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Similarities Between Gilgamesh And The Odyssey

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In the “Epic of Gilgamesh” and “The Odyssey” by Homer, all the gods are portrayed as being very near, and having a very close relationship with the mortals. The authors showed this through their interactions, even though each epic portrayed a unique mode of interaction between the gods and the mortals. For instance, in the “Epic of Gilgamesh,” this interactions are mostly indirect, whereas in Homer’s Odyssey, they are direct. Another thing the authors tried to show is that the gods are limited in their powers, at least some of them. The authors portrayed this through the gods favoring or disfavoring certain mortals. However, we did also see that their identities differed-- the gods being more powerful than the mortals, of course. In any case, the indirect and direct interactions between the gods and the mortals in both epics …show more content…

As a result, Enkidu was created to stop Gilgamesh from his tyranny and make him humble. The gods did not themselves directly step in to discipline Gilgamesh, instead they used another creation, Enkidu. However, when Gilgamesh and his new friend and partner killed Humbaba and the bull of Heaven, the gods, without any creation as medium, intervened directly this time by killing one of them (Epic of Gilgamesh, 132). In “The Odyssey,” on the other hand, Homer portrayed the interactions between the gods and the mortals as being strictly direct. First, we saw this direct interaction between Athena, the goddess of wisdom and Odysseus’ son, Telemachus. Athena took the form of Mentes and appeared to Telemachus, to inspire him to call an assembly and disapprove of his mother’s suitors, and for him to commission a boat and crew to travel to Sparta and the sands of Pylos in search of news of his father (Homer

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