The Epic of Gilgamesh and The Odyssey by Homer - Essay Example

?Comparison between Humbaba in Gilhgamesh and Polyphemus in Odyssey as ‘Outside Monsters Introduction The Epic of Gilgamesh and The Odyssey by Homer are the finest pieces of literature. These masterpieces are considered the “epic poems”. Though different in style from one another, both of the poems hold a similar theme and story in them. The major themes defined in both the poems revolve around love, cruelty, death, hatred, religion and heroism. Heroes are the central characters around which the entire story of the poem revolves. These poems tell us about the cruelty of the creatures and their hostile attitude towards the humans. These poems tell us about the morality of humans despite the bitter fact that life is short and humans have to die but it is the humanity and nobility of hearts that live forever without any doubts. Both the stories are quite similar in their meaning and understanding however, the only difference is the rise and powers of the heroes. The stories revolve around the powers of gods, monsters and spirits. Thesis Statement ‘Humbaba and Polyphemus were the outside monsters who lived outside humanity because they were different from humans and both of them had a hostile attitude towards humans.’ Analysis of the Statement The two monsters that are mentioned by the poets play an important role in developing the better understanding of humanity. It is important to understand the fact that has been highlighted in these pieces of literature which can be analyzed through the actions taken by these monstrous characters, the responses showed by the main characters against the actions or even the characteristics that these monsters possess; all of these are the basic components that describe how the term ‘humanity’ can be best defined. Humbaba from ‘The Epic of Gilgamesh’ and Polyphemus from Homer’s ‘Odyssey’ represent the same thought in a manner that both of them contribute in making it evidently clear what humanity means in their sphere of understanding. Their actions are non-human; Polyphemus craves to eat humans whereas Humbaba is capable of breathing fire. On the other hand, it can also be observed that both the monsters possess extreme characteristics of the human race which are often considered as ‘taboo’ by some individuals and some even disowned; they include the desire of living in isolation or reluctance to work for their own survival. Both of the monsters clearly represent the idea that they are different from the entire human race. It is not just their physical appearances that make them different from the humans but also their inhuman actions. For example, although the Cyclops had sufficient food on his “fertile land” (9, 113), he still had a desire to eat Odysseus’ men without any purpose. This behavior of possessing the unnecessary trait of cannibalism is a key difference that separates the monsters from the humans. Humbaba had a demon-like physical exterior, as well as the ability to breathe fire and death. Similarly, Polyphemus is described by Odysseus as a monster or “Freak of nature, not like men who eat bread, But like a lone wooded crag high in the mountains” (9, 184-185). In addition to this, Polyphemus was able to move even the hardest massive rocks or the mountains, which also describes him as a super-power creature unlike any human. Certainly, these monsters cannot be termed as humans due to the presence of various non-human traits. Both creatures wanted to infuse terror in the minds of humans through their abilities and physical appearances which made them realize that humans are afraid of their non-human traits. Both monsters had a hostile behavior towards humanity due to the fact that they kept distances from it. Both of them lived in complete isolation which can even turn any individual into the same manner if placed in the same situation. Odysseus describes this in the following way: “This was the lair of a huge creature, a man, Who pastured his flocks off by himself, And lived apart from other and knew no law.” (9, 181-183) Concluding Statement Humans can be classified as special groups whereas the monsters described in the poems possess non-human traits and abilities in an isolated sphere which makes them different from the humans. They knew that by maintaining terror and by infusing fear in the minds of people, they could set their images as ‘the most powerful’ creatures which would makes them unique for mankind. Their hostile attitude is the result of their isolation and knowing the strength of their power upon humans. Another thing that made the two monsters different from the humans is worshiping the Gods. It is the most important characteristic that all the humans possess. In the lives of Gilgamesh and Odysseus; both the humans possessed this characteristic which enabled them to overcome the monsters. They both had only one thing in mind that winning over Polyphemus and Humbaba will help them to win the glory from the Gods. The importance of worshiping the gods is more evident in Gilgamesh as compared to Odyssey. On the falling of Humbaba, the entire situation is described as: “…..His awesome strength dwindled Not even his great right food could step away in flight. So in this way, by Shamash’s intervention, Humbaba-the-awful was brought so low.”(5, 63-66) This explores the influence of Shamash on Gilgamesh which motivated him to slay Humbaba. This evidently describes the role of the Gods and how they influence humanity and also the difference between monsters and humans which include how they believe in the Gods and how their faith motivates them to stand for their actions. Thesis Statement Enkidu in his pre-civilized state was similar to them, but Humbaba and Polyphemus were the real threat to the heroes and to the humanity. They caused series of turbulent events to the heroes. However, their brutality was put to an end by the heroes. Analysis of the Statement Enkindu in his pre-civilized state was similar to them but he was not as fierce as the two monsters. His ability was not to damage or defragment the society or the humankind but, on the other hand, his heroism and courage to defeat the monster, Humbaba, in the end made him a remarkable hero in the history. In the Epic of Gilgamesh, the Gods asked the Gilgamesh to use Enkindu in order to defeat Humbaba. Even the Gods knew that humans could not win without the assistance of monsters like Enkindu. The death of Enkindu transforms Gilgamesh to a greater extent. He seeks ways to know the real secret of immortality. However, despite his several attempts and struggle, he remained unaware of the secret. Both the stories revolve around the bravery and heroism of the characters. In addition, both monsters possess the ability of being the fierce, powerful symbols of fear and death as well as isolated creatures that hold the authority to demolish mankind. The monsters embody the characteristics of isolation and fear. Humans also have a desire to live in isolation and to create fear in the minds of humans whereas, on the other hand, the heroes depicted in the poems possess the same desire to overcome the monsters and to defeat them by establishing their authority and creating their own fears. Without the presence of Humbaba, it was impossible for the heroes to achieve fame in the poem. Odysseus states his wish to conquer and defeat the Cyclops to maintain his power and control which he describes as “I might make him pay and win glory from Athena” (9:311). The heroes reflect the innate desire to overcome the monsters and to defeat them. On the other hand, Enkindu’s desire to defeat Humbaba would yield immortality to him besides achieving other goals which was another possibility among many others. To accomplish their goals, both heroes of Gilgamesh progressed and achieved what they were thinking of in their minds. Their quest to achieve fame is the most highlighted characteristic in humans that Humbaba was revealing through his own observations. Both monsters have served as obstacles for the heroes to achieve their goals. Polyphemus was the biggest hindrance to Odysseus in a broader perspective because of his cunning nature and his desire to receive praise and appreciation for his actions. Concluding Statement: Enkindu was created by the Gods with a less fierce appearance as compared to the monster’s appearance described in the poem. Although he was an animal turned into a more civilized form, he had no intention of posing any threat to humanity unlike Humbaba. Enkindu has been portrayed as a hero who possesses phenomenal strength. Though Enkindu can be considered as one of the heroes in Gilgamesh however, the Gilgamesh itself has appeared as the main hero in the story. The monsters have appeared as the biggest obstacle in the way of heroes to achieve their goals, praise and glory. Both monsters possess the vital forces that are present in the world such as fear, authority to rule, isolation to be separate from others and the desire of gaining control over the weakest powers. It has been evidently clear in both the stories that the heroes were faced with the fear of failure in defeating the monsters because of their immense power and strength. However, the execution of Humbaba by the hands of Gilgamesh earned him fame and popularity as a hero who defeated the gigantic monster but he paid the heavy price of this fame by losing his friend Enkindu in the quest. Although, the monsters were brutally killed in both the stories but we cannot ignore the intensity of fear and suppression, both of the monsters had on the mortal creatures for being powerful and fearful not only in their physical appearance but also as the creatures with immense supernatural powers. Work Cited Homer. The Odyssey. Translator Robert Fitzgerald. New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux, Inc., 1998. Print. Sandars, N. K. The Epic of Gilgamesh. New York: Penguin Classics, 1972. Print. Read More