Post 1: Consequences of abuse of power. I would say the Prometheus tale illustrates the consequences of abusing power. He stole fire from the Gods to “help humanity,” but he had to face the consequences in return. As the prompt described, the consequences were being “bound to a mountain, condemned to an eternity of suffering as an eagle feasted on his liver”.

Post 1:

Consequences of abuse of power.

I would say the Prometheus tale illustrates the consequences of abusing power. He stole fire from the Gods to “help humanity,” but he had to face the consequences in return. As the prompt described, the consequences were being “bound to a mountain, condemned to an eternity of suffering as an eagle feasted on his liver”. 

 Prometheus’ actions of trying to help humanity faced the most consequences compared to the other two readings of Gilgamesh and Pandora. Even though Gilgamesh lost a friend and learned that death was inevitable no matter his attempts. Which the reading described as“ a simple yet impossible task”. Gilgamesh didn’t face consequences. I feel as if he just learned a lesson at the end of everything.

 As for Pandora , her actions alone were the consequences of humanity for what Prometheus did to anger the Gods by stealing fire. Furthermore, showing how Prometheus’s actions were the most severe and had the most consequences.

This could serve as a reminder that yes, sometimes ambition can drive us to do amazing things, along with pushing us forward. We’ve got to be aware that there is a natural order to things in life, and it should be respected. Humility reminds us we’re part of a bigger picture it’s recognizing that some things just shouldn’t be messed with, even if it’s tempting.

Post 2:

Myths exploring the thirst for knowledge, the draw of ambition, and the rewards for humility

In The Epic of Gilgamesh the protagonist tries to escape knowledge of his mortality when he learns that a source of immortality exists. He is punished for these attempts by failing to complete what should have been simple tasks for a man of his caliber. The story of Prometheus involves knowledge but is more about disobedience and acceptance of consequences than the thirst for knowledge. It is more a story of the repercussions of bestowing forbidden knowledge to others rather than seeking it for personal gain. His punishment is born by himself alone as he is tormented with physical pain for eternity. The story of Pandora is more related to the pursuit of knowledge beyond our bounds. Despite being incredibly gifted Pandora’s curiosity and lack of satisfaction lead her to unleash punishment on humankind. “All the trapped evils inside were unleashed into the world.” Pandora’s pursuit of knowledge has repercussions not just for herself but also for everyone for the rest of existence. Compared to the other two stories, the repercussions of crossing boundaries for the sake of personal knowledge elicits a stronger negative response from the gods.

Gilgamesh’s story is a fantastic example of balancing ambition and humility. Gilgamesh aspires to eternal life so that he can continue to make impacts on humanity, but fails to do so at every attempt. When confronted with the challenge of staying awake for a week straight, he fails despite all of his other accomplishments. “Sleep… overcomes Gilgamesh as soon as he sat down.” He continues to meet failure after a snake steals an immortality granting plant. Gilgamesh is humbled by his failures and accepts his limitations. It is at this point he is rewarded for his humility with an appreciation of his legacy and of the fleeting nature of existence.