Gilgamesh: A Mythical Hero Essay

All great heros have a special quality about them. Whether it be a superhero, a mythical hero, or even just a regular person with great moral values, Gilgamesh is no exception when it comes to exemplifying characteristics of being an archetypal hero. In The Epic of Gilgamesh Gilgamesh possesses supernatural abilities that the gods granted him, such as being ⅔ god and ⅓ man, goes on a challenging quest by foot that tests how far he will go to achieve immortality, and comes across many supernatural worlds, the main one being Utnapishtim’s dwelling.

Since long ago, people carried an image of what it means to be a hero. It is evident in some great books one might even say. As in The Epic of Gilgamesh, Antigone, and The Iliad, heroism is displayed and exalted, but what does being a hero mean? Overarchingly, in regards to these works, the heroes earn their titles as heroes by notably doing what is right when the time is right, with humane purpose, and an everlasting message. However, Gilgamesh, Antigone, and Akhilleus, being different in their purposes, everlasting messages, type of heroism as whole, can not compare in regards to heroic status.

People have been fascinated by tales of heroism for centuries. In ancient Mesopotamia, heroes give people hope and comfort, and fill them with strength. Ancient Mesopotamia is filled with tales of heroes- mighty warriors battling monsters, men ready to risk life and limb to save their true love or to fight for their nation. Still, there is a great difficulty that lies in defining what a hero truly is. Strength alone does not make a hero; nor does intelligence. Moreover, the Epic of Gilgamesh truly defines the definition of a hero. Gilgamesh is portrayed as a true hero through his skill, intelligence, willingness to die, reverence, and his respect for death.

The Epic of Gilgamesh is a tale from ancient Babylon. Its hero, Gilgamesh the king of Uruk, is two-thirds god and one-third man. Throughout the epic, which consists of three stories, the character of Gilgamesh is developed. This is accomplished by changing the vices he possesses at the start of the epic, and replacing them with virtues he receives by its completion. “A virtue is a quality of righteousness, goodness, or moral excellence; any good quality or admirable trait of a character.” (Halsey Collier’s Dictionary 1114) “A vice is an immoral or harmful habit or practice; fault or fall” (Halsey Collier’s Dictionary 1111). Gilgamesh is not the only character in the

Heroes are extraordinary characters who carry human qualities that reassure followers of the heroes’ limitations. A hero is commonly considered a god, a being with great power that is brave enough to save whole cities. The human qualities are always their greatest fault, it comes in the image of pride, ego, selfishness, and even denial. These flaws are represented by the heroes Gilgamesh and Oedipus. Gilgamesh and Oedipus undertake journeys in search of a truth that will preserve their glory. While Gilgamesh searches for immortality, Oedipus searches for a different fate, both, fearing death. However, only one reaches their their goal.

After reading The Epic of Gilgamesh, I have come to realize that Gilgamesh is not a hero, but a failure. His journey does not follow the traditional circular hero’s journey and he does not posses the traits that an admirable hero should have.

Character is built in several different ways. Some may view character as how one handles a certain hectic situation or how well one person treats another. A true definition character contains these elements, but one’s character is built and developed mainly on how one picks and chooses his time to act and his time to wait. This definition refers to restraint and discipline. Gilgamesh and Homer’s The Odyssey uses many instances in which the main characters must use incredible restraint to protect not only themselves, but also the ones they care for and love. Although both stories use this theme of self-control and discipline to develop certain personalities, each one tells a different account of how these characters are viewed by their

Gilgamesh is an epic hero. We know this because he demonstrates courage and takes risks. We know this because through out the story he helps to give courage to Enkidu. For example when he tells Enkidu “Dear friend, dear brother,I cannot kill Humbaba alone. Please stay here with me.

However, his journeys he took where a learning process of becoming a better king in his kingdom. In the forest journey when he had to defeat Humbaba Gilgamesh's craftiness and determination allowed him to kill Humbaba and return home. He was a hero because he was never afraid to put his own life in jeopardy for the sake of

The hero’s journey has evolved with literature over time, and remains the basis for character development today. So why are there so many stories of the hero in mythology? Campbell answers this question in his interview with Bill Moyers by saying, “Because that’s what’s worth writing about…. A hero is someone who has given his or her life to something bigger than oneself” (The Power of Myth 151).

There are many reasons I would consider Gilgamesh an epic hero, but out of those many there are two in particular that stick out to me. The first thing is that he has superhuman abilities. His strength, speed, and mind are all above the average human. He shows that he is able to do things that everyday men would not be able to even consider trying. The other thing is Gilgamesh's leadership skills. He takes his partner under his wing in order to defeat the monster throughout the story. In the story Gilgamesh is said to be the strongest and most respected man of that time. this just shows how much people look up to him and they know the skill he has. these reasons are why i believe that Gilgamesh is a hero in this

Gilgamesh worked hard to achieve a great name for himself. He had companions, respect, confidence, and

The Merriam Webster Online dictionary defines the term “Hero” as a person, typically male, who is admired for brave acts or fine qualities. In this sense, being a hero means a person has conquered several great challenges and exhibits great skill. Gilgamesh faces many scenarios to prove himself as a hero. An important example is of him defeating the treacherous monster in the Cedar Forest, Humbaba. The citizens

Gilgamesh, in my opinion, would not be considered a "hero" because of his unscrupulous attitude towards everyone he came in contact with besides Enkidu. He was ruthless, overbearing, and cold hearted. But some view as if he was indeed a hero. In Roman and Greek literature it explains that the qualities of a hero are born of royal birth, endures physical or emotional suffering, and performs extraordinary feats. Gilgamesh possessed all of these. He was two thirds god and one third man. He went on many adventures such as the defeat of Humbaba, Utnapishtim's flood, and facing the bull sent down from the heavens. And lastly, he had to deal with the grief of Enkidu's death and face the reality that he cannot live forever and the city he has disowned

Also, shows strength because the journey was filled with difficult tasks, but manage to conquer them making Gilgamesh a true epic hero. Gilgamesh returns home empty handed, but the people of Uruk admire their king’s accomplishments and the ethical code of the community was created. In the Epic, the audience can feel that no matter what lies ahead in their everyday lives experiencing pain is natural.