The Archetypal Quest - Comparing The Epic of Gilgamesh...

The Archetypal Quest In almost every book you read, you will find that someone always has to go on some sort of journey or quest (Rice). If you examine each quest closely, you will notice that they are all very similar (Rice). When things are used repeatedly like that, they are said to have an archetypal pattern (Rice). The quest on which all these heroes go on is referred to as the archetypal quest (Rice). â€Å"The Wizard of Oz† focuses on a small-town girl living in Kansas. â€Å"The Epic of Gilgamesh† focuses on an arrogant king who rules the city of Uruk. The Wizard of Oz and The Epic of Gilgamesh were written 5000 years apart, but they both contain the elements that make them archetypal quests. One of the stages in the hero’s quest is when†¦show more content†¦This big section of the story can be categorized as tests and obstacles (Rice). Gilgamesh encounters various mental and physical tests and obstacles. He must travel the long journey to see Utnapishtim. He also must travel to the bottom of the ocean to retrieve the sacred plant. He encounters a mental obstacle when he finds out that he cannot gain immortality the way Utnapishtim did. He is also tested with the loaves of bread by Utnapishtim’s wife. Dorothy is constantly tested by the Wicked Witch of the West. The witch kidnaps her and uses poppies to try to prevent Dorothy from reaching Emerald City (The Wizard†¦). Dorothy is also tested when she gets to Emerald City because she has to kill the witch and she finds out the wizard is only a con artist (The Wizard†¦). Dorothy gains three main allies on her journey: The Lion, The Tin Man, and The Scarecrow (The Wizard†¦). They help Dor othy get to Emerald City and eventually kill the witch (The Wizard†¦). These tests and obstacles that the heroes must encounter are all part of the archetypal pattern (Rice). One of the most devastating parts of the story is during the phase commonly referred to as the supreme ordeal (Rice). This is when the hero touches rock bottom and faces the possibility of death (Rice). The hero may be losing an epic battle or may be trapped in the enemy’s evil lair (Rice). Gilgamesh touches rock bottom when he realizes that he cannot gain immortality the way Utnapishtim