Homer's The Illiad - Hector As The Epic Hero.
In Homer's The Iliad there appears to be some controversy over who the true epic hero might be. We have heard many arguments supporting Achilles as the Epic Hero, and since The Iliad does indeed say "The Story of Achilles" I believe that Achilles is an easy character for people to associate as the epic hero. Although many people have cited Achilles as having superhuman strength and various other physical attributes, he appears to be lacking the qualities of a real Homeric Epic Hero. A Homeric Epic Hero must demonstrate all of the following three requirements in order for them to truly be considered an Epic Hero. A character must believe that men have to stand together in battle; men had to respect each other; and they had to refrain from excessive cruelty. This last condition was considered to be critically important for the Epic Hero. A true Epic Hero loathed deliberate acts of cruelty, defamation, and injustice. An Epic Hero believed that if they were to kill an opponent it must be done quickly. There was to be no mutilation of any kind because it reflected poorly upon the victor and the victor's community. In the following paragraphs you will see how Achilles breaks all three rules/requirements of an epic hero, and upon doing so relinquishes any right he has to be called an Epic Hero. .
The first requirement of an Epic Hero is that he believes that men should stand together in battle. Achilles is a great warrior with superhuman strength, but when Briseis, Achilles war prize, is stripped from him by Agamemnon he proceeds to throw a temper tantrum. Achilles cares no more about standing alongside his fellow Greek warriors because he has been disrespected by Agamemnon. Homer does an excellent job of making most readers sympathize with Achilles, until around book nine when Patroklos is killed in battle. It is not until nine books of brooding and pouting passed for Achilles to realize how selfish and immature he was behaving.
(Gilgamesh 3) Immediately we are introduced to an all knowing and heroic figure; Gilgamesh. ... (Gilgamesh 4). ... (Gilgamesh 57) In a sense, Gilgamesh is being renewed. ... Yet Gilgamesh still cannot rest. ... (Gilgamesh 59). ...
Gilgamesh Gilgamesh, a giant among men, someone who had no equal, one who you would think was, without question, a hero. ... Most people would have been content where Gilgamesh was, but Gilgamesh wanted more, and that made him a man. ... Gilgamesh begins his maturing process when he meets Enkido. Enkido, sent by the gods to balance Gilgamesh, sets Gilgamesh down a couple of notches by wrestling with him. ... He 2 gives Gilgamesh a chance to get mortality but Gilgamesh fails. ...
In The Epic of Gilgamesh, Gilgamesh explores the possibility of immortality following the saddening death of his friend and brother, Enkidu. ... Seeking to avoid death, Gilgamesh strives to learn the secret of everlasting life Being two-thirds god is not enough for Gilgamesh. ... Gilgamesh is not only a hero in The Epic of Gilgamesh, he is a representation of society as a whole. ... Once again, Gilgamesh displays his changed character. ... Gilgamesh and Enkidu will be kept in an immortal state for however long The Epic of Gilgamesh is told....
In The Epic of Gilgamesh, Gilgamesh explores the possibility of immortality following the saddening death of his friend and brother, Enkidu. ... Seeking to avoid death, Gilgamesh strives to learn the secret of everlasting life Being two-thirds god is not enough for Gilgamesh. ... Gilgamesh is not only a hero in The Epic of Gilgamesh, he is a representation of society as a whole. ... Once again, Gilgamesh displays his changed character. ... Gilgamesh and Enkidu will be kept in an immortal state for however long The Epic of Gilgamesh is told. ...
Some examples of epics are the Iliad, the Odyssey, and Gilgamesh. One of the most famous epics of all is probably the Epic of Gilgamesh. ... Gilgamesh in the story is known as the King of Uruk. ... Gilgamesh believed he was better than everybody else. ... Enkidu, who ended up being Gilgamesh's best friend, was very similar to Gilgamesh. ...
(Gilgamesh tablet 1, 34) Gilgamesh is radiant and bold, and "supreme over other kings." (Gilgamesh tablet 1, 28) Before Enkidu appears Gilgamesh rules over his city the way that he pleases. ... (Gilgamesh tablet 5, 97-98) Enkidu gives Gilgamesh the courage to over power Humbaba. ... Enkidu addressed Gilgamesh saying "My friend, we can be bold how shall we respond- (Gilgamesh tablet 6, 129-131) This shows the strong connection between Gilgamesh and Enkidu. ... (Gilgamesh tablet 10, 300-01) This changes Gilgamesh's perspective of life. ...
Gilgamesh is an exception as he does not conform to the traits mentioned above. ... Gilgamesh was born powerful and possessed obvious physical strength. ... All of this changed when Gilgamesh with his companion Enkidu. ... Gilgamesh showed off his bravery, loyalty, and respect after meeting Enkidu. ... Gilgamesh began to fear death and was left with overwhelming grief. ...
Gilgamesh: The True Evil of Power This story of Gilgamesh is a perfect example of how power when given to someone, can overtake and corrupt an individual. ... Gilgamesh was taken over by evil through the power he was given. ... Though it did not go exactly as plan as Gilgamesh ultimately won. ... Then immediately his fury died (Gilgamesh,pg16-17)." ... Gilgamesh has finally seen someone who can at least challenge him. ...
Wild in nature, Enkidu must be civilized and sent to Gilgamesh. ... Enkidu and Gilgamesh battled, but it seems neither could win. ... Again, Gilgamesh fails and returns to the city of Uruk. ... In the story, Gilgamesh is portrayed as semi-divine. ... In the beginning of the story, Gilgamesh is a bad king. ...
And also like the majority in this country, I had never heard of the story of Gilgamesh. ... Finding out who wrote the epic of Gilgamesh was even more difficult. ... This gives credence to the idea that Genesis could have been based on the stories in Gilgamesh. ... The Gilgamesh flood lasted only 3 weeks, whereas the Genesis flood lasted over a year10. ... In Gilgamesh the gods Ea and Mami created 14 human beings to help repopulate the Earth. ...
