In the early years, religion was considered as an expression of the society itself. Religion sets forth morals and values to the lives of humankind. In Sin-Leqi-Unninni’s text the Epic of Gilgamesh, the gods are represented as powerful human-like creatures; however with faults and whims of their own. In William Shakespear’s play Hamlet, the acts of Prince Hamlet were mainly influenced by the standard beliefs of his religion. Both texts portray distinctive religious aspects. Both texts of Hamlet and Gilgamesh, sets forth a major role for religion that focuses primarily on their journey of maturation and death.
The Epic of Gilgamesh portrays the hero-king of ancient Mesopotamia. Mesopotamians are a society of polytheism that are attached to natural phenomena with gods, having a favorite or least favorite to guide or destroy. In the text, Gilgamesh, the powerful and strongest ruler of Uruk, overrules his subjects with heavy workload and takes advantage over the bride by sexually assaulting them. This was brought to the point, where the subjects were having a necessity to pray to the gods for relief. The gods heard their prayers and enacted on their issue through the creation of Enkidu, a matchmaker of Gilgamesh.The role of gods displays comfort and relief to the problems faced by humanity so, people can live a peaceful and joyful life. In comparison to Gilgamesh, Hamlet points out the “last four things”an individual undergoes in his life. It brings a theological view that each individual faces death and judgement, heaven, or hell. Hamlet’s famous “to be or not to be” speech is portrayed as the desire for Hamlet to contemplate suicide but, he refrains from it as he believes his spirit might end up in hell, if he commits suicide.The role of religion shapes individuals distinctively in taking certain decisions from a religious perspective.
The book of Hamlet represents religion in the ideology of Monotheism. In christian view, judgement is gained ahead through Christ’s death; however they should follow Christ by leading a perfect christian life. On the other hand, dying in a state of sin, without being in the state of grace, could eventually lead the person to atonement, which can lead to punishments such as, eternal hell or torment,based on the severity of sins committed. Hamlet decides to not murder Claudius, the new king while, he is praying, intending to kill him, while he is in a state of repentence could sent him in heaven and place hamlet in hell. Therefore, he plans to kill his father’s murderer in a drunken state or while he is having his pleasurable moments, so he dies in a state of sin. Prince Hamlet intends such a death to Claudius, because the ghost of Hamlet’s father mentions that his life was taken during the verge of all his detestable sins and corruption, not giving him time to repent, represents that he came from a purgatory rather than hell. In the text of Gilgamesh, the humanlike gods are easily angered by the acts of the heroes and allocates death as punishment. In the Epic of Gilgamesh, Enkidu was chosen to die as a result of both their actions especially, killing the bull of heaven, which was sent to kill the heroes, for rejecting the goddess of love, Ishtar, and murdering Humbaba. The afterlife fragmented by Enkidu is, as a dark place, where people are clothed in feathers and fed on clay particles, where humans would never want to exist.
127 our experts are availableright now
The Epic of Gilgamesh focuses on the hindu religion, as they have specific gods for love, war, shelter, sun, moon and water. Atonements in the polytheistic religion were legitly based on subjective views. Repentance of sins can not lead the guilty to heaven, every individual has to go through the dark place, which is believed to be in the underworld, no matter how perfect or imperfect they lead their life on earth. The gods have relationships in which they choose their favorite mortals to guide and sometimes, choose their least favorite to destroy. Such as, when Enlil decides to destroy mankind in the flood, and Ea guides Utnapishtim by guiding him to build a boat, this leads to Utnapishtim to divine mortality. However, Hamlet focuses on the christian religion which is a monotheistic religion. Each individual is accountable for his actions at the moment of his death. Atonements are legitly based on all the good and bad one does in their body. Repentance of sin can lead the guilty to heaven. In both the texts, there is a role for death that presides in the journey of their life. Death is inevitable and every religion portrays that there is life after death, which is a distinctive experience. Both of the texts do not clearly explain the aftermath of death, However; in Hamlet that fear of aftermath of death, as much as any desire to continue living, turns away Hamlet from killing himself and it was mentioned in Gilgamesh that those last moments Enkidu had the vision of his afterlife where he is turned into a bird like creature overpowered by the goddess in the underworld, who has a scribe to herself, which talks about the fate of each people.
The Epic of Gilgamesh and Hamlet unfolds about the religion’s role in the shaping of culture which leads to the maturation in their lives. Societies have centralized religion for their cultural practices and beliefs. There are doctrines in every religion that an individual is expected to follow. In Hamlet, the death of Ophelia, the hero’s lover was given a limited and improper funeral service, because death by suicide is considerd to be a grave matter, an object of mortal sin. Religion shapes the choices made by an individual. Hamlet could not come to his senses regarding the issue of his father’s death before, as he lost his consciousness but, in act five, Hamlet is transformed religiously more conscious to act on the quest to avenge his father’s death as well as stop the debauchery of his uncle. He does not commit suicide though he was contemplated, because he complies with the orders of his god and got more pious, when he was shocked and upset with his mother’s marriage. His religious passion influences the time of his killing, as he waited for Claudius to kill him in the state of his sins and not while he is praying. Hamlet through his faith tries to control his behavior balancing rage with his religious belief. Masculine identity is important in the culture of Mesopotamia seen mainly through Gilgamesh and Enkidu. In the epic of Gilgamesh’s journey for his search for a cure to be immortal begins with his spiritual path. Enkidu achieving the vision of afterlife and the knowledge about the conversation of gods shaped Gilgamesh’s point of view about his life. His behavior changed to a moral character towards his subjects as he realized that he can not take anything along with him in his deathbed. This consciousness that afterlife is far more different than their present life shaped both the behaviors of the characters, Hamlet and Gilgamesh.
Religion is a theme in both context interconnected with death, as the role of death goes hand in hand with religion. Society follows the doctrine of the religion as it provides integrity and a sense of wellbeing. Disobeying, or breaking the laws has its own consequences such as death or atonement to hell or heaven. Every action is accountable for judgement. Hamlet and Gilgamesh views distinctive perspectives of doctrines that are followed by different religions.
