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Beowulf a Monster Mash

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You’re obviously wondering why the title “Monster Mash” truth be told I’m still listening to my Halloween playlist, and the Misfits came on and I figured  “that’d be a good title”.

Beowulf is an old Northern European Ango Saxon, Danish, Norwegian epic.  As a reader you will notice many similarities of this epic to many known classical epics such as Gilgamesh. In fact I think this epic is a Ango Saxon  version of Gilgamesh for many reasons.

The first reasons I believe they’re similar are the characters you have as the protagonist. Beowulf who has these super human strengths given to him by some holy chance, and Grendel an antagonist who has the same equal strength and powers has Beowulf. Both of these characters are basically equals, just like Gilgamesh and Enkindu. Grendel like Enkindu doesn’t physically look one hundred percent human. Grendel is an ogre like humanoid, while Enkindu is basically a human Minotaur. Beowulf and Gilgamesh both have human features who are possibly the offspring of a god of some sort. I believe the reason both epics have characters with nemesis’s is because it wouldn’t make a heroic epic interesting without a character that is a challenge to the hero of the story.

Another interesting similarity is the fact that both stories are heroic epics, and in every culture story listeners and readers love having a hero. Is it something that we as human beings naturally like to hear? Do we like constantly having a fictional example of good and bad? I can’t quite answer these questions because I feel that I’ve been programed to constantly be on the side of both characters mostly the good. However, to some degree I think there is a reason every story has a hero and a villain and that’s because in life we’re either made happy or sad. Everything in life has to radical spectrums with little things in between. These epics not only have two complete opposites, but little flaws between them. For instance in Beowulf his flaw was taking too much pride in himself which eventually became his downfall, here we see a hero turn bad and observe that radical good end of the spectrum make it’s way to another side. Gilgamesh’s flaw was his arrogance, his pride of avoiding death and too be immortal was what inevitably became his end.

Both stories teach us a valuable lesson about life, too much of anything is never good. No matter how good or how bad one is their appetite for more will lead them to another end of life’s spectrum. Lastly, to bring it back to the very first in class discussion of the origins of epics I believe all these heroic epics are the same story derived from some original one could be Gilgamesh, could be older, or just human nature of a hero and a nemesis, but no matter what every epic has a life message in them about the paths we as human beings take.

(I see everyone has pictures on their blog, so here’s a picture of Gilgamesh and Ekindu being best friends next to each eachother)

 

 

Gilgamesh: A Commander & Chief In the Making

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In every story of a hero we the spectators are lead on a journey to see the protagonist’s journey. This happens in most literature so at the end of the journey we can agree with the author that the character is indeed a hero, or whatever one’s belief a hero is. Throughout the journey we will witness other characters and see things from their point of view.

On character in the Epic of Gilgamesh is Ishtar. Ishtar’s characterization is one that you’d expect in a typical stern female character that gets what she wants if it involves power. In the scenario of the Gilgamesh Epic she has a profound interest in Gilgamesh due to his traits of being a mighty character. She makes her intentions clear to Gilgamesh of wanting a romantic relationship, however Gilgamesh doesn’t share the same interests. In order for Ishtar to get what she wants she called on her father the sky god Anu to borrow the bull of heaven to punish Gilgamesh and Enkidu. This type of jealousy and scandalous behavior is found in almost every genre, from Shakespeare, and any modern day drama. Which goes to show human nature is the same throughout the ages in literature.

Enkidu is another character that plays a vital role in the Epic, as he plays a brotherly role in Gilgamesh’s adventure. Shortly after Enkidu’s death Enkidu places a string of curses to nearly everyone he’s met since his altercation with Shamhat, and blames everyone for being responsible for bringing him out of the wilderness, which resulted to his death. This type of blaming behavior occurs every time something does not happen as one anticipated.

However it can be discussed that gods ordain Enkidu’s death, because his death was almost inevitable.  He was 2/3’s beast, which is almost the same as being 2/3 god. In most of these types of early mythologies almost any being that wasn’t human is almost considered on the same level as being a god. Furthermore one of the reasons Ekindu was created by Aruru was so that Gilgamesh would have an equal, and someone to have commonality with.

Another character that plays a role in this Epic is Utanapishtim, who challenged Gilgamesh to stay awake for 6 days and 7 nights in order to see if Gilgamesh would fail. Possibly this test was meant as a form of mental torture to see if Gilgamesh had what it took to be the powerful being that he had just proved to be throughout his journey, but Utanapishtim created this challenge anticipating failure. This is the same type of behavior of rigging games or challenges you see in many hero stories such as Gladiator, Harry Potter, and many others. Where the antagonist throw as many enemies as possible to see if the protagonist can be defeated.

Gladiator (2000)

Another character that plays a role is Utanapishtim wife, who seems more of a fair character than her husband Utanapishtim. To prove that Gilgamesh was asleep for 6 days and 7 nights, she lays out a new loaf of bread each day. The stalest bread shows the first day, and the most fresh would show that he has not awoken yet.

At the end of the Epic Gilgamesh’s new role as the king of Uruk begins to show as he stares at the wall to make sure that it is well enforced, and secured, because one of his new roles now as king is to be the city’s protector. The wall is his tool, and assurance of the city’s protection. This is related to the prologue of the Epic because as the creator of Uruk the wall was what made Uruk stand out, and Gilgamesh staring at it is his way of looking at the symbol of the city, his symbol. Towards the end of the story he has Urshanabi inspect the wall, this goes to show that Gilgamesh has become more of a commander and chief rather than a warrior on a conquest by having others play a role in the cities protection.