Monkey/Gilgamesh When Comparing the Ancient

Monkey/Gilgamesh

When comparing the ancient heroes Gilgamesh and the Monkey King the similarities in both characters are surprising and intriguing in nature. The parallels are interesting because the two stories have much the same theme but were written on two separate continents during two distinctly separate eras, yet the themes of both stories sound eerily familiar.

Gilgamesh is the world's first super-hero and the reader discovers the stories of his fantastic deeds on tablets dating back to approximately 2000 BC. The tablets describe Gilgamesh as "two-thirds god and one-third human, is the greatest king on earth and the strongest super-human that ever existed; however, he is young and oppresses his people harshly" (Hooker, 1999)

Monkey is also described in a super-human manner and acquiring super-human skills. Monkey is initially described as a 'stone monkey' with extraordinary skills. "This stone monkey is an extraordinary creature of boundless energy and "steely eyes" that shoot "golden light." It immediately attracts the attention of the divine forces of intelligence, called Thousand-League-Eye and Wind-Knowing-Ears" (Study).

In both the story of Gilgamesh and the story of Monkey, each hero travels on a journey that could be described as a journey of life. It is interesting to note that both characters begin their journey by displaying the 'bad' side of their particular character. Both heroes initially oppress their followers, but as they travel this 'life' journey they both evolve into super-heroes that help their people rather than oppress them.

Both characters are also seeking fortune and redemption on their journeys, yet the tone of both stories could not be more different. This difference could be primarily due to the culture and traditions of the people the stories originated from. One strong factor could be due to the fact that "Western traditions, whether monotheistic or pagan, taught and still teach that every human soul lives only once. The Eastern traditions teach that the human soul lives many lifetimes; therefore, no single death is ever final" (Monkey). Therefore, the tone of the Gilgamesh stories take on a far more somber tone than the exploits of Monkey.

If the missteps of Gilgamesh seem to be taken far more seriously than do the shenanigans of Monkey, it is likely due to the fact that Western civilization is far more prone to punishing an individual's misdeeds than Eastern civilization that takes a much more learned attitude towards those same types of circumstances.

In the Western tradition every sin, crime, or mistake is like a wrong answer on a single final exam the soul must not fail" (Monkey), but a far more understanding approach is taken by Eastern society where, "no matter what you do you get a second chance -- and a third, fourth, and fifteenth, ad infinitum" (Monkey).

Since Gilgamesh, who hails from Western civilization, has only one life to live, and presumably that one life is very precious to him, he is far more likely to have his companions fight his battle(s) for him, far more likely to place them in immediate danger, and far more likely to think first of saving his own skin than does that of Monkey. Monkey, hailing from the Eastern tradition, loves to jump into the fray, bravely fighting his adversaries and leading his companions into the midst of challenges that Gilgamesh seems totally afraid to confront.

While Monkey is maniacally fighting the demons, monsters and gods placed before him (usually taking on the role of instigator), Gilgamesh is hiding from Humbaba the Terrible in the Cedar Forest. He does not actually fight the guardian of the forest until his traveling companion exhorts him to be brave.