The Search for Destiny in The Epic of Gilgamesh, The...

The Search for Destiny in The Epic of Gilgamesh, The Odyssey, and The Aeneid The search for destiny is reflected in the literary works such as The Epic of Gilgamesh, Homers The Odyssey, and Virgils The Aeneid. The hero of each story travels to the land of the dead in order to satisfy their individual needs. And even though each one has a different motive for the journey, they share two things in common. First, each hero seeks to know something about his future or destiny. And second, their finds are not exactly what they were looking for. The nature of the quests into the underworld by the heroes Gilgamesh, Odysseus, and Aeneas range from immortality, happiness, and the need to know he is doing the right things in life but†¦show more content†¦This courage to continue helps define Gilgamesh as a hero. After all Gilgamesh is a visionary and must continue his journey heroically (Norman, 213). Once in the far off underworld, Gilgamesh finds only Utnapishtim and his wife. Utnapishtim tells Gilgamesh about the flood and one time gift of immortality. Gilgamesh sleeps for six days and seven nights in Utnapistims residence. It is after this sleep that Gilgamesh sees the relationship between his dreamless sleep and death. He finally comes to realize there is no life after death. There is nothing. Even though Gilgamesh doesnt find exactly what he was looking for he does find and come to accept a different kind of immortality. Gilgamesh cant do anything about death but he can live his life to the fullest and be remembered as a great king. In other words, Gilgamesh has the continuation of fame as a legendary king(Thompson). He has the power to go back to his people to be a great role model and share his rebirthing experience. He learns that without death life is meaningless. On the other hand, the hero Odysseus travels to the underworld in search of happiness but instead finds grief. For Odysseus, happiness is his wife, Penelope, his son, Telemakhos, and his kingdom, Ithaca. And he believes the prophet, Teiresias, who like Utanpishtim resides in the underworld, can show him the way home. Like Gilgamesh, Odysseus journey into the underworld helps define him as a hero.Show MoreRelatedWhat Makes an Epic Hero Essay1823 Words   |  8 PagesWhat is an epic hero? Although we would like to believe that a hero would always be there to save us as needed, that is not always the case. All heroes are different, but what makes them epic? Many would answer that question by saying because they are in an epic poem or story; however, that answer isn’t true. An epic hero, of course is in an epic narrative, but it is what they accomplish in that specific text. First, an epic hero has to make a grand journey and be in the Gods favor or shall we sayRead MoreJohn Milton s Paradise Lost2283 Words   |  10 Pageshumanity since time immemorial, and has been the only way of passing culture on to future generations for millennia. From this tradition, the Epic arose, tales of mighty heroes, gods, and monsters, told in the form of poems to convey ideals, beliefs, and traditions. Hundre ds of Epics have been written, and among them, many stand out, especially Virgil’s The Aeneid, Beowulf, and John Milton’s Paradise Lost, as they prove to be impactful and useful in the analysis of changes in the relationship between