Zou 1
Zou 4
Mandy Zou
Dr. Jon Lewis
Eng2205
11/22/2021
INTRODUCTION
Death is a recurring subject throughout The Epic of Gilgamesh, The Iliad, and Beowulf. Mortality, for example, plays an important role in several characters in Beowulf, since they must fight the adversary, which may end in their death. The function of mortality is mentioned multiple times throughout the poem to remind the characters of their mortality so that they might do as many good actions as they can in order to be remembered by it. In the narrative, mortality also serves to warn the protagonists that there is always a greater opponent out there, and that the stronger opponent may be the end of their life. The Iliad, a war narrative also tackles the truth that all men are bound to die. The poem’s battles are loaded with accounts of soldiers’ deaths who only appear in the poem to die. The concept of mortality is also shown in The Epic of Gilgamesh, where Gilgamesh strives to build a reputation for himself so that he would be remembered even after he dies. Besides. Gilgamesh is forced to confront his own mortality after Enkidu’s death. The purpose of this study is to explore some of the sources that touch on the issue of mortality as mentioned in the three works.
ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY
Gale, Cengage Learning. A Study Guide for the Epic of Gilgamesh. Gale, Cengage Learning, 2015.
The book is a study guide for the Epic of Gilgamesh that aims at helping readers have a better understanding of the text. The text begins by discussing the autobiography of the author and proceeds to giving the summary and analysis of the text. In the summary guide, Gilgamesh is described as a two-thirds divine and one-third human and the strongest and wisest among all human beings. The guide also discusses several events of the story including the coming of Enkidu, the forest journey, Ishtar and Gilgamesh and the death of Enkidu among other significant events in the story. The book guide also discusses the characters-involved in the text, he various evident in the text as well as the symbols. Some of the characters discusses in the guide include Gilgamesh, Enkidu, Ishtar and Ea. The themes discussed in the book guide include civilization and the fall of innocence, heroism in nature versus the comfort in the city, friendship, love, and sexuality, mortality and meaning and pride and the Gods. Symbols discussed include the symbolism of the water and the snake mentioned in the text. The book guide is essential in helping me complete the essay in that it gives an insight to some of the issues discussed in the epic of Gilgamesh including the themes prevalent in the text.
Gale, Cengage Learning. A Study Guide for Beowulf. Gale, Cengage Learning, 2015.
The book guide summarizes and analyzes Beowulf by describing the events in the text and critically assessing the poem’s key topics. The book guide starts by discussing the poem’s story, which concerns Beowulf, who saves a nearby tribe from the monster “Grendel” and finally becomes king of his own people. Beowulf spends his life defending his people and dies defending them from a dragon. Major episodes in the poem are also described in the book guides, such as when Beowulf enters the realm of Hrothgar, when Beowulf fights Grendel, the morning following the battle with Grendel, and the festivities in honor of Beowulf’s triumph. The study guide also explores some of the text’s important themes, such as loyalty, courage and conflict, charity and hospitality, and mortality. The study guide intends to teach readers on the value of loyalty and bravery via the numerous topics mentioned in the study guide. The source is important for my research since it outlines the key difficulties in the book, allowing me to better grasp it.
Stanley, Keith. “The Shield of Homer.” The Shield of Homer. Princeton University Press, 2014.
Keith’s masterful interpretation of the Iliad’s narrative sequence sharpens our present understanding of the poem’s composition and challenges the idea of the work as solely a celebration of a heroic force. Stanley begins the paper by commenting on the complicated ring composition in the poems depicting Achilles’ shield and then moves on to analyze the Iliad as an elaborate self-conscious totality. Stanley also investigates the organization of the poem’s volumes, as well as the topics and structure of the story. The essay delves into issues such as honor and glory, love and friendship, wartime vs peacetime, the Gods, and honor and glory. The article also provides a brief overview of several of the characters mentioned in the poem, including Achilles, Hector, Zeus, Agamemnon, Hera, and Thetis. Among the symbols covered in the piece are Achilles’ shield and Zeus’ eagle. The source is critical in assisting me with the job since it highlights the important topics in the story, such as the themes, and also provides a full overview of the text for better understanding.
Clarke, Michael. Achilles beside Gilgamesh: Mortality and Wisdom in Early Epic Poetry. Cambridge University Press, 2019.
The book gives a detailed analysis of the mortality and wisdom as depicted in the early epic poetry. The book focusses on exploring the confluence of Greek and Mesopotamian literature through exploring the stories of Achilles and Patroclus in the “Iliad” and that of Gilgamesh and Enkidu in the Epic of Gilgamesh. To facilitate the understanding of the ancient epic works, Clarke and Michael explore the plots of the Epic of Gilgamesh and Iliad in order to understand the major concerns raised in the two texts. The source is useful in completing the assignment in that it facilitates the understanding of epic stories. Besides it helps one draw the similarities and differences regarding the major issues of concern in The Epic of Gilgameshand Iliad
Works Cited
Clarke, Michael. Achilles beside Gilgamesh: Mortality and Wisdom in Early Epic Poetry. Cambridge University Press, 2019.
Gale, Cengage Learning. A Study Guide for the Epic of Gilgamesh. Gale, Cengage Learning, 2015.
Stanley, Keith. “The Shield of Homer.” The Shield of Homer. Princeton University Press, 2014.
Gale, Cengage Learning. A Study Guide for Beowulf. Gale, Cengage Learning, 2015.
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