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The relationship between Gilgamesh and Enkidu
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Between the two epics Ramayana and Gilgamesh, they are both based off of one epic hero, Rama and Gilgamesh. Each epic had a superhuman or godlike hero who both went on a journey and was favored by the goods but, differed in personality and their reasons for going on their journey. Rama was the oldest of his siblings and when he got older a woman named Sita was looking for a man to marry and become a prince. Rama completed the task that no other prince could do and picked up, strung and broke the giant bow. Sita married Rama and he became prince. A few years later, queen Kaikeyi decided when Rama was supposed to be crowned, she wanted her son Bharata to be crowned instead. She forced the king to make Bharata king and banished Rama into the woods for fourteen years. Rama being an epic hero, showed no fight and did as the king said. Rama accepted what the king had done and went off to the forest. …show more content…
The city of Uruk do not like Gilgamesh and tell the gods. They set out and find Enkidu in the wild and get him to come back to Uruk. Gilgamesh and Enkidu fight but they eventually build a friendship with one another. Gilgamesh was not respected by the city of Uruk but as the epic continued, Gilgamesh had a personality shift and became more respected. Gilgamesh started out as capricious and only took pride into his strength and power. Rama started out as honorable and respected. Rama was treated unfairly and stayed strong throughout the unfair circumstances but was filled with
Gilgamesh was a very self confident and at times that self confidence led to him to have little compassion for the people of Uruk at he beginning of the story. He was their king, but not their protector; he kills their sons and rapes their daughters. He felt like he was superior to others due to the fact that he was two-thirds god, his mother was a goddess Ninsun and one third human. This fact is the key to all of his actions. This is also what sets him apart from the hero Odysseus.
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.
This arrogant side of him is accompanied by an extensive abuse of power, which leads to injustice and rage in the city of Uruk: “The young men of Uruk he harries without warrant”. This problem does not bother Gilgamesh; he lives to display to others his royal power. The first sign of change in Gilgamesh occurs after the birth of Enkidu.
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...
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.
Many themes are incorporated into the story line of Gilgamesh. These include three very important concepts: death is inevitable, immortality is unachievable, and friendship is a necessity.
Gilgamesh (Gilgameš), also known as Bilgames in Sumerian, the original text was the fifth King of Uruk (Early Dynastic II, first dynasty of Uruk), reigned for 126 years, around 2500 BC (according to the Sumerian King list). Gilgamesh is the central character in the Epic of Gilgamesh, the greatest surviving work in early Mesopotamian Literature. Fragments of an epic text found in Me-Turan (modern Tell Haddad) relate that Gilgamesh, was buried under the waters of a river at the end of his life. The people of Uruk diverted the flow of the Euphrates, to cross the Uruk which aims to bury their King dead on the bottom of the river. The story of Gilgamesh which has meningggal in the bottom of the river such as the story of West Java, namely Telaga Warna.
From the beginning of time, mythology has appeared to be one key method of understanding life’s confusions and battles. Within these myths lies a hero. From myth to myth and story to story, heroes experience what may be called a struggle or a journey, which lays down their plot line. Bearing tremendous strength, talent, and significant admiration, a hero holds what is precious to their audience, heroism. Over time however, no matter the hero, the hero’s role remains indistinguishable and identical to the position of every other hero.
The epic begins with the men of Uruk describing Gilgamesh as an overly aggressive ruler. "'Gilgamesh leaves no son to his father; day and night his outrageousness continues unrestrained; And he is the shepherd of Uruk, the enclosure; He is their shepherd, and yet he oppresses them. Strong, handsome, and wise. . . Gilgamesh leaves no virgin to her lover.'"(p.18, Line 23-27) The citizens respect him, but they resent his sexual and physical aggression, so they plead to the gods to alleviate some of their burden. The gods resolve to create an equal for Gilgamesh to tame him and keep him in line. This equal, Enkidu, has an immediate impact on Gilgamesh. When they first meet, both having never before met a man equal in stature, they brawl. "They grappled with each other, Snorting like bulls; They shattered the doorpost, that the wall shook."(p.32, lines 15-18) In giving Gilgamesh a real battle, Enkidu instantly changes him; having this equal gives Gilgamesh a sense of respect for another man. These two men fighting each other creates a serious mess, but they both end up without animosity toward the other.
In the epic of Gilgamesh, there are many complex characters. Every character involved in the story has their own personality and traits.
Before the coming of Enkidu, Gilgamesh was a man of great power. A being for which there was no equal match, Gilgamesh boasted about his overwhelming glory and power. However, his arrogance was accompanied with an extensive abuse of power, which pushed the city of Uruk into a state of rage. Still Gilgamesh felt no despair; he lived to display to others his majestic power. The first sign of a sincere change in Gilgamesh arises as a result of the birth of Enkidu. From the beginning, a powerful link developed between man and woman. The wise Ninsun said to Gilgamesh,"You will love him as a woman and he will never forsake you". Gilgamesh had finally met his match, a friend that would serve as his life-long companion. Upon the seal of this great friendship, Gilgamesh began to change his selfish ways. Nevertheless, he shared with Enkidu the luxuries of kindness. Setting aside his great pride and power, Gilgamesh had opened a place in his heart, and in his sumptuous life, for his beloved brother.
Of all the many similarities of The Epic of Gilgamesh and The Odyssey, the sharing of the main character’s archetype can be considered to be the most significant similarity of the two epics. Odysseus, the main character of The Odyssey, and Gilgamesh, the main character of The Epic of Gilgamesh, both fall under the character archetype of a hero, the man in charge of saving the day. This sameness implies that the two characters had similar fates and characteristics; both had the distinct traits of a hero. Both Odysseus and Gilgamesh were kings, strong, brave, and blessed by the gods. In addition, they both angered a god and suffered from the consequences. In The Odyssey, Odysseus had to change his route to avoid Poseidon’s wrath. In The Epic of Gilgamesh, Gilgamesh angered Ishtar which consequently led to Enkidu’s death as a punishment ( “The Epic of Gilgamesh” 29). Both Gilgamesh and Odysseus had elements of arrogance in their personalities, and it was their arrogance that backlashed and caused...
Their similar qualities are strange due to the fact that these two epics were written in such different cultures, time periods, and probably mindsets. The Epic of Gilgamesh tried to describe the Sumerian beliefs, as well as the Sumerian 's culture. It appears that they used fighting to find out the best among them in war and to see who was worthy to rule kingdom. For example, we can consider Enkidu and Gilgamesh’s first battle. Everything is viewed as a battle in this culture, and at the end of each journey is the key to more wisdom. Hinduism however is kind of same but in different ways. In Rama 's culture, to obtain wisdom and knowledge, one has to be patient and finish his sacred duty. However, people have to fulfill the sacred duty by not fighting or battling for power, rather through the moral behavior and virtue. “Hinduism is all about being humble and leading your life in a way that will make the after-life even greater. It is about being truthful to their dharma and letting things happen in its way” (Narayan 23). Both Rama and Gilgamesh are epic heroes to their own culture. Different lifestyles will show up with the encounter of different believes. It’s usual to find one god or hero in every culture that it worships for hope and guidance. Thus, their similar characteristics represent this common archetype of a hero that every culture looks
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 begins with Gilgamesh terrorizing the people of Uruk. They call out to the sky god Anu for help. In response Anu tells the goddess of creation, Aruru, to make an equal for Gilgamesh. Thus Aruru created Enkidu, a brute with the strength of dozens of wild animals. After being seduced by a harlot from the temple of love in Uruk, Enkidu loses his strength and wildness yet gains wisdom and understanding. The harlot offers to take him into Uruk where Gilgamesh lives, the only man worthy of Enkidu's friendship. After a brief brawl the two become devoted friends.