The Contrasting of Gilgamesh and Grendel

In the epic tale Beowulf the main villain is a monster called Grendel,in the story Grendel is making village life for the citizens under King Hrothgars reign. When Beowulf and Grendel meet in battle Grendel fights for his life and Boewulf actually had a reason for killing him. But in the epic tale  Gilgamesh the villain of this story is called Humbaba,and the Heroes only reasoning for killing him is that he wanted the trees he protected.

The Contrasting of Gilgamesh and Grendel

In the epic tale Beowulf the main villain is a monster called Grendel,in the story Grendel is making village life for the citizens under King Hrothgars reign. When Beowulf and Grendel meet in battle Grendel fights for his life and Boewulf actually had a reason for killing him. But in the epic tale  Gilgamesh the villain of this story is called Humbaba,and the Heroes only reasoning for killing him is that he wanted the trees he protected.

What I Learned

In the epic Beowulf, Beowulf said he would kill Grendel that night and he did, and I realized how interactive literature could be as well. Beowulf lived up the the very famous quote we all use today "Actions speak louder than words." Technology is an important part of sharing thoughts of literature characters. Everytime Beowulf said he was going to do something, he meant what he said, and then he did it just like he said he would. Beowulf was such an epic hero that did what he said he was going to do, and helped us write what we thought about him in more ways than one.

What I've Learned

 I have learned that the mix between poetic epics and a blog is a difficult combination. Even though this has been a giant task it has been a highly educational,the usage of a blog has helped me to learn how to put my thoughts down in a better fashion. I think the mix between the historic epics and the modern technology shows that the world as a whole is advancing.

What I've Learned

Throughout our blogging experience I have learned numerous things. The first, and most important is the fact that I learned about blogging itself. This was the first blog I had ever participated in, so I was not too familiar with the technology at first. Now I feel quite comfortable with blogging. Also, this presented to me many different outlooks on the three epics in the discussion. It helped me tremendously having many different points and opinions.

What I Learned

I have learned a lot the past couple of weeks between reading the three epics and creating a blog. In the epics, I have learned that throughout your life you should be like Beowulf because he is not selfish and is willing to help anyone that needs it; unlike Gilgamesh, who only does things for himself. Also my classmates and I have been learning how to use a blog which is extremely helpful for our futures in college. We have learned how to interact and communicate on the blog by means of post and reply. All in all, I am glad I have learned this information about the three epics and the technology of a blog that will help me in my future.

Here, Beowulf is killing Grendel which ensures the safety of Herot and a great example of his selflessness.

What I Learned

The Iliad is based around the Trojan war, which was a war between Troy and Greece. While reading a section of this
epic, I have leaned the real reason behind the war. The Trojan war was simply started over a beauty contest between three Goddesses. The three goddesses were Aphrodite, Athena, and Hera, and the winner would receive a golden apple that was inscribed "to the fairest". The judge of this contest was Paris, prince of Troy, a young and naïve mortal. The goddesses bribed Paris in order to win, but Aphrodite offered the most appealing bribe of all. She promised him the marriage of Helen, the most beautiful woman in the world, who was also the wife of King Menelaus of Greece. Paris took Helen from Menelaus, which outraged Greece, starting the Trojan war. Also through out the past weeks I have come to relies how useful blogs can be when it comes to sharing information between my peers.

 

What I Have Learned...

I have learned a great deal of knowledge throughout the process of reading the epics and creating the blog. In Beowulf, I learned of an epic hero named, Beowulf who defeats the monster Grendel, and he receives his immortality for killing the hideous monster who had been killing people in his village. I also learned of different ways to use technology, such as creating a blog to explain epic poems instead of talking about day to day life. The past few weeks my classmates and I have discussed and distributed twenty-first century ideas for our blog. Our posts, replies, and graphic designs have put the blog on a grand scale of excellence that we were all striving for.

 

What I Have Learned

Reading the epics of Gilgamesh, Beowulf and the Iliad; I discovered through these poems that being a hero does not always mean that you are a great leader; however, to be a great leader these heroes need to show courage, loyalty, and fearlessness. In the epic Gilgamesh, Gilgamesh, battling Humbaba for immortality, shows his courage to the old men in his city; however, Gilgamesh displays disloyalty for younger generations when he still goes to the Cedar Forest because his foil Enkidu explains his terrible dream regarding the forest. In a comparable situation, Achilles, in the Iliad, displays his horrible leadership skills by taking revenge on Hector to the extreme by dragging his body by a horse drawn chariot, for killing his cousin Patroclus. The actions he chose were intense and shows unethical reasoning for his extreme punishments to Hector. Although the previous heroes have given poor examples of heroism, Beowulf, in the epic Beowulf, displays all the characteristics of loyalty, integrity, boldness and courage when he fights Grendel to save the Danes from danger. Beowulf reflects the quote "Great leaders inspire greatness in others", when Wiglaf steps up and helps Beowulf as the dragon breathes his fiery breathe at them. The moral of Gilgamesh, Beowulf, and the Iliad, is to embody greatness by becoming a tremendous leader with courage, loyalty, and, fearlessness instead of, being a coward.
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                                                        The battle of Achilles and Hector

What I Learned

While working on the blog I learned more about technology, and more details about the epics we read. Technology is always useful, but it can also take a lot of getting use to. Anytime you start a new online project there are commonly many problems, however discussing these problems in class can resolve the problem. I also learned that the idea and characteristics of a hero have changed over time. Fighting monsters isn't a main ideal of the heroes in todays society, but courageous and heroic acts of kindness can also allow a character to be a hero. I think over the past weeks the Blog project has taught not only me but my classmates many new things about technology and online projects.

What I Learned

Writing for the blog required an in-depth study into what makes an epic hero and I also learned how beneficial technology can be. I learned that all epic heroes have some common traits like strength and courage, but what makes one different from the other is the way they handle themselves under stress like Beowulf charging head first into battle to win without a second thought about dying. I also learned that my phone can be used for more than watching funny cat videos on YouTube, like being able to research and even write and post to the blog from it. This project was quite the learning experience and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

What I Learned

While working on this blog, I have learned numerous facts about epics and technology. First of all, with the help of my classmates, I realized how to pull out the important details in a story or poem. For example, I falied to see how Achilles's rmor maginificentally protected him from harm, but after reading some of my peers' posts, i realized how Achilles's armor was very strong and sentimental. Also, I figured out how to set up a blog and send invitations to others. This blogging experience have been simply amazing because I realized that, with a little help, I can look deeper into a piece of Literature and blog about what I have read.

What I Learned

I have learned a great deal of knowledge from reading the three epics Beowulf, Gilgamesh, and the Iliad, and participating in the blogging experience. I've learned from Beowulf  that if someone has enough confidence and morals then they can overcome great challenges. From Gilgamesh, I learned that sometimes the real hero is not always the obvious hero. In the Iliad I learned that it's amazing to have friends on your side and help you win in all aspects of life. Lastly, I learned that a blog can be confusing to navigate around, but if you explore some it can be really easy and fun.

What I Learned

              Throughout this blog experience I have learned many fascinating facts about the epics Beowulf, Gilgamesh and, The Iliad; I also picked up points about the technology used to produce this blog. After reading my fellow classmate's posts, I realized out of all three epics Beowulf was a much better example of an epic hero than Gilgamesh and Achilles. Beowulf shown emasculate strength, bravery and, loyalty. Although I favor Beowulf the most, Gilgamesh and Achilles were excellent heroes; In the end, all three go the epic heroes achieved what they were after. The blog has helped me see that even outside of the classroom students can connect and share using technology.

Beowulf after he ripped Grendel's arm off.

What I Learned

Numerous things come to mind whenever I think about how much I have learned while doing the challenging assignment of posting and commenting on our blog. Throughout the blog I have learned that the heroes armor is not just for protection but also for the point of wearing it in honor of the past elders that have passed it down. Next, I have learned more about the similarities and differences between the three heroes and their different cultures based on their time periods. I also have learned more about the importance of technology and how numerous advancements have allowed me to discuss different topics about the three epics with my classmates that I would never have learned through regular discussion in class. Learning these things throughout the experience of doing a blog has helped me gain a better understanding of the three epics of Beowulf, Gilgamesh, and The Iliad.

What I Learned

Although fully comprehending the epics proved to be demanding, resolving the meaning behind the stories was rewarding, and I will not forget them anytime soon. I learned that not all epic heroes are morally conscious. For example, Gilgamesh dared to kill a harmless monster for personal gain; however, Beowulf selflessly attacked Grendel for the Dane's protection. Despite not talking about this much in class, using technology such as the blog expanded my knowledge on this subject. While conversing with other students on the blog, I began to recognize different angles and points of view. Understanding different concepts of the stories alleviated my own ideas, and I formed better opinions on the different epics.

What I Learned

I have learned so much from working on this blog. Having to use my brain and think deeper about topics that we discussed in class in order to compile my thoughts into a post was an extremely difficult task, however I believe I have been able to learn more throughout this experience. I have gained knowledge about an assortment of things, including the true definition of an epic hero. Beowulf, Gilgamesh, and Achilles are all examples of epic heroes because they have supernatural strength, they risk death for the greater good, and most importantly they are courageous. Not only have I learned about epic heroes, but also the importance of technology in our society today. Without technology, this learning experience could not have been possible.

What I Learned

During my time of reading about epic heroes and blogging I have learned quite a lot. I have learned that heroes during this time had to be extremely strong, courageous, smart, and loyal. They also fought to gain fame and immortality so they could be remembered and spoken of for years after their death. Blogging about the epics of Beowulf, Gilgamesh, and, The Iliad has helped me to understand more about the heroes than just reading about them. This experience will also help me to be a better blogger in the future.

What I Learned

Through the journey of epics and the blog, I have learned quite a few things. The first thing I learned is that being a true hero does not exactly mean carrying a huge sword and killing monsters, but by having heroic characteristics such as: courage, leadership, loyalty and many more. In Gilgamesh, Enkidu represents those characteristics by leading Gilgamesh to Humbaba. The second thing I learned is how to create a blog and how to post and reply on it, which will help me in the future. In all, I think the epics and the blog have helped me realize what it is to be a true hero and how to be a blogger.

This quote represents a true hero. 

This is a picture of Enkidu and Gilgamesh.

What I Learned

Although proving to be quite challenging, working on the Battle of the Royal Epics blog also turned out to be quite a learning experience in terms of both the epic heroes and the technology used to input and manage the information on the blog. I learned, most of all, about the attributes of a true hero, and which hero out of the three, proved to be the truest. I decided that the true hero, who showed the greatest loyalty, bravery, honor, and willingness to help out his fellow man makes him the greater in comparison to the other two "heroes". Other learning experiences included figuring out how to access the blog and and how to post our opinions and reply to others. Working on this blog provided a great deal of knowledge on both the three epic heroes, and the technology used to function the blog.

What I Learned

During my study of the ancient epic heroes in Mrs. Dunivant's class, I learned there are many different kinds of heroes in the world, and that heroes have changed over the course of many centuries in the reasons why they fight and the technology the heroes used to defeat enemies. Heroes today are similar to Beowulf because they believe that it is their rightful duty to come to the aid of others and that it would place them in history forever. However, Gilgamesh and Achilles may not be viewed as heroes today since their deeds would oppose what heroic acts are today. Heroes today wouldnot risk the lifes of others over something so pointless like Gilgamesh, or go seeking revenge over a life lost in battle like Achilles, which could result in the death of one person or more. Of course, technology has advanced much over many centuries and the way heroes conduct themselves and how they resolve their obstacles. Centuries ago, during Beowulf, Gilgamesh, and Achilles' era, riding among a horse, wielding a sword, spear, or bow was the common weapon used in battle, and that plates of armor was the suit of a warrior. Fast forward to present day 2013, heroes ride in vehicles, aircraft, or submarines, carrying loaded guns or knives while wearing bullet proof vests instead of metal armor. Over the course of many days in Mrs. Dunivant's class, I learned the difference in heroes from ancient ages and presetn day heroes, and was able to distinguish the different meanings of what made a hero.

What I Learned

By doing this blog, I feel like it helped teach me how to be an active member of a blog. It also really helped me understand the three epics that we have read in class. My favorite thing that I learned about the stories by doing this blog was, how significant the armor was in Beowulf and The Iliad. In both of these stories, we talked about how the armor is very important because it is passed down through family members. In Beowulf ,we read how his mail shirt, or armor, saved his life in numerous battles and in The Iliad, we learned that since Achilles new the armor that Hector was wearing, it gave an advantage and he was able to kill Hector. So by doing this blog I feel that there were several things that I realized about the these three stories that I had not realized when we talked about it in class.

Achilles killing Hector

An example of Beowulf's Mail Shirt

What I Learned

Throughout this class project I learned many different aspects about the epics we read and the technology we had to use. During this process we had to describe the epics Beowulf, Gilgamesh, and The Iliad. We had to post our opinions about them on a blog we created. After reading some of the other students post, I realized that these epics had many similarities and differences that I had not previously realized. For example, I learned that every hero had assistance during their battles in some way. I also learned that not every hero necessarily had to fight a monster to gain fame, as in the story The Iliad, where Achilles had to fight a fellow human. I learned that even through we all read the same stories everyone interprets them differently as shown in our posts.

Here is Achilles with the help of Athena, battling their rival Hector.

What I learned

During the adventure of learning about the royal epics and creating a blog I have not only learned historically but also learned new things technologicaly. Historically, I have learned a great deal of material towards the royal epics but what I found most interesting between Beowulf, The Illiad, and Gilgamesh, is that Beowulf's ancestors were the founders of the swastika, which is a twisted cross. Technologically, I learned how to create a blog, set up templates, and insert pictures, which I thought was a useful thing to learn for my college future. During the adventure of learning about the royal epics and creating a blog I have not only learned historically but also learned new things technologically, which were great for me to learn for my later educational life.

The Real Story of Gilgamesh

The epic Gilgamesh is not only an epic hero destroying Humbaba with his foil Enkidu, but in fact the character is based on eleven clay tablets containing cuneiform script in the 600's B.C. Cuneiform scripts are wedge-shaped characters used as a writing system by the Mesopotamian's. There were about 25,000 tablets found close to present day Jerusalem, at Nineveh in buried ruins of an Assyrian library, including the eleven clay tablets used to construct the epic of Gilgamesh. Scholars believe Gilgamesh was an actual king who rules over Uruk between 2700 and 2500 B.C. In addition, he becomes a legendary figure for centuries to scholars; however, to younger generations Gilgamesh is not a real hero nor friend to Enkidu throughout the poem. The epic of Gilgamesh helps scholars reveal a great deal about the Mesopotamian's, including their pessimistic views on existence and their behavior in their surroundings.

Comparing Achilles and Hector

Comparing Achilles and Hector, both are princes in ancient times, and loyal to their people. Although they are enemies, both are similar in many ways; for example, both men are fighting to protect their homes and people of their great cities. Achilles is the prince of Greece, and fights for the loss of his dearest friend, Patroclus. Hector is the prince of Troy, and fights for the safety of himself, and his people. Even though the two are enemies, both have the same ethics and family values.

Grendel vs Humbaba

There are several differences between Grendel and Humbaba. Grendel was eating everyone in Herrot. Humbaba had his forest attacked, and destroyed by Gilgamesh. Grendel had every right to die, whereas Humbaba had no right to be killed, because he never started anything. I think Humbaba was a better character than Grendel, because Grendel kept going into Herrot where he had no business being, and he ate innocent people of the meadhall. Humbaba stayed in the Cedar Forest minding his own business, until Gilgamesh started wrecking his territory.