• The Islamic religion differs from Christianity and Jews, by the way you get into heaven. The Islamic religion believes that they must live a life of good. There good actions must outweigh their bad actions to get into heaven. Believing in the Muslim religion is not enough they must live it out in their everyday life. While Christians believe that as long as you have asked the lord for forgiveness and have accepted Jesus as your lord and savior you will be able to enter into the gates of heaven. Both religions share the same idea of hell. I noticed that the Islamic religion mentions hell and Satan much more than the Christian and Jews bible. Which is interesting, it seems as every story of The Koran, Satan and hell is mentioned this differs from the Old Testament.
• To a Pagan audience hearing the story of the birth of Jesus is nothing out of the ordinary. For Achilles is said  to be half god, half human. Demi-gods and the gods having sons was commonly seen throughout Pagan literature. Sacrifices also were common in Pagan literature. Therefore the birth of Christ and the sacrifice he made should be fairly familiar to the Pagan’s literature.
• The gods found in Gilgamesh and The Iliad take sides. For instance in the Iliad they choose their favorite mortal and help that mortal to succeed. The mortal they picked  is because of his strength and characteristics not because they have prayed and trying to be a righteous person. As for the god in the Old Testament he could very easily choose a side. He could pick the more righteous man over the sinner but he chooses not. He sees greatness in both the Sinner who has repented for his sins and the righteous man. The gods found in The Iliad and Gilgamesh are selfish and share many negative characteristics it seems as if there not there to help their people. As for the god in the Old Testament, he answers the prayers of his people. He sent his only begotten son to die for our sins. There is nothing selfish about this god. Human relations change because the god in the Old Testament is accepting and merciful. He accepts all shapes and sizes. Whether you have sinned most of your life and you lie on your death-bed asking forgiveness, he will forgive you. He forgives everybody and anyone as long as they ask him for forgiveness.
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1.) Achilles and Medea both let their anger overtake their thought processes. They both share a certain amount of pride that leads them into resentfulness  and making decisions that do not benefit anyone; not even their selves in the end. They both were betrayed by those closest to them. It is recommended  to forgive and forget; not go on barbaric rampages of killing everybody.

I do not consider Medea as a  a hero.   Yes she was betrayed and her husband did her wrong. She and her children should have not been sent into exile. But she could have handled the situation a bit differently. Certainly not using manipulation of her children and killing them in the end. There is nothing heroic about that. She could have sought out another form of revenge certainly one that does not result in her own children’s death. I was pretty horrified by that.

2.)  Though Job had faith in god, he seemed to have questioned his faith in god when pain and suffering was sent his way. Thus the voice of the whirlwind did not answer jobs questions; it was a reminder to Job of the power god holds over humankind and how little knowledge humans know of the creature of all earth.  Though Jobs family was not replaced to him, he has faith in god that is why he is satisfied with what he is given.

I did find the ending very satisfactory. If you believe in god that does not mean you are exempt from any sort of pain and suffering it means that you are not alone and he will not leave you to suffer alone. Many times when someone is experiencing pain and suffering that is when they are brought closer to god. For example; Job had faith in god and was a good man to begin with but he said so himself “I knew you, but only by rumor; my eye has beheld you today’ (42). Though he experienced pain and suffering he was restored his riches but not his family. For his relationship with god grew much stronger as well as his faith.

1. Achilles is the bravest of the Achaean; he comes by violence and lives for violence, he was born for battle. Yet he lets his anger overtake him and withdraws from the battle to punish his commander and fellow princes. Resulting in the death of his  close friend Patroclus.  Achilles  decides to fight with his intentions to kill Hector.

Hector the greatest champion of the Trojans. He is loyal to his fellow Trojans and fights bravely for peace. Even though he loves his wife and child more than anything he knows he must fight. Hoping for a future full of peace but knowing in the back of his mind that the city will crumble and his child will be left an orphan.

Hector and Achilles are both brave leaders. They are both looked up to by their fellow people. Achilles comes across as selfish and in it for himself. He chose not to fight in the battle due to anger and in spite of his commander and princes. But when he lost his friend, is when he chose to fight to gain revenge for Patroclus’s death. Hector on the other hand fights for the peace of his people. Even though he has the chance to stay with his wife and child, he still chose to fight in the battle. When he knows what the outcome will be.

2. Achilles is brought to balance when Hector’s father touches his heart. Priam suffers from the pain of his sons who were killed in battle. Achilles remembers that he has a father that he will not get to see again. Achilles gives Priam, Hector’s body to be buried honorably. For both Priam and Achilles share the pain of losing a loved one. Achilles anger has made a full circle. For both the Achaeans lost loved one as well as the Trojans. This communicates that war is very much so ugly. As the book says people are constantly faced with death and yet manage to find meaning in that death. I think that is what Achilles came to realize the meaning of all the deaths that took place during battle. With the result that he is soon to face his own death.

3. The Warrior Code and The Familial Code are not mutually exclusive. In fact they seem to butt heads with each other. As much as Hector would have liked to have stayed with his wife and child during the battle; He was unable to do so. It was more honorable and noble to fight in the war than to stay with his family. He knew that it would bring his son and wife honor and glory if he fought in the battle, even if he did not return. Even if his son was left an orphan. The same as for Achilles he chose to fight in battle than to stay with his aging father because at that time period to fight in battle brought glory, honor and bravery to your people.

Gilgamesh

1. The stages of the Hero’s Journey are very much present in the story of Gilgamesh. The stage of departure takes place when Enkidu’s call to adventure is to help Gilgamesh to  become better and quit his mischievous ways. The initiation stage takes flight on their journey into the Cedar forest to kill Humbaba, the guardian of the Cedar forest. Gilgamesh and Enkidu are able to defeat the beast and kill him. Enlil is upset that Humbaba is dead, and curses the heroes. They meet another obstacle in the initiation phase which maybe the Woman as the temptress, Ishtar comes and wants to marry Gilgamesh. But Gilgamesh chooses to reject the marriage with Ishtar. Ishtar sends the Bull of Heaven. Gilgamesh and Enkidu defeat the bull. The victory results in the death of Enkidu.  Gilgamesh takes Enkidu’s death very hard, for he has lost his best friend. In the stage of return, Gilgamesh takes off on a journey of his own seeking Utnapishtim. He is seeking eternal life to avoid death. In the process, he fails the tasks at hand to reach eternal life.

2. I believe the Four Functions of Mythology are active in the story Gilgamesh. Gilgamesh transforms from a beast to human such as performing mischievous acts into becoming a hero. Mystical is clear when Gilgamesh loses his best friend Enkidu. He didn’t want to accept his death but still had to press on. Cosmological is found in the unknowns of the world around Gilgamesh and Enkidu. Sociological was the social norms found in their society, hence Gilgamesh and Enkidu were both male and heroic. Psychological supported Gilgamesh through the changes that took place in his world.

3. Though Gilgamesh did not succeed in his mission for eternal life, He was able to succeed in his heroic acts to forever live on. A lot of times when one goes searching for a certain thing, they end up finding another. Take Gilgamesh for instance, he went searching for eternal life after seeing the death of his best friend but ended up finding his heroic acts will live on forever even though he may not. Gilgamesh explores the mysteries of the human condition; the relations between the gods, between nature and civilization, and a special bond of friendship. These findings are well worth the replacement of eternal youth.

The general formula described in the video from our lecture notes appropriately fits the movie Eragon. Eragon is a male of lowly birthright and his parents are absent; He falls under the Characteristics of the Hero. The movie begins with a farm boy working on his uncle’s farm. His parents left him at a young age. When he went hunting he came across a “force’ that was bestowed upon him after encountering a dragon egg. Eragon held on to the dragon egg, within the next day it hatched in the barn on the farm. It is said that a dragon egg will only hatch when in the presence of their dragon rider.

This is where the stage “Departure’ takes place. Eragon was called to the adventure. He and his dragon were to overtake the king and his army. Thus dragons and their dragon riders can ride freely once again. Eragon wished to refuse the call after his uncle was murdered back at the farm by ‘man like creatures’ that were sent by the king to kill him. Eragon crosses his First Threshold when he meets Brom; who is familiar with the past when dragons and there riders rode freely throughout the land of Alagaesia. Brom counseled Eragon on what needed to be done to defeat the king.

Eragon entered the initiation phase when he was lead to his Road of trials through a dream; Princess Arya calls to him asking for help. (A trick played out by a shade, one of the kings men.) Eragon is mesmerized by Arya’s beauty. He proceeds to go against Brom and rushes to save the princess. He was lead to the evil Kings castle where he found Princess Arya, who says “You shouldn’t have come.’ His first meeting with the Goddess takes place in this scene. After a battle takes place and Brom dies, Eragon is able to rescue Princess Arya.

The Stage of Return takes place when Eragon and his dragon, along with the people of Alagaesia come together to defeat the Evil king and his army. After the battle was  won Eragon reached the stage of The Freedom to Live. Eragon is the hero of the movie who saved Alagaesia. From that point on dragons and their dragon riders are able to live happily ever after and roam freely throughout the land. I heard the sequel to Eragon will be out soon. It will be exciting to see what the next one brings!

The Four Functions of Mythology to Today’s Cinema

I do believe certain movies meet the needs expressed in the four functions of mythology. Disney movies are an all-time favorite for children and even adults. They give children with a sense of imagination and thoughts to ponder. I am very fond of the most recent Disney movies such as Brave, Tangled, and Frozen. Disney has changed the dynamics of the princesses in their most recent films.  For instance, the princesses are venturing out on their own instead of waiting for a prince charming. Every now and then it is nice to sit back and watch a Disney movie or any other cheerful movie that can give people with a sense of comfort and even drain away any anxieties one may face in their day-to-day activities.

Science Fiction movies such as Elysium and The Hunger Games also meet the needs of the four functions of mythology. They leave the viewers with something to think about and ponder what the world will be like in the future.

As far as scary movies go, I do not think they fit the four functions of mythology. Yes some people enjoy the adrenaline rush that they give, yet they also fill people with unnecessary thoughts and ideas. I’m not sure that any movie that gives people nightmares is really beneficial to society.