The Epic 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

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.

(Gilgamesh 71)” Gilgamesh's grief for his friend was natural, but he shouldn't have abandoned his people and his royal duties. As ruler, his people have to follow his decree, and need his support to thrive. By forcing them to grief, and abandoning his position, he left them in a very vulnerable position. His last and final abandonment of his people began with Gilgamesh's quest for immortality. He was so upset and shocked by what occurred to Enkidu's body after death, that he vowed he would never die. His selfishness has grown so far, that when he finds his cure for mortality, he chooses to let an old man test the plant in case it brings death instead. “I will bring it to Uruk-Haven, and have an old man eat the plant to test it. The plant's name is “The Old Man Becomes a Young Man.” Then I will eat it and return to the condition of my youth. (Gilgamesh 106)” Gilgamesh was a powerful man with a lot of ambition, and potential. It was just ruined by his selfish nature. He was, all-in-all, a famous and great ruler... but not a just one.

The Epic of Gilgamesh is a story of Gilgamesh, a man who was two-thirds god that was saved by companionship. Gilgamesh was a cruel and careless king, who spent his time raping women, exhausting citizens, and conquering foes and foreign lands until he met, fought and was guided by his great friend and soul mate, Enkidu. With the help of Enkidu and his influence, he learned compassion as well as wisdom and integrity, and eventually Gilgamesh became a great and fair king. Though the story focuses mainly on Gilgamesh and his friendship with Enkidu, there are several roles played by women that help to make and move the story along. Without these important women who show great strength and feminine qualities despite being oppressed by the

“Surpassing all kings, powerful and tall, beyond all others, violent, splendid, a wild bull of a man, unvanquished leader, hero in the front lines, beloved by his soldiers…(71)”. This excerpt from The Epic of Gilgamesh describes Gilgamesh as “powerful” and “violent”, attributes which may possibly be real characteristics that the ancient Sumerians valued in their time. Although today’s society may find these qualities quite reprehensible, the ancient Sumerians greatly valued prominent physical strength, uttermost bravery, religious beliefs, and intimate relationships and friendships. Evidence of these aforementioned qualities are displayed in numerous occurrences in the epic.

The Epic of Gilgamesh chronicles the life of the great warrior and hero Gilgamesh. Gilgamesh is not great hero because he is moral. In fact he is feared because "a goddess made him, strong as a savage bull, none can withstand his arms" (1). This phrase underlines the terrible power of femininity, in the view of the Mesopotamian culture that produced the text. On one hand, the female principle is responsible for creation. On the other hand, the female principle also has the ability to destroy: the epic takes a largely dim perspective of humanity, and often, by extension of women, because the source of all creation is a goddess, Aruru. Aruru creates but she also generates suffering.

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

Stories reflect and mirror culture. Some writers write about how things currently are in their own society and the position that certain people hold in that society. It is because of that kind of thought and style of writing that a reader can learn and in some ways better understand the hierarchical position of peoples in a society at a particular time in history. In ancient Mesopotamia, women had fewer privileges and rights then the men. Despite their lack of rights and privileges, women in high position were viewed as temptresses, tamers, and a essential part of Mesopotamian culture.

In "The Epic of Gilgamesh" it seem like the women have all the power. The women have great influences on the men. In "Gilgamesh" sex plays an important role, and it also seems that sex has a hold on Gilgamesh and also Enkidu - not just a hold on them, but more of an addiction throughout the story of Gilgamesh. In the beginning of the story, Gilgamesh has a great lust that leaves "no virgin to her lover, neither the warrior's daughter nor the wife of noble men. To me, the lust in Gilgamesh's heart makes him a very selfish person. I think what makes Gilgamesh a selfish person is because the gods made him perfect, he was beautiful and strong as a savage bull and everyone feared Gilgamesh. Gilgamesh knew he had power so he abused it, because

The Epic of Gilgamesh is a very popular epic that is difficult to understand at first, which is why there is different translations of the same book. Although Foster and Sander’s translations have a lot of similar words and the stories are basically the same, there are also a lot of differences between the two. One of which is more straightforward and easier to understand, whereas the other is more of an in depth thoughtful read for the reader. Both translations differences have their own particular reasons for doing so, and add to the depiction of the story. I feel like the translation in the Anthology is a more complex read, whereas Sander’s translation is much easier to understand.

In The Epic of Gilgamesh, “Gilgamesh ponders man’s mortality and proposes a quest” (Foster, B. R., 2001, p. 115). Lines 5-16 read In Uruk a person dies, and the heart grieves, A person is no more, and the heart breaks. I have peered over the city wall, I have seen the corpses floating in the river’s water. My spirit is crushed, my heart is aggrieved. The end of life is the one sure thing. The grave, the omnipotent netherworld, no man can escape. No matter how tall, none can straddle the netherworld, No youth can go beyond life’s limits. By the life of the mother who bore me, the goddess Ninsun, and my father, the divine pure Lugalbandsa, And my personal god Enki, Nudimmud! In this story, the view of man’s mortality is distinguished. He sees the gods as being immortal, yet apart from human beings who are clearly mortal and cannot escape death. In The Odyssey, lines 73-83 read When you make sail and put these lodgings of dim Death behind; you will moor ship, I know, upon Aiaia Island; there, O my lord, remember me, I pray, do not abandon me unwept, unburied, to tempt the gods’ wrath, while you sail for home; but fire my corpse, and all the gear I had, and build a cairn for me above the breakers-an unknown sailor’s mark for men to come. Heap up the mound there and implant upon it the oar I pulled in life with my companions. These lines also tell us that the story believes that man is mortal and that our days are numbered. Through the journey of each of the main

The Epic of Gilgamesh is a very popular epic that is difficult to understand at first, which is why their is different translations of the same book. Although Foster and Sander’s translations have a lot of similar words and the stories are basically the same, there are also a lot of differences between the two. One of which is more straightforward and easier to understand, whereas the other is more of an in depth thoughtful read for the reader. Both translations differences have their own particular reasons for doing so, and add to the depiction of the story. I feel like the translation in the Anthology is a more complex read, whereas Sander’s translation is much easier to understand.

In order to tame the king’s arrogance and stop his oppression, the nobles decided to ask the gods for help which resulted in the creation of a wild man named Enkidu to be his match and fight the king. After they fought, the two became close friends and embarked on dangerous adventures which eventually led to the death of Enkidu. Gilgamesh was very distressed about his death which led him to begin a long journey, dedicated to the search of the secret of eternal life. Ancient Mesopotamia, where this story took place dating back to around 2100 BC, was a patriotic society, where women had restricted roles as mothers, wives and housekeepers. In s, women play a small but significant role.

He then learns about the splendors of the world and the destruction the evil king Gilgamesh is bringing to the people of Uruk. Enkidu is furious by what he hears about Gilgamesh’s exuberance, so he travels to Uruk to challenge and defeat him. In doing so he sparks the beginning of the greatest love story ever told. In the Epic of Gilgamesh the bond between Enkidu and Gilgamesh surpasses a platonic form of friendship, therefore this epic poem tells the story of the most powerful same-sex romance seen between two men in a literary work. And yet some believe that their relationship

The story I wrote is an adaptation of “The Epic of Gilgamesh” by Herbert Mason. My adaptation is based off of the theme in the epic of “personal growth and development.” In “The Epic of Gilgamesh,” Mason conveys this theme by transforming Gilgamesh from “a tyrant to his people” (15) to a ruler who was “awed at the heights his people had achieved” (92), determined to better the lives of the citizens of Uruk. At the beginning of the story, Gilgamesh is a greedy, obnoxious king, with little-to-no respect for anyone. Later, however, after many journeys and a loss, Gilgamesh sees light at the end of tunnel.