... . These deities threw insurmountable obstacles in the path of the heroes, such was the case with Poseidon in The Odyssey who tore Odysseus" ship and men apart in his wrath and left Odysseus to drown in the sea. Undoubtedly, these deities had it in for the heroes. They caused them great pain and misery, and made them examples of their wrath. Ironically, some of the same gods who seek to destroy the heroes ultimately ended up their best ... . Whatever their position, the deities in both Gilgamesh and The Odyssey play an important role in the narrative. They force the hero to choose life or ...

• Word Count: 675
• Approx Pages: 3
• Grade Level: High School

... death himself. This will turn out to be Gilgamesh's question of life as we will see. The Odyssey is somewhat different in the format of events, so we do not know much about Odysseus until later in the story. But due to reading the Iliad we know that Odysseus is the king of Ithaca and he is a major part of the Trojan war. In the beginning of the Odyssey, we do know that Odysseus has a family which is ... struggling without him. He will come to realize his family means more to the preservation of his life than anything he could learn in war. So both of our characters are very well off, th...

• Word Count: 1637
• Approx Pages: 7
• Grade Level: High School

... pass through the gate of the mountain. The scorpion guard wished him well on his future journey, and he hoped the gods would be with him. Another reason Gilgamesh was a hero was because he wasn't afraid to face all of the odds against him, even if they were said to be unbeatable. In another instance, Gilgamesh used self-control when Ishtar, the Queen of Heaven, tried to manipulate him. The goddess was ... his son. Odysseus is also a very caring and compassionate person. Odysseus shows many times that although he may have a powerful role, he is very caring. When he reunited with his hous...

• Word Count: 1524
• Approx Pages: 6
• Grade Level: High School