Chp XV: Perseus, Medusa, Atlas, and Andromeda

The three myths I read for today have everything to do with one another, as they belong to the same chapter and focus on the same characters; Perseus.

I was able to compare Perseus with Gilgamesh himself in various ways. First, we can say both characters are one in a kind. Say, Perseus was born as a God, but then sent away with his mother by his grandpa, as he had been told by some oracle something about this newborn killing him. Then Gilgamesh, is part human part Gods, therefore superior in a way than other humans; he is the creator as well, of the city of Uruk, and someone who none would dare fight.

With the characteristics they have, either Perseus or Gilgamesh have their own unique way or perceiving the world, and others. Gilgamesh, believing he is superior, demands respect and shows seriousness towards others. Perseus, he is not quite used to being loved, and is unwelcome wherever he goes, cause of what prophecies have said. He is seeking to gain respect and therefore is strong and always willing to do his best, to defeat.

Visions affect both the epic and the myths dramatically. Perseus might have never killed the Medusa nor met Andromeda, if his grandfather had never believed what the oracle told him. When Gilgamesh told his mother about some vision he had had, and his mother’s analysis is false, Gilgamesh without knowing it, beliefs his mother, and therefore is never prepared for the arrival of his equal—Enkidu. Were this visions to be taken differently by the characters, the text would have a different result. Perseus might have belonged along with his family of Gods, and Gilgamesh would’ve prepared some type of surprise attack for Enkidu, meaning that Enkidu might have end up killed before he and Gilgamesh became friends.