingdom happy and prosperous. But Ravana was considered to be an evil monster possessing ten heads, each head made him wiser.
In this case Ravana is an antagonist who is the opposition of the great hero Rama. Ravana is also believed to be weak for women, whereas Rama could be vanquished not by battle but by abduction of his lovely wife (Thury, 196). Here appears a similarity of the main character and his antagonist. The epic poem Ramayana represents not only the great adventures of the prince Rama, but also opposes the image of the main character to the image of the ten-headed monster who abducts Ramas wife.
Thus, Ravana is cast in the role of villain; he seems to have a set of characteristics that is common to all. He is wise and he is weak for women. Even Rama, the main hero, is weak for his wife and experiences the adventures in order to rescue her from the cruel tyrant.
Another poem worse mentioning is the masterpiece written by Sophocles Oedipus the King. Sophocles Oedipus is a hero, victimized by his father because of a warning of oracle before his birth. He is rescued by a shepherd and raised by other parents.
By means of his valor, he gets back his kingdom, and gets a beautiful wife in acknowledgement of his brave deeds. But then he figures out that he killed his true father and got married to his true mother. Jocasta, his mother and wife, commits suicide after becoming aware of the fact that she is a wife to her own son.
The king makes his sons leave their home with the traditional remark that men can better take care of themselves. After that Oedipus concentrates all his affection, grief and sadness on his daughters Antigone and Ismene. This is a behavioral model but not an impulsive response.
The king always insisted on his daughters sitting beside him during a meal, and eating from all dishes that he was eating from, while his sons, apparently, were sitting at a certain distance and were disregarded. This long-term favor of the king for his daughters is a common fact.
In the scene, narrated by the Second Messenger, the king frightened by the truth and upset by his disclosure that Jocasta has committed suicide, initially gets his Jocasta to the ground and then puts out his eyes with the help of pins. Then, he blinds himself. He feels guilty and oppressed.
The scientists of the twentieth century momentarily re-valuate the interrelations between destiny and freewill, temper and action in the Sophocles epic. Oedipus may be considered guilty of his fathers murder and of incest with his mother, though he is not. It is not easy to believe that a great king, a just governor might act as a brutal murderer.
Oedipus acted without being aware of his true background, without knowing who his true parents are. Because of his ignorance of his genuine origin Oedipus has committed a great number of crimes. He is the main character of the epic poem; consequently, he contains features of the protagonist and the antagonist. People have been always afraid of the unknown, so have the king Oedipus.
Thus, Oedipus is one more character who possesses features of both positive image and the negative one. But the reader can judge upon the crimes of the hero only because the story of his origin is narrated in the very beginning of the epic poem.
Thereby, the king did not know about his genuine origin and the oracles prophecy. He can be considered neither positive nor negative character of the Sophocles epic poem. The main hero must be discussed as the one being ignorant of the worlds unfairness and of the truth parentage.
As suggested by the authors of the book Introduction to Mythology: Contemporary Approaches to Classical and World Myths the myth has a number of different versions. According to the information represented in this book the myth can be subdivided into categories taking into consideration the theme (creation, destruction), the main character (hero, trickster), the sphere of consideration (rituals, dreams, folktales), the piece of literature (poetry, narrative); the modern American myths are considered separately.
Thus, the mythology examines myths not only from the point of view of their contents, but also involves analyses including the theme, the main character, and the sphere. Some myths describe a hero and an antagonist, a certain villain who is opposed to the positive features of the main character. This particular essay considers the theme of villains in the myths of different authors which belong to different periods of history and different cultures.
The villains possess qualities that we try to guard against. Each antagonist throughout myth and legend seems to have a set of characteristics that is common to all. The discussed myths develop the theme of dual nature of the characters. Moreover, the features possessed by the positive characters are the integral part of the negative ones.
Works Cited
Thury, Eva M., and Margaret Klopfle Devinney. Introduction to Mythology: Contemporary Approaches to Classical and World Myths. New York: Oxford University Press, 2005.