Dreams of Gilgamesh Essay

The story of “Gilgamesh” depicts all of the heroic triumphs and heart-breaking pitfalls a heroic narrative should depict to be able to relate to today’s audience. However, “Gilgamesh” was once considered a lost and forgotten piece of literature for thousands of years, so there is a tremendous gap between the time it was created and the time it was translated into language that today’s audience can understand. That gap in history makes several aspects of the story of “Gilgamesh” strange and unfamiliar because what we now know about ancient Middle Eastern cultures and languages is a lot less than what we know about the cultures that prospered after ancient Middle Eastern cultures. Much of the content in the story of

Two understand how the gods influenced our hero, Gilgamesh, one must first look at the various ways the gods meddled into his life. The Epic of Gilgamesh is a tale of a half-mortal man whose quest to break his own boredom turns into a tale of friendship, immortality, and kingship. However, his tale would not have been able to happen if it was not for the influence of the various Sumerian deities. After the people of Uruk complained to the gods about Gilgamesh’s child-like behavior, the goddess Aruru creates the man that will become Gilgamesh’s closest friend, Enkidu. Enkidu was created as an equal to the king so that Gilgamesh would have a way to occupy his time. Unfortunately, after the two friends defeated the giant Humbaba, a terrible demon creature, the god Enlil becomes enraged, but despite Enlil’s best effort, he is unable to punish the two.

The Epic of Gilgamesh is one of the world’s oldest existing stories that were collected in Mesopotamia. It is a story about a heroic king named Gilgamesh, who treated his people in a nasty way. He was a domineering, and cruel leader, feared by many because of his unnatural strength. He forced his people into labor in order to expand his kingdom. The people cried unto the gods and they created Gilgamesh’s equal Enkidu, who they later became friends. Gilgamesh witnessed the death of his close friend Enkidu, and this made him to search for immortality because, he was afraid to die. However, he learnt that, no human was immortal, and that he was destined to die, just like his friend Enkidu.

Ninsun interpreted the dream as a premonition of the arrival of a friend and partner whom Gilgamesh will come to love. It is also interesting to note that the tablets say that Shamhat was simultaneously giving Enkidu the same sort of prediction as Gilgamesh. (15). The tablets also seem to imply that Gilgamesh and Enkidu may have had a homosexual relationship. (11).

Dreams also play a particular role in Herodotus’ The History. Like the Oracles, dreams influence people to make certain decisions. And like the situations with the Oracles, fate also plays a role. These people had these specific dreams because they were fated to make said decisions. The dreams, possibly, were the only ways to convince them, or to ensure that fate run its course.

maker of wine, since I have seen your face do not let me see the face

In the “Epic of Gilgamesh” translated by N.K. Sanders, Gilgamesh completes a series of many challenges and obstacles, fulfilling the conditions of an archetypal quest story. In order to fulfill an archetypal quest story, the hero or protagonist must complete a series of hurdles, on their way toward achieving their goal. In the “Epic of Gilgamesh”, Gilgamesh hunts for his main obsession, immortality, while he battles off monsters, with the help of some friends. Sensing Gilgamesh embraces too much power, the gods create a friend for Gilgamesh named Enkidu in the hopes of lessening Gilgamesh’s power. Enkidu and Gilgamesh turn out to be best friends after Enkidu loses a wrestling match

Gilgamesh was a very intelligent leader. He shows throughout the entire epic a sense of foresight that keeps him safe and his city powerful. It is known, that a good leader must prove that he is powerful, and that he can defend his people in the best way possible. Gilgamesh knew that by fighting the terrible beast Humbaba he would prove to his people that he was strong and powerful and could out wit even the strongest beast. He tells Enkidu that, “All glory will be ours if now we conquer this unprecedented foe and risk the woe that frightens others.” He also shows foresight by respecting his mother’s wisdom when she told him that Enkidu was his true friend. Additionally, throughout the entire epic Gilgamesh looks to his mother, “who is wise and worries not,” for advice and counseling on things to do and the right paths to take in his life. Looking to those who are wise and more intelligent, is

Gilgamesh is not a completely flawed character; he possesses, and obtains through his adventures, many positive qualities or virtues. For example, he is courageous. This virtue is evident during his battle with Humbaba. This forest giant is a fearsome adversary, aided by the gods, with a considerable size and strength advantage. Defeat of Humbaba takes the combined efforts of Gilgamesh and Enkidu. To succeed, Gilgamesh had to gain the courage to undergo this task. Enkidu rallies his friend by saying, “O Gilgamesh, remember now your boasts in Uruk. Forward, attacks, son of Uruk, there is nothing to fear.” (Sandars 20) With this, Gilgamesh’s “courage railed” (Sandars 20). He defeats and eventually kills Humbaba for which he is subsequently praised.

Gilgamesh has frequent dreams that foreshadow what difficulties he will come across in the future. As the story progresses, his dreams become darker and darker, where he realizes that he is not as strong as he thinks he is (pg 4) and that he will not live forever (pg ). Before Gilgamesh met Enkidu, he relied on his mother, the goddess Ninsun, to interpret his dreams. After he met Enkidu, Enkidu gladly offered Gilgamesh emotional support on days following a rough night of sleep. When they are on their way to Humbaba’s forest, Gilgamesh has dreams that jolt him awake from his sleep from terror, but Enkidu’s presence calms Gilgamesh down (pg 10). Even though Gilgamesh is such a big, powerful being, he is still intimidated by the messages that come to him in the form of dreams. Enkidu doesn’t ridicule him for this, but instead listens to Gilgamesh’s worries and provides either advice or

Again, reason dictates that if the elderly and wise recommend not traveling into the forest, he should not. Prior to Enkido’s introduction, Gilgamesh would have dismissed these words of wisdom as attempts to declare his weaknesses. His experience confronting Enkido, however, force him to evaluate his attempt to kill Humbaba leading him to fear the possibility of failure and the consequences that come with failure. While Gilgamesh is simply attempting to kill Humbaba, this journey subliminally represents Gilgamesh’s early confrontation with mortality. For instance, Gilgamesh dreams, “heaven cried aloud, while earth did rumble. The day grew still, darkness came forth, there was a flash of lightning, fire broke out. The flames flared up, death rained down” (George iv.99-106). His dream foreshadows Enkido’s dreams of death and Enkido’s death later in the text, introducing the concept that mortality ends in death. Right before he kills Humbaba, Humbaba states that he is not certain whether Enkido or Gilgamesh will die, but he is certain that death will come. By foreshadowing death, Humbaba reminds Gilgamesh that he is one-third human and therefore is doomed to the same fate as humans.

     Another aspect of the story that has some comparison to my own life is Enkidu as a friend to Gilgamesh. I, as all kids do, had a best friend in elementary school, and in the third grade he moved away. I have never seen him since nor will I probably ever see him again. My friend did not die like Enkidu, but he did go away. As a nine year old this was something I had never dealt with before. Looking back upon the situation I learned a great deal from my friend leaving. I learned how to say goodbye to someone forever and that I might not always see the people around me again. Gilgamesh had different influences from his friend’s death, but he did come to a realization like me. Enkidu was Gilgamesh’s best friend and his best guide to the real world. “‘My friend, the great goddess cursed me and I must die in shame. I shall not die

The Epic of Gilgamesh is the greatest surviving epic poem from Ancient Mesopotamia. The original author is unknown, since the epic was passed on orally for many generations during the second millennium B.C.E before being written down in clay tablets. However, the definitive fragmented revision of the epic is accredited to Sin-leqi-unninni, a Babylonian priest and scholar. The Epic of Gilgamesh follows Gilgamesh’s quest for immortality, remarking the question of what it means to be human. The story starts with King Gilgamesh of Uruk in Southern Mesopotamia, an arrogant and oppressive ruler who is two thirds divine and one third human. The citizens of Uruk, tired of Gilgamesh’s behavior, plead the Gods to stop him. In response, the Gods fabricate Enkidu to confront Gilgamesh, but before he does that, he needs to become civilized first. In the act of turning into a civilized man, Enkidu, like all human beings, loses his innocence, as well as his deep connection with nature.

The second significant change in Gilgamesh was caused by the loss of his brotherly companion, Enkidu. Gilgamesh couldn't bear the loss of a love so powerful. Despite his astonishing power and leadership, something in his life was missing. He wept for seven days and seven nights, in hope of bringing Enkidu back to him. Gilgamesh said, "I thought my friend would come back because of my weeping. Since he went, my life is nothing". It is in this stage of the epic that we see the truly sympathetic and compassionate side of Gilgamesh. The grief in his heart had far surpassed the magnificent pride that he had previously displayed so boldly.

The Epic of Gilgamesh is a historic story of the king of Uruk, Gilgamesh. The story depicts the short lived friendship of Gilgamesh and Enkidu. The story begins as Shamat the harlot seduces Enkidu and convinces him to go to the city of Uruk and meet Gilgamesh. From that moment on, the two were very close. They planned a trip to the forest of cedars to defeat the monster known as Humbaba so that Gilgamesh could show his power to the citizens of Uruk. However, Enkidu tried “vainly to dissuade” (18) Gilgamesh in going to the forest. Despite Enkidu’s plead, the two continued on their voyage to the forest where Humbaba lives. Once they arrived, they found the monster and killed him.