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Epic Of Gilgamesh Research Paper

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The Epic of Gilgamesh is one of the oldest pieces of literature known to date. It was written on eleven clay tablets by Sin-Leqi-Unninni (Spar). The writing was inspired by the historical figure, King Gilgamesh. The king was an inspiration through his buildings, war prowess, and wisdom. Throughout the epic, these characteristics are portrayed through the character, Gilgamesh.
The first character presented in this epic is Enkidu. He is a man of the wild. He thinks and acts like a wild animal. One day, a hunter discovers him at the watering hole and is shocked. The hunter then takes a harlot, or prostitute, with him to the watering hole to find and tame Enkidu. The hunter believes that if Enkidu sees the harlot’s naked body he will not be able …show more content…

They travel to a distant cedar forest guarded by Humbaba, a terrifying demon. They slay the demon and cut down the trees, which is forbidden. The pair accomplish this feat with the help of Shamash, the sun god. Then when Gilgamesh rejects Ishtar, the goddess of love, she asks her father Anu, god of the sky to send down the Bull of Heaven to punish Gilgamesh. Enkidu and Gilgamesh slay the bull. Sadly, when Enkidu dies, Gilgamesh is heart broken. After Enkidu’s death Gilgamesh travels into the wilderness in search of Utnapishtim, a mortal who has gained immortality. Gilgamesh cannot stop brooding over his own death and does not want to end up like Enkidu. When Gilgamesh finds Utnapishtim, he demands immortality. Gilgamesh fails the test to stay awake a week and Utnapishtim sends him back to Uruk. Once Gilgamesh returns how he comes to terms with his morality and the fact that he will not live forever but that humankind is …show more content…

It defined civilization in a way that the people of ancient Mesopotamia could understand it (Bulliet 5). There is not much substantial information or evidence regarding whether Gilgamesh was a historical person. If he was he most likely would have lived around 2700 B.C (Shar). This was during the early Bronze Age, which was from 3000-2000 B.C.E. The early Dynastic period, 3000-2350 B.C., was taking place at the time of Gilgamesh. The period brought a new emphasis on royal authority, with the first palaces being erected in Mesopotamia (“Mesopotamia”). The Sumerian people occupied the land of Mesopotamia from as early as 5000 B.C (Bulliet 15-16). The most sophisticated armies of the Bronze Age were those of Sumer and Akkad. The time frame, 3000-2316 B.C., was marked by almost constant war among the city-states of Sumer. At the end of this time frame Sargon the Great united Sumer into a unified state (Gabriel). The Semitic people lived in peace with the Sumerians and they adopted the Sumerian culture. By 2000 B.C., the Semitic people had become politically dominant and the Semitic language, Akkadian, replaced Sumerian (Bulliet

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