A True Hero in the Epic of Gigamesh Essay

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What makes a hero? A hero can be born into greatness and lead an ordinary life. A hero can achieve and glory greatness and carry a noble death to their name. What turns an individual into the characteristic of a “hero” will depend on the journey they set upon. From ancient Greek culture, the concept of a hero was built from idolizing a religious figure, a deceased person who received cult honors and was expected to return home bearing prosperity in forms of plants or animals, back to their people. The narrative of our literary heroes deals with a person who is mortal, unlike the Gods, and has to suffer the struggles of their fear of death during their journey to achieve glory and create peace in their world. A hero is supported by other…show more content…
First off, the hero departs on a journey, and in this circumstance, it is Gilgamesh who decides to leave home but is encouraged to take Endiku with him for guidance. Secondly, in order to gather insight about his true identity, his people, and the gods, Gilgamesh must acquire this knowledge from “supernatural powers”. The journeys of Gilgamesh further motivate him, and the hardships mirror his internal struggle to find the path of becoming a selfless and dedicated king.“...The hero is an intuitive anticipation of the development towards human consciousness of the divine in man.” (Kluger) Consequently, Gilgamesh, as the hero must learn to be satisfied with the normal pleasures of everyday human life if he is incapable of destroying himself. The resolution of the conflict resulting from the virtues of individualistic heroism and that of public responsibility and leadership will arise when Gilgamesh recognizes that he must give up the illusion of living a life not destined for him, learn to value normality in all aspects within himself, and take on the role of a natural and, therefore, effective ruler. This is achieved upon Gilgamesh's recognition that Utnapishtim is nothing more than a normal man, who received immortality not because of his heroic acts, but because he was obedient to the authority of his god's instructions. “Gilgamesh is presented to us as an individual who lives on a heroic plane and exists in spiritual isolation.” (Abusch). His hero's strength is

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