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.

Though each hero approaches his conflicts in a totally distinct manner, the goal that both are seeking is immortality. "Monkey answers that, like Gilgamesh seeking wisdom from Utnapishtim, he has come to learn the secret of...

The seeking of immortality by both heroes is especially intriguing in that the goal of mankind, at least according to these two super-heroes has always been to live forever, and each hero's particular journey leads him to understand exactly how that immortality can be achieved.
Observing how to very unique and different cultures approach the same subject, the same objective and in both cases, uses a journey of peril and danger to achieve that objective is enlightening. Both stories allow the reader to understand and carefully comprehend the ancient message of what we, as human beings, will endure if we believe the reward is big enough. The similarities of the goals and objectives from both stories leads the reader to believe that perhaps mankind is much more closely aligned than some experts would have us believe.

Works Cited

Hooker, R. (1999) Mesopotamia: Gilgamesh, http://www.wsu.edu/~dee/MESO/GILG.HTM, Accessed November 14, 2007

Study Guide to Monkey, http://www.nvcc.edu/home/dashkenas/MONKEY.htm, Accessed November 14, 2007