Similarities in the Epic of Gilgamesh and Siddhartha as...

Similarities in The_ Epic of Gilgamesh_ and Siddhartha As portrayed by an unknown author and Herman Hesse Both Siddhartha and Gilgamesh believe in themselves, they do not let others define them or make decisions for them. Siddhartha demonstrates that he has strong will from the very beginning of the novel. He is taught by the Samana even though the teachings he received up to this point in his life say that the Samana’s wayis the wrong religion. â€Å"It is not fitting for a Brahmin to speak angry and violent words/But indignation moves my heart/I do not wish to hear that request a second time from your lips†(Hesse, 9). Siddhartha wants to make his own decision to study with the Samana, therefore, he needed to go against his father’s†¦show more content†¦Following the death of his friend, despite Gilgamesh’s vow to walk with him in the neverlands (valley of death), he leaves on a journey to find immortality because he does not want his people to suffer the way he has. Despite his journey to find immortality Gilgamesh comes to realize that immortality will not bring his friend back from the dead. He discovers that he must live his life the way Enkidu would have wanted him to; without grief. Gilgamesh decides to stay loyal to his friend and walk in the neverlands with him after his own death. Gilgamesh and Siddhartha are loyal to their closest friends and they only wish the best for them. Through their loss they were able to achieve impossibilities. Siddhartha and Gilgamesh never truly experience grief until the death of the ones they love. Their experience with grief is similar because it helps them evolve as people and it changes their lives. After the death of Kamala, Siddhartha is enlightened and is able to experience the grief of this world as well as see the grief he inflicts on his father the day he leaves. Kamala’s death leaves Siddhartha with the responsibility of raising his son, who hates living as a ferryman. His son wants to return to the town but his father does not let him. â€Å"I hate you you’re no t my father/even if you were her lover ten times over.† (Hesse,108). Siddhartha feels grief at that moment for not being loved by his son, but it is through grief that he canShow MoreRelatedSimilarities in The Epic of Gilgamesh and Siddhartha As portrayed by an unknown author and Herman Hesse2803 Words   |  12 PagesSimilarities in The Epic of Gilgamesh and SiddharthaAs portrayed by an unknown author and Herman HesseTwo people who lived in very different times can still share the same beliefs and journeys to find the meaning of life. That is the case with Herman Hesses Siddhartha and the Babylonian text The Epic of Gilgamesh. The protagonists who live in very different times; Siddhartha lived around 625 BCE and Gilgamesh in 2700 BCE, but they follow the same journey to understand themselves and life. Siddhartha