Essay On The Epic Of Gilgamesh

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

The earliest surviving literary work, dating from 2100 BC in the Sumerian city of Uruk, The Epic of Gilgamesh tells the story of a hero’s journey to immortality. The Epic of Gilgamesh, written by the Sumerians in their akkadian text and translated by George Smith in the early 1870s, follows the main character Gilgamesh, the unjust and cruel king of Uruk, and his friend Enkidu on their journey to achieve greatness in which Enkidu dies, prompting Gilgamesh to seek immortality. In the story, Enkidu’s character serves as a foil to show and exaggerate Gilgamesh’s immorality and bravery.

In The Epic of Gilgamesh, the character Gilgamesh may be considered a hero because he embodies or participates in some general aspects that are attributable to most heroes. After Gilgamesh’s new friend, Enkidu, passes away Gilgamesh embarks upon a journey to obtain immortality. During this journey, Gilgamesh encounters difficulties when he needs to cross the near impassable waters of death; however, Gilgamesh does not get deterred from his journey. Gilgamesh’s dedication forces him to persevere. Gilgamesh’s determination is a major strength and exemplifies his heroism.

In ‘The Epic of Gilgamesh’, the protagonist fails to fulfill the demands and responsibilities the gods’ and people of Ancient Sumerian society have bestowed upon him. The duties of a Sumerian king are to honor and best represent the Gods ‘ virtues and principles through his ruling actions over the inhabitants of the kingdom.

Justice is described as a concept of moral rightness based on ethics, rationality, law, natural law, religion, fairness, or equity. The people of ancient Egypt and ancient Mesopotamia also believed and relied on this concept. Rulers, if not fair and just, were often eliminated by their subjects or their enemies. There were many great kings and pharaohs of the ancient age that were just to their kingdoms, and these often went down in history. Yet, those kings and pharaohs who were blinded by their own selfishness often became just as famous. Two men, Akhenaten of ancient Egypt and Gilgamesh, king of Uruk, were such rulers. They were powerful and cunning individuals, yet they let their own selfish nature ruin the ability to be a great

Abusch, T. (Oct-Dec 2001). The development and meaning of the Epic of Gilgamesh: An interpretive essay. Journal of the American Oriental Society, 121(4), 614-622.

The epic of Gilgamesh is the earliest primary document discovered in human history dating back to approximately 2,000 B.C.E. This document tells a story of an ancient King Gilgamesh, ruler of Sumer in 2,700 B.C.E. who is created gloriously by gods as one third man and two third god. In this epic, Gilgamesh begins his kingship as an audacious and immature ruler. Exhausted from complaints, the gods send a wild man named Enkidu to become civilized and assist Gilgamesh to mature into a righteous leader. However, Enkidus death causes Gilgamesh to realize his fear of immortality and search for an escape from death. On his journey, Gilgamesh learns that the gods will not grant his wish and that he must

The Epic of Gilgamesh has its place as one of the first examples of epic poetry in recorded history. The epic describes the adventures of the demigod-king Gilgamesh who, after the death of his close friend Enkidu, seeks immortality but is ultimately unsuccessful. This story arc is not dissimilar to those found in the epics of the ancient Greeks centuries later. This excerpt from The Epic of Gilgamesh clearly demonstrates Gilgamesh’s reckless lust for pride and fame at all costs.

Gilgamesh is very saddened and decides to go on a long journey to find Utnapishtim in order to get immortality. Instead of immortality, he finds a plant that can make him younger. In “Hero King Gilgamesh”, three aspects of the hero’s journey that are important are The Call, Crossing the Threshold and Final

The Epic of Gilgamesh is the oldest epic known to date. It is an old Babylonian tale first written down in Sumerian. The first known copy of the epic is dated to around 2100 to 2000 B.C.E. However, it is believed to have originated many years earlier passed along though oral story telling. The epic was used in Babylonian schools to teach literature to students (Puchner 36). In ancient times, the Epic of Gilgamesh was widely read from Mesopotamia to Syria to Levant and Anatolia. The epic was also translated into non-Mesopotamian languages such as Hittite (Puchner 34). The story we know today was expanded upon around 1200 B.C.E. by a Babylonian priest. “The eleven-tablet version may be said to have assumed its present form during the latter part of the second millennium”(Abusch 618). It was then written down again and stored in the library of an Assyrian king named Ashurbanipal (Ziolkowski 55-56). It was thanks to this act that

Perhaps one of the main reasons the Epic of Gilgamesh is so popular and has lasted such a long time, is because it offers insight into the human concerns of people four thousand years ago, many of which are still relevant today. Some of these human concerns found in the book that are still applicable today include: the fear and concerns people have in relation to death, overwhelming desires to be immortal, and the impact a friendship has on a person’s life. It does not take a great deal of insight into The Epic of Gilgamesh for a person to locate these themes in the story, and even less introspection to relate to them.

The Epic of Gilgamesh is one of the oldest recorded stories in literature and was written between 2000 and 1400 B.C. The main protagonist, Gilgamesh, is two-thirds human and one-third god. Through his search for obtaining everlasting life, he experiences several obstacles and constantly demonstrates heroism, even when he’s near death.

He is suddenly terrified by the fact that he will die, and in anguish he cries, “Must I be as lifeless as Enkidu (Mitchell 47)?” In fear of his own fate, Gilgamesh goes on an exploration risking his own life in order to find his distant relative, Utnapishtim. He wishes to seek Utnapishtim because he is the only mortal, not including his wife, who was able to escape death during the flood with the help of the goddess, Ea. On his way to find the man who was granted immortality by the gods, he meets the tavern keeper Shiduri and talks with her about his search for his ancestor. He also states the reason he is trying to find him; he wants eternal life too.

(18). Gilgamesh’s journey to find Utnapishtim and obtain everlasting life, or physical immortality, is unsuccessful so he returns home to Uruk. He takes pride in his leadership and the power of Uruk, showing Urshanabi the ferryman the strong city walls: “‘Urshanabi, climb up on the wall of Uruk, inspect its foundation terrace, and examine well the brickwork [...]” (18). Gilgamesh’s destiny is not to obtain everlasting life, but instead to live on through his city that he is so proud of, his people, and their memories. He obtains immortality, but by achieving “endless fame” rather than by achieving “never-ending life” as he

There once lived a king, the great king of Uruk in Mesopotamia. This great leader was Gilgamesh. His preserved epic is of great significance to modern day culture. Through Gilgamesh, the fate of mankind is revealed, and the inevitable factor of change is expressed. In the Epic of Gilgamesh, it is a great love, followed by a lingering grief that cause a significant change in the character of Gilgamesh.