An Analytical Essay's The Epic Of Gilgamesh

The Epic of Gilgamesh is a narrative poem about King Gilgamesh of Uruk, a city in Ancient Mesopotamia. At first glance, you may assume that it’s a simple story about an ancient king. However, it is so much more than just that. It is a tale of friendship, triumph, pride, death, and everything in between. It tells the reader more about the ancient world, as well. By reading The Epic of Gilgamesh, one can learn about the religion, social hierarchy, and the government of Ancient Mesopotamia. First off, The Epic of Gilgamesh helps the reader to better understand the religion of the Ancient Mesopotamian people. The religion of Mesopotamia was polytheistic, meaning they believed in many gods rather than only one. It was also anthropomorphic, meaning the people of Mesopotamia saw the gods and goddesses as having human characteristics, although they were not human. These gods and goddesses had direct influence on the lives of the people of Uruk. For instance, dreams were messages from the gods that saw the future of whoever had them. They also had the power to create, as the goddess Aruru

Social status was everything in the Mesopotamia. Presently, social status depends on how much money you have. However, in ancient times, social status depended on occupation. This explains why the king and the royal family was often at the top of the social hierarchy. Enkidu’s social status even elevated after he fought Gilgamesh, as they began to view each other as brothers. Gilgamesh never failed to express how important he was in the beginning of the story, as he once said, “I will go first although I am your lord.” (Pg. 17) Usually, the king would order people of lower status to do things for them, but he did something for himself because Enkidu was warning him not to. Therefore, The Epic of Gilgamesh shows how important the social hierarchy was to the