¶ … ancient culture had its own views of right and wrong, of what made individuals weak or strong, their own views of religion and politics, what role women should play, and ideas regarding courage, wisdom and death. Reading Antigone, Beowulf and Gilgamesh demonstrates that reading epic stories from ancient cultures can tell us a great deal about their societal norms.
Antigone demonstrates views of right and wrong as the king, Creon, grapples with how to punish Antigone for defying his order not to provide a burial for her brother Polynices. The struggle between strength and weakness is shown in Creon's actions; he needs to appear strong in front of his people, but if he allows Antigone to defy his edict, he will appear weak. He believes that the strength of the city-state depends on whether he remains strong or not. The conflict involves the Greek religious belief that without a proper burial, Polynices cannot enter the afterlife. The decision to deny him this is a political one in conflict with religious beliefs. The play demonstrates that women played an important role in society; without a strong woman to champion Polynices, Creon's law wouuld not have been defied. Creon acquires the wisdom to be more flexible too late, and develops the courage to back down too late.
Beowulf confronts the ideas of right and wrong by idealizing the two main characters,...
Beowulf demonstrates important traits valued by the Germanics of the time, including loyalty, courtesy and Pride. Grendel, however, has descended from Cain, who killed his better brother. He is angry, blames others for his problems, and never shows remorse for the wrong things he does. The poem also demonstrates what the culture considered strong and weak. Family heritage was a point of pride, but even an orphan, as shown in Beowulf's father, was able to establish status for who he was by conducting himself as a hero. Religious conflict is shown in Beowulf because although Beowulf is a
Christian, he is strongly influenced by Germanic Pagan values as well. For instance, while Christianity emphasizes the
afterlife as more important than one's short life on
Earth, Beowulf's culture glorifies heroic acts. While Christianity emphasizes forgiveness, the Pagan influences demand retaliation for wrongs. In Beowulf's world, men were clearly more important than women: the opening of the poem emphasizes paternal lineage, and -- unlike both Antigone and Gilgamesh -- women do not play a prominent part the epic. Courage is emphasized in Beowulf, with life depicted, for men, as the pursuit of glory. This puts the men's lives at
risk, but
death in such a pursuit is considered honorable.
In Gilgamesh, the protagonist's journey…
