Comparison of Aeneas from Aeneid and Gilgamesh from 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 hounded by constant tragedy that drives them to fulfill their destiny. Most heroic figures enjoy high social status and share close contact with the gods. All of these heroic character qualities appear 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 difficulties of Aeneas and Gilgamesh. These two epic heroes share similar destinies, but have very different personalities. Gilgamesh was an arrogant tyrant of his city-state who was 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 his destiny into his own hands and attempted to gain immortality by seeking out the immortals. Gilgamesh was a man who wanted more power than mortals were allowed and wanted his influence to be known forever. Aeneas simply wanted to fulfill the prophecy of founding Rome and making his Trojan supporters happy. Of the two heroes, Gilgamesh was the one who was more aggressive and pursued the more ambitious goal, even though it was almost impossible to achieve. Gilgamesh wanted to have power that only the gods possessed. He wanted to be immortal. Aeneas never sought such an impossible task and was not as determined as Gilgamesh. Aeneas just needed to find a place where the defeated Trojans could settle and found a new city. Once in the story, Jupiter even had to remind him of his destiny 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 saw his family die, his hometown burned to the ground, and fell victim to the plots of the goddess Juno throughout his fateful journey to Italy. Gilgamesh had seen his best friend die due to the vengeance of the gods and had been emotionally crushed by it...