“Why do you think they always say never give up on something you want to be in life?” Life is all about how you make it, you will have to fight many battles just to be where you want. Some might be easy, and some might be hard. Reading many epics this semester, The Odyssey, Gilgamesh, and Sundiata are relatable to this phrase. Despite the timing and culture background of each epic, they all have a similar story and multiple differences. The Odyssey, Gilgamesh, and Sundiata are all categorized as epics, but all have a different type of journey. Odyssey and Gilgamesh were both kings and heroes who were well respected who held high power. Sundiata was a young male whom was trying to one day have power over the twelve kingdoms of Mali. All three epics are telling a story about a male who is trying to find a scheme of living and trying to figure it all out. One as well as the other had to go through a journey enduring challenging situation, which they had to find a way around.
The Odyssey had a purpose he wasn’t just doing the journey just for his sake, his motive was to fulfill a greater life of fate, determination, and fidelity. Odyssey started off his journey by leaving his home to go fight in the war at Troy. Odyssey had been fighting in war for years and this time he had to come up with a maneuver to get pass the Trojans and figure a way to get back to his family. Odyssey didn’t go on the journey alone; he took some of his men to accomplish the journey with him. Through the entire journey he remained loyal to himself and his family, regardless of any obstacle he had to face. Determination was conveyed for his eager rush to get back home to his family.
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Gilgamesh also had a goal; his purpose was to find a way to forever life and how to learn to know his worth of treating others and refraining from being a cruel king. He was always described as brave, driven, and strong. Gilgamesh faces traumatizing situations in life to make him realize how to value what you have before its gone. Reality is faced when he loses a special person in his life. People come in your life for a reason and some leave your life for a reason, Enkidu came into Gilgamesh life at the right time and for the right purpose. Enkidu was able to help Gilgamesh see his ways of wrong and help him change as a person to realize that he wasn’t going about situations the right way.
When talking about Gilgamesh, Sundiata had a somewhat similar schema. Not only did he have to go on a journey and experience laborious hurdles, but he also had to find a way around them. Sundiata wasn’t just the regular human you would see every day; he was able to walk as a kid which people underestimated his greatness in him. Sundiata started to gain his power over people and the kingdoms. Sundiata wasn’t born into his power he had to fight for it, it wasn’t just granted easy to him he had to fight for what he wanted till he received it. Sundiata was very courageous and selfless, he knew at a young age that one day he will be greatness. Sundiata always held confidence in himself throughout his entire quest.
Sundiata one who experienced both fate and destiny. Unable to walk at the age of three, his fate seemed to be set in stone. Living out his destiny spoken by God, led Sundiata into his royalty. God stated in his childhood that, “You perhaps, will be a king. You can do nothing about it.” It was already stated that he would one day be king, and it was nothing that would hinder him becoming king. He knew what he was destined to be and the greatness he held. This destiny foreshadows, although with him experiencing many traumas in his childhood he overcame them. His fate overpowered his childhood traumas.
When it comes to showing heroism, they all showed it in some sort of positive or negative way. Having plenty of times to capitulate and never give up, Odyssey faught hard to get back to his family regardless of having to fight off plenty of the suitors. In book IX, odyssey escapes from the cyclops, Polyphemus. After leaving the island of Alcinous, Odyssey and his men approached the island of the cyclops believing the island is vacant. With them feasting on some of the farm life, Odyssey and his men are approached by a cyclops whom asked who he is, but Odyssey’s stands his ground regardless of who they are protecting his men. He protects his men by getting the cyclops drunk buoyantly, asking his name Odyssey responds, “nobody”. Blinding him, Odysseus uses this opportunity to bind himself and his men to the bellies of Polyphemus sheep as they go out to graze fully escaping. “...But the idiot never sensed my men were trussed up under there thick fleecy ribs. This shows Odyssey heroism using his intelligence to outsmart the great beast in sheltering his men.
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