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Analysis essay on the epic of gilgamesh
Literary analysis of the epic of gilgamesh
The epic of gilgamesh overview
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There are many stories about heroes that change from a bad guy to the good guy. In the ancient story, The Epic of Gilgamesh, details are given to reflect how a hero transforms from a static to dramatic character. The hero of the epic, better known as Gilgamesh, undergoes many experiences as he embarks on a long journey to discover what his purpose is in life. Throughout his adventure, Gilgamesh establishes a friendly relationship with a man named Enkidu; in addition to that, he also makes contact with deities that either supported or threatened him. As these events took place, Gilgamesh was experiencing some major changes to his personality. These events are better known as external factors, and they all had an effect on Gilgamesh in some way. The altering of Gilgamesh’s behavior shows how a hero changes dramatically by external factors, which is a common theme throughout the epic.
Being a bad influence on society is not a good habit learn, especially for Gilgamesh. At the beginning of The Epic of Gilgamesh, Gilgamesh is detailed as the “Lord of Uruk” (Sandars, 62). Commonly you would think the lord would be a respectful person, but for Gilgamesh it was the opposite. The people of Uruk saw their lord as unfair, and all they could think about was “his arrogance” (Sandars, 62). The story describes Gilgamesh as arrogant due to his behavior to not share. An indication of his arrogance is when he desires to keep all “the sons of each father to himself,” and moreover, “even the children” are taken by Gilgamesh (Sandars, 62). His arrogance is also shown when he has a lust for all the women in Uruk. To overcome that, he took the virginity of all the women in Uruk. Gilgamesh clearly left “no virgin to her lover, neither the warrior’s daug...
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...ble for this type of influence is the journey itself. An indication that the outside world can have a large impact in altering one’s behavior pattern. Gilgamesh not only shows the signs of courage with the Scorpions, but also with Urshanabi. Urshanabi is the “ferryman of Utnapishtim the Faraway,” which makes him similar to a travel companion (Sandars, 103). When Gilgamesh meets face to face with Urshanabi, he tells him “I will cross the waters of death; if not I will wander still farther into the wilderness (Sandars, 104). Even though Gilgamesh is “afraid of death,” he is still brave enough to risk his life to acquire his goal. From a man full of fear to a man with bravery and confidence, the hero reflects how dramatically he can change throughout the quest.
Works Cited
Sandars, N.K. The Epic of Gilgamesh. Revised Ed. England, U.K.: Penguin Classics, 1972. Print.
Many cultures in the ancient and medieval worlds found courage as a value and virtue associated with warriors. To a great extent, western cultures also find courage as an attribute of warriors. This courageous cultural tendency gets its imaginative manifestation in literature of heroic societies such as The Epic of Gilgamesh, homer’s Iliad and Beowulf. These Epic heroes which show human conditions are Gilgamesh, Achilles from Homer's Iliad and Beowulf. Although, the actions and lives of these warriors occurred at different times in history, their stories are passed on from generations to generations and they share a lot of commonalities but with some discrepancies based on their lives, their choices, ideals and beliefs.
At some point in every one’s life they go on a journey, whether it be a journey that circumferences the entire world or a journey of solely self-exploration. Either way a crucial part of life is going on a journey and finding out the type of person you are. Journeys are important for people because journeymen almost never end their journey the same way they started them. This is true for both Gilgamesh in The Epic of Gilgamesh and Candide in Candide. Both characters went on grand, strenuous and extensive journeys and both of them found out more about the world but more importantly more about themselves.
Often, literature is based on several heroes and their adventures. Most especially, the epic stories symbolize different countries, nations, and cultures. The authors usually shape the characteristics of these stars and profile their unique techniques of writing as well as their imaginative power. Gilgamesh is one of the most known heroes, whose character was developed in the famous “Epic of Gilgamesh” as the strongest of men, a fair judge, a brave warrior, and an ambitious builder who built the magnificent walls of Uruk to protect its people. On the other hand, there are some undesirable characteristics that he possesses such as selfishness, and arrogance mostly brought about by the fact that he is part human and part god. He is characterized
Every culture has a different story of their origin. Each story varies in setting, main characters, and religious aspects. Although the stories are different, the sole purpose is the same for each – to explain how each civilization came to be. In order for a civilization to fully understand their past, they must critically break down the components of their origin story. Creation stories establish appropriate relationships within society by the revelation of the punishment laid out by the gods on unsatisfactory vassals, the importance of a hero figure, and the exposure of human survival based on nature.
Some people say life is an adventure to take. Some people say life is a journey to conquer. The path life can take someone often transforms a person, or it can cause you to figure something out about oneself that they did not know before. The idea of a journey that brings on a revolution can be portrayed in the two stories Medea and the Epic of Gilgamesh. Medea and Gilgamesh both went through an experience that changed them. Love, hate, and tragedy played a tremendous role in the transformation that occurred in both characters. Medea changed into a raging woman who embarked on a journey to seek revenge. Gilgamesh was a king who was all about himself, and then he began a journey that changed him into a better person. Even though the two characters
Gilgamesh was considered a hero because he had many great qualities, such as loyalty, perseverance, and heroism. Although these are heroic traits, he also had his flaws and was self-righteous, selfish, and prideful. Gilgamesh was a great man and was seen as flawless and “perfect in strength” (4). He represented almost a human version of a god; therefore, making it hard to see his flaws because he seems so ideal. He appeared like the perfect man that had absolutely nothing wrong with him. He was very courageous and this was evident when he states, “There dwells in the forest the fierce monster Humbaba, [You and I shall] kill [him] [And] wipe out [something evil from the land]” (18). This statement shows both a heroic quality and a flaw in Gilgamesh. It shows his heroism and how he felt that he could accomplish great things. His statement also shows how prideful he was because he always wanted the glory and wanted to be seen as the hero. This comes from the fact that he was part human and part god and he knew how amazing everyone thought he was and felt that he needed to live up to that expectation. This can be seen as both positive and negative because it shows his determination, but yet shows his pride. Being prideful is not necessarily a good thing because in this situati...
The main character in the book The Epic of Gilgamesh, is Gilgamesh himself. In the beginning of the book one realizes that Gilgamesh is an arrogant person. Gilgamesh is full of himself and abuses his rights as king. He has sexual intercourse with the virgins of his town and acts as though he is a god. Throughout the story, many things cause Gilgamesh to change. He gains a friend, he makes a name for himself by killing Humbaba, and he tries to become immortal because of the death of Enkidu. Through these main actions his personality changes and he becomes a better person.
Gilgamesh is constantly searching and going on adventures to distance places, defeating the Bull of Heaven, Humbaba, and the lions in the passes of the mountain. He searches for these adventures because he wants to make the most out of life. Just being king and never leaving the city can be boring. Gilgamesh travels to distant forests and crosses “the water of death.” He is searching for something worth living for. Just as we cannot live everyday doing nothing. Gilgamesh and all of us were born with the desire to explore and live dangerously because the feeling of adventure and adrenaline helps us to believe that we are truly “living” life to the fullest.
Some of Gilgamesh’s qualities are that he had a “beauty… surpassing all others” and was “two thirds… god and one third man” (13). Before Enkidu, Gilgamesh acted horribly. He was a terrible ruler and a terrible man. Gilgamesh was not all good, for example, “his lust leaves no virgin to her lover, neither the warrior’s daughter nor the wife of the noble…” (13). He was a terrible ruler. Gilgamesh was arrogant, but very powerful in his country. His people had no choice but to listen to him. They were forced to go along with his unlawfulness and stubbornness.
In many literary works we see significant transitions in the hero's character as the story is developed. This is also true in the Epic of Gilgamesh with its hero, Gilgamesh. In this narrative poem, we get glimpses of who Gilgamesh is and what his purposes and goals are. We see Gilgamesh act in many different ways -- as an overbearing ruler resented by his people, a courageous and strong fighter, a deflated, depressed man, and finally as a man who seems content with what he's accomplished. Through all of these transitions, we see Gilgamesh's attitude toward life change. The goals he has for his own life alter dramatically, and it is in these goals that we see Gilgamesh's transition from being a shallow, ruthless ruler to being an introspective, content man.
Myths have been a great example of the hero’s journey. Many heroes have journeys and trials to face throughout their life. Most of their journeys start out with their origin and end with the return. However, the hero’s role remains identical to every other hero. Most heroes like Gilgamesh has heroic traits because of the stages in the hero's journey. Gilgamesh is a man who can turn into a hero by changing himself, even when he has unusual circumstances surrounding his birth. Gilgamesh is viewed as a hero due to the stages of the hero's journey.
In the epic of Gilgamesh, there are many complex characters. Every character involved in the story has their own personality and traits.
We learn about ancient civilizations through literature, artifacts, and stories passed down from generation to generation. The Mesopotamian civilization is one of earth's earliest civilizations, and it's also one we know very little about. We can gather information about these people's way life, beliefs, and geographical location. The Epic of Gilgamesh, a literary work from this time period, shows us several important pieces of information that helps us understand this ancient civilization. This epic shows us the Mesopotamian peoples belief system, their views on death, and their description of the after life.
Gilgamesh is an example of someone who had many flaws and faced many struggles but, in the end, changed his attitude and became a better person. In the beginning of Gilgamesh, he is described as doing whatever he wants and being juvenile in a way. For example, in the text it says, “he was their shepherd, yet powerful, superb, knowledgeable and expert, Gilgamesh would not leave young girls alone, the daughters of warriors, the brides of young men.” With his second half, Enkidu, they entered into the first step in becoming a hero according to Campbell, the separation, by going on an adventure. At this point in the story, Gilgamesh is very arrogant. While traveling to Cedar Forest, Gilgamesh tells Enkidu, “let me go in front of you, and your voice call out: ‘Go close, don’t be afraid!’ If I should fall, I should have won fame. People will say, Gilgamesh grappled in combat with ferocious Humbaba… ensure fame that will last forever.” Next is stage two, the initiation, of the Campbell’s hero journey. Gilgamesh undergoes a trail to begin his transformation, he must fight the Bull of Heaven. Gilgamesh’s supportive side is starting to show when he tells Enkidu that they will win if they fight together. After killing the Bull of Heaven, Gilgamesh’s confident attitude is shown once again. The next trial he faces is the death of Enkidu. He starts to show emotion when he says, “for you Enkidu, I, like your mother, your father, will weep on your plains… I will lay you to rest on a bed of loving care… and I myself will neglect my appearance after your death.” At this point his character has been greedy and then he showed his fear and supportive side. The last stage in the hero’s journey is the return. Enkidu’s death sent Gilgamesh on an adventure to fight death. From this adventure he learned his biggest lesson from Utnapishtim. He learns to appreciate life, and
The Epic of Gilgamesh is a moving tale of the friendship between Gilgamesh, the demigod king of Uruk, and the wild man Enkidu. Accepting ones own mortality is the overarching theme of the epic as Gilgamesh and Enkidu find their highest purpose in the pursuit of eternal life.