Comparing Gilgamesh And Oedipus The King

Gilgamesh and Oedipus Rex The stories of Gilgamesh and Oedipus Rex show us through their themes that they have stronghold ties to the characteristics of classical literature. The story of the flood from the Old Testament shows great significance in the epic of Gilgamesh. In the story, it tells how Gilgamesh built a boat because the gods were going to send a flood and he wanted to cross the ocean to find immortality. Well, this is very similar to how God told Noah to build the ark because he was going to flood the whole world. This shows how Gilgamesh respected the gods as did Noah for God. In almost every epic or story, there were gods present and they were all immortal. Gilgamesh strived to be immortal but at the last second, a serpent robbed it from him and that’s why immortality is unachievable in the epic. In the Iliad &the Odyssey by Homer, Odysseus, the main character, thinks he can defeat the Cyclops and is laughing and
The story of Oedipus Rex is a perfect example that shows this theme. Fate and free will are intertwined with the main character, Oedipus. Oedipus is not only destined to perform hateful acts, but his notorious behavior determines his fate. The crimes that he commits against his father and mother are abhorrent but not as hateful as ignoring the same signs, which could have prevented the horrible tragedy. By not paying attention to the prophecy or following up on the rumors about his birth, Oedipus sets into motion the fate that was meant for him. His assumptions and arrogance lead to his collapse. In the story of Oedipus Rex, Sophocles demonstrates that it’s Oedipus who chooses his path, the one of ignorance other than clarity, and in doing so; he has to take responsibility for his actions, which lead to his tragic downfall. The second major theme in this epic is arrogance. For example, Oedipus shows this theme throughout his conversation with