Character Analysis

Odysseus was a strong handsome greek warrior whose story is told in the Odyssey as he tries to make his way home after the Trojan War. Odysseus is the husband to Queen Penelope and the father of Telemachus. Odysseus guides his crew through many trials on their journey back to Ithaca.

'"Dear friends, surely we are not unlearned in evils. This is no greater evil now than it was when the Cyclops had us cooped in his hollow cave by force and violence, but even there, by my courage and counsel and my intelligence, we escaped away."Here Odysseus is telling his men that they have come too far to give up now. This shows how much perseverance Odysseus had.

"So they spoke, but could not persuade the great heart in me, but once again in the anger of my heart I cried to him: "Cyclops, if any mortal man ever asks you who it was that inflicted upon your eye this shameful blinding, tell him that you were blinded by Odysseus, sacker of cities. "Instead of just being thankful that he has gotten away from the cyclops Odysseus taunts Polyphemus while leaving the island.

‘“Nobody is my name. My father and mother call me Nobody, as do all the others who are my companions.”Odysseus is smart to not mention his name to Polyphemus who later cries for help and yells out that no one is attacking him.

Odysseus is a protagonist in the Odyssey because he is the major character and hero. He overcomes many obstacles and eventually completes his goal of making it back to Ithaca despite the trials he must overcome.

"By nights he would lie beside her, of necessity, in the hollow caverns, against his will, by one who was willing, but all the days he would sit upon the rocks, at the seaside, breaking his heart in tears and lamentation and sorrow as weeping tears he looked out over the barren water. ""what I want and all my days I pine for is to go back to my house and see my day of homecoming. And if some god batters me far out on the wine-blue water, I will endure it, keeping a stubborn spirit inside me, for already I have suffered much and done much hard work on the waves and in the fighting. So let this adventure follow." These two quotes are taken from different points in Odysseus' journey however in both one thing remains the same. Odysseus is resolute on trying to return home and keep this view throughout the story.

Odysseus conflicts are definitely external as he faces mainly physical challenges. He is nearly eaten, kept as a slave, and must escape the wrath of gods in his return to Ithaca.

Gilgamesh was the strongest man in his time. He was part god, a great warrior and very good looking.Gilgamesh is the king of Uruk and is not kind to his people, he uses his power to exploit them.

"Gilgamesh does not leave a girl to her mother"Gilgamesh was known for sexually exploiting the women in his kingdom simply because he could.

"He walks around in the enclosure of Uruk,like a wild bull he makes himself mighty, head raised (over others).There is no rival who can raise his weapon against him.His fellows stand (at the alert), attentive to his (orders?),and the men of Uruk become anxious"Gilgamesh was not modest about his strength and power and made it known to all of the people that he was better than them .

"I am going to die!—am I not like Enkidu? Deep sadness penetrates my core"Gilgamesh becomes overtaken with fear once his friend dies and wants nothing more than eternal life.

Gilgamesh is a protagonist because he is the main character of the story. The things that happen in the epic of Gilgamesh revolve around the things Gilgamesh does. Although he is the protagonist of the story one could argue that Gilgamesh was also his own antagonist as his selfish ways and pride led him down a bad path in life.

"Gilgamesh said to the tavern-keeper:"I am Gilgamesh, I killed the Guardian!I destroyed Humbaba who lived in the Cedar Forest,I slew lions in the mountain passes!I grappled with the Bull that came down from heaven, and killed him." "I fear death, and now roam the wilderness"These quotes show the progression of Gilgamesh from a fearless warrior to a man terrified of his own death.

All of the problems that occur in the epic of Gilgamesh happen mainly because of Gilgamesh's own behavior. Gilgamesh's boastfulness leads to the creation of Enkidu and his pride also leads to the death of his friend.