Masculinity in ancient Greek is illustrated as a symbol of fear. In Heracles by Apollodorus, fear is the engine that keeps the majority of society away from Heracles’ wrathful personality. Then again, in the Epic of Gilgamesh, fear is the citizen’s discontent over Gilgamesh’s arrogance.
Heracles is the son of Queen Alcmena and of the god of war, Zeus. His position as the son of a queen and a god makes him a demi-god. A man with exceeding skills, strength, virtue, and power. Heracles possesses many skills, passed on to him by his teachers, the best in the field all of whom he surpasses. As the son of Zeus, Heracles exhibits amazing physical strength and beauty. However, his wrathful temperament leads him to become a murderer of innocent people. Thus, gaining the rejection of all those who fear him, including the king of Thebes, Amphitryon himself.
After Heracles committed his first murder he was not given a sentence, but he was isolate from the rest of society and sent into a cattle farm …show more content…
He is also a Demi-god, a man with an incomparable strength and hyper masculinity (p. 3). No one in the city of Uruk can surpass his virtue, strength, wisdom, and beauty. He is everyone’s hero, but he is also everyone’s Villain (p.5). Gilgamesh’s heroic image as a defender of his people and protector of his troops is highly praised. His beauty and unparalleled perfection is envied by others. At the same time, Gilgamesh’s supreme strength and perfection makes him arrogant and abusive to his people. He takes advantage of his power as a king at wedding ceremonies where he takes the virginity of the bride before the husband can. In addition, Gilgamesh takes advantage of his divine superiority in athletic competitions, where he fights the people and defeats them. As a result, the citizens of Uruk protest to the gods to create someone that can stand up to Gilgamesh and destroy his arrogance, by proving that he is
Heracles is the son of Queen Alcmena and of the god of war, Zeus. His position as the son of a queen and a god makes him a demi-god. A man with exceeding skills, strength, virtue, and power. Heracles possesses many skills, passed on to him by his teachers, the best in the field all of whom he surpasses. As the son of Zeus, Heracles exhibits amazing physical strength and beauty. However, his wrathful temperament leads him to become a murderer of innocent people. Thus, gaining the rejection of all those who fear him, including the king of Thebes, Amphitryon himself.
After Heracles committed his first murder he was not given a sentence, but he was isolate from the rest of society and sent into a cattle farm …show more content…
He is also a Demi-god, a man with an incomparable strength and hyper masculinity (p. 3). No one in the city of Uruk can surpass his virtue, strength, wisdom, and beauty. He is everyone’s hero, but he is also everyone’s Villain (p.5). Gilgamesh’s heroic image as a defender of his people and protector of his troops is highly praised. His beauty and unparalleled perfection is envied by others. At the same time, Gilgamesh’s supreme strength and perfection makes him arrogant and abusive to his people. He takes advantage of his power as a king at wedding ceremonies where he takes the virginity of the bride before the husband can. In addition, Gilgamesh takes advantage of his divine superiority in athletic competitions, where he fights the people and defeats them. As a result, the citizens of Uruk protest to the gods to create someone that can stand up to Gilgamesh and destroy his arrogance, by proving that he is