Comparison of Aeneas of the Aeneid and Gilgamesh of the Epic of GilgameshThe dominant factor in an epic is the heroic main character. This character is often the son of a god or goddess and is favored by the gods. Heroic characters are also always haunted by a constant tragedy that pushes them to fulfill their destiny. Most heroic characters have high social status and share close contact with the gods. All these qualities of heroic characters are manifested in the characters of Aeneas from the Aeneid and Gilgamesh from the Epic of Gilgamesh. In this essay I will compare and contrast the qualities and predicaments of both Aeneas and Gilgamesh. These two epic heroes share similar destinies, but are very different in personality. Gilgamesh was an arrogant tyrant of his city-state obsessed with increasing his own influence and power while Aeneas was more aloof, letting the gods and fate guide his actions. in life. Aeneas acted as a perfect pawn of the gods and was tossed around according to their whims. Gilgamesh on the contrary took fate into his own hands and attempted to achieve immortality by seeking out the immortals. Gilgamesh was a man who wanted more power than was granted to mortals and wanted his influence to be known forever. Aeneas simply wanted to fulfill the prophecy of founding Rome and making his Trojan followers happy. Of the two heroes Gilgamesh was the one who was more aggressive and pursued the more ambitious goal, although it was almost impossible to achieve. Gilgamesh wanted to have a power that only the gods possessed. He wanted to be immortal. Aeneas never sought such an unattainable task, and he was not as determined as Gilgamesh was. Aeneas just had to find a place where the defeated Trojans could settle and found a new city. Once in the story he even had to be reminded of his destiny by Jupiter when he was distracted by his love for Dido. The trials of Aeneas and Gilgamesh were very similar. Both led tragic lives and suffered the wrath of the gods. Aeneas witnessed the death of his family, his hometown razed to the ground, and fell victim to the plots of the goddess Juno during his fateful journey to Italy. Gilgamesh had seen his best friend die due to the vengeance of the gods and was emotionally crushed by it.