Compare & Contrast Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 3

Compare & Contrast - Essay Example The former believes in one God, reflecting the monotheistic nature of Christianity while the latter pictures the polytheistic nature of the Mesopotamian religion. The Epic of Gilgamesh is a portrayal of the belief in many gods who have been actively participating in the life of one of the human characters who later was made a god, Utanapishtim. It mentions a similar experience of the main character, Gilgamesh where the gods did their part in making the tasks given, more difficult for him and making him unsuccessful in his attempt to attain the same success of Utanapishtim in becoming a god. Malthus’ essay on the other hand spoke about one God who also actively participates in what human beings do however, in contrast to Utanapishtim’s unhelping manner to Gilgamesh in his endeavors, the God the essayist speaks of is a helping God. Coming from human existence, the god Utanapishtim seemed to have humane characteristics remaining in him because he acted deceitfully towards Gilgamesh by giving task he was sure would not be attained by the man. The God of Malthus on the other hand extends help to men in their trials. The essay stands in defense to the essayist’s belief that there is a God who is after the good of men and not their destruction even though he is able to control the circumstances in a person’s life. The hardships God allows in the lives of people, he says, are meant to process him to becoming a better person and not for him to be consumed by his murmurings and complaints as he faces life’s trials. Conversely, Utanapishtim seemed to be a selfish god who looked forward to how he could use man for his benefit, as he sent Gilgamesh to the bottom of the sea to take hold of the boxthorn-like plant which could make him regain his youth, meaning to steal the plant from him in the future. This places a dividing lie between the gods presented in the literary pieces being examined in this paper. In the epic, Gilgamesh