Quite a
few comparisons can be drawn between the Homeric epics of the and
the Odyssey and the Epic of Gilgamesh. In addition to
the similarities mentioned in the other Educators' answers, I will briefly discuss a few more
below.
All three of these epics are set in a world in which magic and the
divine play a strong role in the fate of humans. The gods, namely Poseidon, Zeus, and Athena in
the Homeric epics and Ishtar and Anu in Gilgamesh, take a keen interest in
the actions and fates of humans. The gods are particularly eager to punish mortals who act too
proudly. They intervene frequently to protect or persecute humans based on how they see fit. The
gods in these stories are never infallible beings. They have obvious flaws and traits that show
them to be complex characters as well.
While not so much the case for
the Iliad, the heroes of the other two epics face off time and again
against supernatural monsters. You can make a comparison between the scorpion giants in
Gilgamesh and Scylla...
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