Symbolism The Epic Of Gilgamesh, And The Odyssey

When it comes to texts such as The Epic of Gilgamesh, the Hebrew Bible, and The Odyssey, symbolism plays a major role in understanding a piece of literature’s true intentions. This would explain the abundance of distinct character features, exaggerated scenarios, and countless approaches to new, bigger problems in these tales. But one of the most favored approaches to symbolism and interpretations seems to be through the way of dreams. Due to their unpredictable nature, dreams allow authors to take complete, creative control over what to convey. Consequently, dreams are prominent in regards to explanations and insights. In the Epic of Gilgamesh, Gilgamesh suffers through several nightmares in which Enkidu insists are nothing bad. Later, Enkidu also succumbs to terrible nightmares after falling ill. He dreams about the underworld and its appalling, evil essence. This, in turn, makes Gilgamesh uneasy and actually provokes him to obtain immortality in the first place. On the oth er hand, in the Hebrew Bible, Jacob - grandson of Abraham and son of Isaac and Rebecca - dreams that the Lord’s messengers were ascending and descending a stairway between Heaven and Earth. In this dream, the Lord approaches Jacob and tells him that the land in which he is standing will be his and his offspring’s. After being told that the Lord will be with him as he travels back home, Jacob woke up and named the land in which he slept Bethel. Jacob vowed to acknowledge the Lord as his own God as longShow MoreRelatedThe Epic Of Gilgamesh And The Odyssey1487 Words   |  6 Pagesliterary pieces. In both the Epic of Gilgamesh and the Odyssey, water is used as a symbol that represents complex ideas, and it plays a significant role throughout both literary pieces. In the Epic of Gilgamesh, water is mainly used to symbolize life and death as well as rebirth or baptism. In several of Gilgamesh’s dreams water is used as a symbol that represents life. An example of this is when Gilgamesh and Enkidu journey into the forest to kill Humbaba. In one dream Gilgamesh dreams that Enkidu andRead MoreThe Symbolism of Water1381 Words   |  6 PagesThe Symbolism of Water Many works of literature use symbols to represent abstract ideas. One symbol that is commonly used is water. Water is a viable symbol because it is versatile. It can be used to represent many different ideals because water in itself is ever changing. Water is used in many works to represent such ideals as death, life, love, betrayal, purity, holiness, and so on. Giglamesh, the Old Testament, Egyptian Poetry, and The Odyssey all have symbolized water to represent an ideaRead MoreCharles Baudelaire And Victor Hugo976 Words   |  4 Pagesthe loss of some entity. The modern era had the freedom to elaborate the same escape through speculative fiction and other genres, accompanied by the two massive world mars, literature changed drastically in various fields. In poetry and drama, symbolism came out to be the literal tool of diplomatic announcement of the problems that surrounded the masses. After the world wars, literature had become a very powerful tool of exclaiming emotional relevance and many attributes of life to the whole worldRead MoreAnalysis Of The Book Lien 2038 Words   |  9 Pagesvillage’s name: â€Å"Lien.† This word is Vietnamese for â€Å"lotus,† which is a water flower similar to a water lily. This refers to the country of the Lotus-Eaters, which was a stop the hero Odysseus made along his journey back to his homeland in the epic poem, The Odyssey. In the original story, Odysseus’s voyage is hindered when he stops in the country of the Lotus-Eaters and some of his crewmen are nearly trapped, for â€Å"any of them who ate the honey-sweet fruit of the lotus was unwilling to take any messageRead MoreLet Majorship English4572 Words   |  19 Pagesfeeling is expressed in this line â€Å"My heart leaps up when I behold a rainbow in the sky†? A. Surprise C. Fear B. Happiness D. Anger 3. What is Chekhov’s most recognizable achievement in his short stories? A. His cryptic use of symbolism B. His attention to the inner lives of his characters C. His references to biblical scriptures D. His use of allegory 4. In the Iliad, whose death brought Achilles much sorrow and grief? A. Patroclus C. Nestor B. Thesthor