The most important thing to note about literature is its ability to immortalize itself in society. Literary works can become renowned by producing unforgettable characters or by creating archetypes that are continuously used by writers of all generations. The Epic of Gilgamesh is the rare literary work that has established both archetypes and remarkable characters. The modern day hit song See You Again is a descendent of the widely recognized epic poem Gilgamesh, because it follows the archetypes set forth by Gilgamesh. Both works depict the growth of friendship, the emotional distress due caused by the death of a close friend, and the process of finding oneself after experiencing a traumatizing event. The beginning tablets of The Epic of Gilgamesh create the archetype of “brotherhood” by centering around the blossoming relationship of Gilgamesh and Enkidu. These two dynamic characters, Gilgamesh and Enkidu, were destined to become enemies and …show more content…
Gilgamesh experienced an overwhelming amount of emotional distress due to Enkidu’s death. The physical and emotional toll that Enkidu’s death had on Gilgamesh is evident through Gilgamesh’s decision to lament “seven day and seven nights he wept for Enkidu”. Furthermore, Gilgamesh commences on a search for everlasting life, and when asked why he has chosen to look for Utnapishtim, Gilgamesh responds with “For Enkidu; I loved him dearly. Since he went, my life is nothing.” (Foster). The song parallels the heartbreak caused by the death of a close friend through the lyric “It’s been a long day without, my friend”. The artist Charlie Puth continuously repeats this line to represent how without their “brother”, a person will feel an empty void and view days as being pointless. Also, this line symbolizes a state of despair and desolation felt by the singer, and it also captures the emotional state of Gilgamesh was in after Enkidu’s
N.K. Sanders, The Epic of Gilgamesh, is one of the most well-known stories in literature. The story beings with Gilgamesh, one-third human and two-thirds God. He ruled the greatest city with strong walls in Urnk to save his people from dangerous attacks. He is described as the most beautiful, strong, and wise ruler of Mesopotamia. He then goes on a quest with Enkidu. When they arrive at Ceder Forest Enkidu dreams that killing the Bull of Heaven had some consequences. Either Enkidu or Gilgamesh must die. Enkidu was chosen and suffered a severe illness. Enkidu did not make it, he was deeply sadden and decide to continue his quest to find immortality. He showed fear towards death because of his friend and now risking everything in hopes that Utnapishtim
True love and immortality in life would be a dream come true to many people. To spend time with a special someone; the person one feels closest to; the so-called soul mate and to never have that high feeling of emotion end mentally and physically would greatly appeal to most people. But when death steps into the picture, even with all the pain and devastation, one starts to re-evaluate themselves and realizes the important things in life and puts it all into perspective. In The Epic of Gilgamesh, the main character, Gilgamesh, is a powerful, arrogant king and part god. Enkidu, Gilgamesh’s partner, is animal-like but later takes on more humanistic traits such as his contemplation’s of death. The friendship between Gilgamesh and Enkidu is a very powerful, loving friendship. Enkidu is Gilgamesh’s soul mate, not only acting as his friend but as a lover too. Enkidu’s presence in Gilgamesh’s life allows Gilgamesh to see what is truly good in life and to accept his mortality much easier.
The epic yarn Gilgamesh leaves me somewhat discouraged when I finished the book. This pessimistic ending is not the happy ending I was expecting to see considering the tragedies throughout of the rest of the story. The entire last part of the book, starting with Enkidu’s death, is nothing but more sorrow for Gilgamesh. The book seems to give Gilgamesh hope and then beat him down with more tragedy. It is almost as if the more he tries, the worse it gets for him.
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 fellow men and women and the rewards that come from showing the traits of restraint and self-will. In Gilgamesh, the character that holds back and exhibits patience is viewed as a coward, as Gilgamesh believes, and is a sign of a lack of bravery and confidence. The way that patience is portrayed in Gilgamesh reflects how the society of the time feels about everything in their lives. The author of this story wants the reader to believe that one must not hesitate and must act decisively and quickly. Opposing this belief, Odysseus holds back emotions of rage and homesickness in order to complete the task at hand. Homer, living in Greek society, understood that his people thought more about the problem before coming to a quick conclusion and then acting on it impulsively. So, although both stories repeat the concepts of self-restraint and discipline as character building qualities, they differ in the way that these attributes build or weaken a personality.
In the epic of Gilgamesh the friendship between Gilgamesh and Enkidu is very complex and necessary. Their friendship brings animal, human, and god together. Gilgamesh is changed by his friendship with Enkidu. He becomes a better person and a better ruler because of Enkidu. Enkidu’s life is enriched because of his friendship with Gilgamesh. Enkidu was created to balance out Gilgamesh, and he accomplishes this goal. The two men are very close, and love each other deeply. Both Gilgamesh and Enkidu benefit from their friendship.
In our world today, we are lucky to know thousands and thousands of languages and their cultures. The first language ever recorded is Sumerian. This time period consists of 3300 to 3000 BC. During this time, records are purely logographic with not much dialectal content. Different cultures have many very different archetypes that clearly show what their their literature follows, and in Sumerian culture, the major archetype is the hero’s journey and its different stages. The Sumerians believed in their fair share of gods and supernatural forces and that reflects in their pieces of literature.In The Epic of Gilgamesh, which was translated by N.K. Sandars and based on Sumerian culture, the Sumerian hero Gilgamesh overcomes many stages of a hero’s journey when he begins his long quest to find immortality. Gilgamesh
This grim outlook, this life constantly being empty, leaves Gilgamesh feeling only empty and mournful. But he also discovers that it is better to die happily than live in fear.
One of the main themes in the epic is that death is inevitable, which is shown through Enkidu's death. When Enkidu dies, Gilgamesh becomes very worried, because he realizes for the first time that everyone is going to die at some point in time. The fact that Enkidu is a close friend makes it even more visible to Gilgamesh that everyone is mortal. Then, along with this realization, comes the theme of denial. Gilgamesh does not want to accept the fact that he will die. He denies the truth, because he does not want to think about the truth or cope with the tragedy that has struck him. "And he-he does not lift his head. 'I touched his heart, it does not beat'" (Tablet VIII, Column II, 15-16). "'Me! Will I too not die like Enkidu? Sorrow was come into my belly. I fear death; I roam over the hills. I will seize the road; quickly I will go to the house of Utnapishtim, offspring of Ubaratutu. I approach the entrance of the mountain at night. Lions I see, and I am terrified. I lift my head to pray to the mood god Sin: For...a dream I go to the gods in prayer: ...preserve me!'" (Tablet IX, Column I, 3-12).
*Gilgamesh and Enkindu both use love as a motivating force, this changes Enkindu from a wild man into a noble one because of Gilgamesh, and their friendship changes Gilgamesh from a bully and a tyrant into exemplary king and hero. On page 59 Gilgamesh enters a road of sun he could see nether what was ahead or behind but he screamed “Enkindu, Enkindu” this show me that he was using Enkindu name as a motivating force to quit his fear through the darkness, and on page 27 “ Enkindu was afraid of the forest of Humbaba and urged Gilgamesh not to go but they were friends and made vows to stay together always”. This shows the love and dedication they have towards each other.
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.
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.
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.
The second significant change in Gilgamesh was caused by the loss of his brotherly companion, Enkidu. Gilgamesh couln't bear the loss of a love so powerful. Despite his astonishing power and leadership, something in his life was missing. Moreover, he wept for seven days and nights, thinking his friend would come back because of his weeping. It is in this stage of the epic that one can see the truly sympathetic and compassionate side of Gilgamesh. The grief in his heart had far surpassed the magnificent pride that he had previously displayed so boldly. Enkidu's death left Gilgamesh frightened and confused. However, the despair in his heart was so great that he could not rest; would he ever be at peace? Thus, he became terrified of his own death.
The Epic of Gilgamesh and The Odyssey both are held in high respect by literature analysts and historians alike for the characterization of the hero and his companion, the imagery brought to mind when one of them is read, and the impressive length in relation to the time period it was written in. The similarities that these two epics share do not end with only those three; in fact, the comparability of these works extend to even the information on the author and the archetypes used. However, The Odyssey and The Epic of Gilgamesh contrast from one another in their writing styles, character details, and main ideas. Both epics weave together a story of a lost man who must find his way, but the path of their stories contrast from one another.
After Enkidu's death, Gilgamesh comes to the realization that one day he too will succumb to the same fate as his friend.