1. The beginnings of their journey through their stories seem quite similar. They are both treated unfairly, Medea is left for another woman, while Achilles had his “prize” taken away. They also both  made deals with themselves that if a particular thing went their way that they would help those that needed their intervention. Achilles’s deal was that is he was given gifts, then he would help the Greeks win the war. Medea made a deal with her ex that if his wife allowed her children to remain in the land they were living in, then all would be forgive. The last thing that the two characters have in common in ther plotlines is that they kill one of the people responsible for their hurt. For Medea that is the ew wife and for Achilles that would be Hector.

I would not consider Medea to be a hero in the sense of a hero being a person that brings hope and saves those in need of it. The only person that Medea helped was herself, although she did believe that her children were better off dying by her hand.

2. The reason that Job accepts God’s assertion is because Job was not asking the right question. He was asking the question on “why?” when he should have been asking what God was trying to teach him. It is impossible to refute the inconsequentiality of human knowledge when it is put against the infinite knowledge of God. Because of this is was not in Job’s abilities to comprehend God’s decisions and everything that underlies those decisions. Job was underestimating God’s greatness and questioning his wisdom. Another thing that Job gained from the experience besides a deeper understanding of who God is, is that he was motivated to pray and in turn grew spiritually. It was not up to Job whether to suffer or not, but it was up to him to put his complete, unaltered faith in God’s command.

I do find the end to this dialogue satisfactory, because, as a Christian, it is a good reminder that I am not ultimately in control, and when I am feeling helpless that is when I need to turn to God and give him all, even though that is when it is the hardest. It’s very hard to not misrepresent God and to see him as a being with flaws, but as Job is told, God is a being with infinite wisdom and understanding. This is such an easy thing to forget and Job is a great book to be reminded of that.

Achilles and Hector are both seen as the best fighters from their groups. They are both relied on heavily for the   fighting to be done in the war. The final standoff between the two is foreshadowing for the end of the war between the Greeks and the Trojans. Whoever wins is the best fighter among both armies and thus the army they belong to has the upper hand in the war.

Achilles is brought back to balance by thinking about how his father would have been affected if the circumstances had been reversed. This transformation shows that although the excitement of war can be overwhelming and can take over a person’s being, there is always an underlying part that craves emotional peace and the well being of others.

I think the Warrior Code and the Familial Code are not mutually exclusive, because the Warrior Code can be employed to protect one’s family, which is part of the Familial Code. When victory is over someone who is intending harm on a loved one, then the family is spared and honor is given by the family.

One of Gilgamesh’s calls to adventure is after Enkidu’s death. This makes Gilgamesh worried and he wants to find the secret to eternal life. The threshold guardians would be the two scorpions at the gate. He is then helped by the innkeeper and Ur-Shanabi. Gilgamesh then has a revelation as to his inability to live forever when he sleeps for a week. He is then given a flower, which he uses, and he has to accept that. He returns with a better understanding and acceptance of his mortality.

The first theme is seen in his unwillingness to accept death and the discomfort he gets from thinking about it.

I think that Gilgamesh’s journey was a success, because eternal life means nothing if it is nto spent well. As the story started out, Gilgamesh was not a good ruler and he was childish. By the end of the story he gained experiences which changed the way in which he viewed the world. If he had not lost the plant, Gilgamesh would have lived in constant dread of not being able to find another one and fearing death. However, by accepting death, he can now live better and not waste his time on inconsequential things.

A  series of films that I thought of which  follows the thread of The Hero’s Journey is The Lord of the Rings trilogy. The formula was appropriated well, because the storyline moves in the usual way that viewers are used to seeing, without being blatantly obvious. The first theme of reconciliation of consciousness is seen in the beginning when the hero, Frodo, sees Bilbo acting strangely while writing and after his birthday party. Frodo is then called to the adventure of taking the ring to Mordor  by Gandalf. Once he leaves the known world of the Shire,  Frodo is given the help of the fellowship to help him through his many trials. The revelation happens at Mount Doom when Frodo is faced with the final act of throwing the ring into the fire. He dies when he chooses to walk away, but is rebirthed when Gollum and the ring are thrown down together. Atonement is achieved when the battle outside of Mordor is won by Gandalf, the fellowship, and the troops. And finally everyone returns hoe to their own land and Aragorn returns to his throne.

I don’t think that movies can meet human needs, but I think they can help in the process of discovering how to fulfill those needs. Movies are a form of art, and I believe that art is made to portray a part of the human condition. People view art to see a reflection of their own selves in the piece, albeit through mystery, belonging, or how to navigate  transitions.