The Battle Of The Epic Of Gilgamesh

The Epic of Gilgamesh is an ancient artifact from Sumerian literature. There actually was a King in Sumer by the name of Gilgamesh, who lived at about 2700 BC. The Epic casts Gilgamesh as a ruler and great hero and cast as being part man and part god. The story has Gilgamesh set off with a companion in search of cedar wood to bring back to their woodless land. His companion is killed during a violent storm. The Sumerian Epic blames the death upon the storm god, Enlil. Gilgamesh then searches for the plant that restores youth, a recurring theme throughout centuries of literature. The Epic concludes with Gilgamesh dying.

Upon arrival, Enkidu wimps out and says “Do not go down into the forest; when i opened the gate my hand lost its strength.” (76), to which Gilgamesh replies, “ Dear friend, do not speak like a coward. Have we got the better of so many dangers and travelled so far, to turn back at last?” (76-77). This dialogue between the two friends shows the huge difference in their personalities and highlights Enkidu’s cowardice and tentativeness and Gilgamesh’s bravery and strong will.

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.

One of the most fascinating pieces of literature, The Epic of Gilgamesh, deals with and explores many of the problems humans have wrestled with for thousands of years. Even though the text does not explicitly answer any of the questions it poses, it gives clues that point to the answers. One of these questions, the dilemma of whether to act based solely on a person’s intuition or act based on reason and advice, occurs regularly in the text. Throughout The Epic of Gilgamesh, characters have success and failure when they act based on either their intuition or using reason, but the epic clearly points out, through examples, that acting based on reason instead of intuition constitutes more success in all facets of life.

“The Epic of Gilgamesh” is a didactic story set out to expose the inevitability of death. The true meaning of this story is sometimes overlooked because the story is told in heighten language not easily understood. The epic hero in this story is Gilgamesh; he undertakes a quest for knowledge which is overshadowed by his ignorance. The tragic death of Enkidu, Gilgamesh’s trusted companion forces the epic hero to change his perception of death. To overcome great obstacles one must be willing to put their ignorance aside. Tzvi Abusch’s analyzes “The Epic of Gilgamesh” in his article “The development and meaning of the Epic of Gilgamesh”. Abusch’s explication of Gilgamesh’s identity, friendship, achievements and ignorance towards death lacks substance.

In the Epic of Gilgamesh, Enkidu helps act as a catalyst for the transformation of Gilgamesh’s character from an undefeatable god-like brute into a complex thinker. In the eyes of Gilgamesh, he is unstoppable and is willing to challenge death itself so long as he is remembered as a hero by his subjects. With Enkidu’s help, Gilgamesh learns to become a better person as a ruler, not as a better warrior. Although not blood related, Enkidu was like a brother to Gilgamesh and the duo shared an inseparable bond. Throughout the epic, Enkidu teaches Gilgamesh that he is not unstoppable, being stubborn will not stop him from dying, and that there are no easy solutions to life.

The hero Gilgamesh cannot resign himself to die now that this awareness was brought forward by the death of his best friend Enkidu and he searches for everlasting life. In this segment, there is an attempt to portray the tragic hero, the once invincible, arrogant and intimidating Gilgamesh is now on the path of "enlightenment" where he experiences sorrow and endures the physical exhausting search. Here it can be seen that a little humility is yielded in exchange for Gilgamesh understanding kindness, manifested by retrieving the secret plant that restores youth and preserving it for the elders of Uruk instead of taking care of himself first.

The tale, The Epic of Gilgamesh dates to the time of ancient Mesopotamia in the most important city, Uruk. The people were governed by a powerful and impulsive king, Gilgamesh, who’s dictatorial traits set him up for great failure in the end. He led his people with an iron fist and took what he wanted from them. The people of Uruk plead to the gods to end the torment and wish to live in peace. The god solution was to create an equal being to balance the storm of Gilgamesh’s heart. Thus, Enkidu is created. Known as a wild man with strength equivalent to Gilgamesh yet blessed with tender charisma. His general purpose is to influence Gilgamesh to stop terrorizing his city. As these opposite characters cross paths, they bump heads and fist. Their

Later, Enkidu is punished for killing the Bull of Heaven and Humababa, Enkidu suffers from illness and ends up dying. Enkidu’s death affected Gilgamesh a lot; Enkidu’s death marks a change in Gilgamesh life. Gilgamesh change from a harsh and a strong person into someone who has feelings and a loving heart. Gilgamesh keeps thinking that if Enkidu can die then he can die too and all that Gilgamesh

The people saw him as a problem, so his mother sought out a companion for him. In the eye’s of the people, Enkidu, was seen as a hero and someone that could possibly stop Gilgamesh from committing his careless acts. I noticed that the two, Gilgamesh and Enkidu, were opposites, but contained similar physical traits. The creation of Enkidu creates a platonic love. The text constantly repeats that Gilgamesh wants a friend, “his own counselor.” Enkidu’s creation fills the void Gilgamesh has and friendship is introduced. I find the relationship between Gilgamesh and Enkidu to be very interesting. The two did not welcome each other with open arms, but with a show down in front of the church doors. After receiving a blessing from Ninsun, the two became a “team.” After Ninsun’s blessings were given, a sense of agape love was created. The deities instructed Enkidu to guide and protect Gilgamesh. Due to Enkidu’s knowledge of the forest of cedars, it only seems right that he leads the way keeping the two of them out of danger. Enkidu has to risk his life by leading the way displays a self-sacrificing and spiritual love for Gilgamesh and with the deities. Eros is also introduced when Shamhat encounters Enkidu. The luring of Enkidu required him to lay with her, causing a sexual love to evolve. The use of the harlot caused the man to present himself, rather than the beast we were

When Enkidu is downs because he is near his deathbed, for example, the voice of Shamhat from the sky states, “Who fed you bread, fit for a god / Who poured you beer, fit for a king” (VII. 90-91). This indicates a highlight of mortality and being a human, as when you are in an animal state there is no such thing as food for enjoyment. In addition, when Gilgamesh is in search for mortality, the tavern keeper highlights some positive notes of humanity, stating “Gilgamesh, let your stomach be full / Always be happy, night and day” (X. 73-74). We can see that the poem consistently puts emphasis on the fundamentals of life, and the dictates a more optimistic view of life. Additionally, the concept of death is illustrated in the positive note towards humanity. As noted by Shamhat, she states towards Enkidu that “won’t [Gilgamesh] lay you down in the ultimate resting place?” (VII. 95) and “[the] rulers of the netherworld will do you homage” (VII. 98). This thought by Shamhat leads towards a more optimistic view of life after

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.

Enkidu's death left Gilgamesh frightened and confused. The despair in his heart was so great that he could not rest; would he ever be at peace? He became terrified of his own death. Puzzled and searching for answers, Gilgamesh set out on a quest for Utnapishtim. It is on this great journey that Gilgamesh learns of a

The established adventures and relationship between Gilgamesh and Enkidu can give an implicit message to the reader; that is, to enjoy the adventure of life while it last. Moreover, Gilgamesh’s acceptance of mortality seems to end on a positive note, as it seems that showing Urshanabi all the

Love, both erotic and platonic, motivates change in Gilgamesh. Enkidu changes from a wild man into a noble one because of Gilgamesh, and their friendship changes Gilgamesh from a bully and a tyrant into an exemplary king and hero. Because they are evenly matched, Enkidu puts a check on Gilgamesh’s restless, powerful energies, and Gilgamesh pulls Enkidu out of his self-centeredness. Gilgamesh’s connection to Enkidu makes it possible for Gilgamesh to identify with his people’s interests. The love the friends have for each other makes Gilgamesh a better man in the first half of the epic, and when Enkidu dies, Gilgamesh’s