Analysis Of Tablets IV And V Of The Epic Of Gilgamesh

Embarking on a Grand Quest In Tablets IV and V of the Epic of Gilgamesh we further see why this Sumerian work of literature is a epic. Gilgamesh and his companion Enkidu embark on their heroic journey to the forest to vanquish Humbaba, the fearsome guardian of the forest. Tablets IV center mostly on three main characters: Gilgamesh, Enkidu and Humbaba. Gilgamesh and Enkidu are the two main protagonist however, with Humbaba we are faced with our first “antagonist.” Humbaba was appointed by the god Enil to be the guardian of the forest. He is grotesque in appearance and is a fearsome adversary for Gilgamesh and Enkidu. Tablet IV consist solely of our two protagonist journey to the forest. While the journey to the forest, every night they make

Enkidu then interprets Gilgamesh’s dreams as prophecies of what will take place during their journey. When Gilgamesh and Enkidu finally reach the forest, they admire the height of the cedars and the path that Humbaba has made from walking through the trees. There are two version in which the encounter with Humbaba is told. The first or older version is that Gilgamesh and Enkidu began to but down he cedar trees resulting in them alerting Humbaba to their presence. The second or the standard version is that they encounter Humbaba first. Humbaba begins to speak to our pair of protagonist and especially heckles Enkidu. An interesting fact is that the roles of Gilgamesh and Enkidu have switched in a sense. In tablet II it was Enkidu who was unsure and hesitant of going on the journey to the forest, Now it is Gilgamesh who is having second thoughts. Enkidu encourages

These two tablets are compiled with action and revelations that come from Gilgamesh’s dreams. One of Gilgamesh’s dreams especially stood out to me. In one of Gilgamesh’s later dreams form tablet IV, he is grasping with a wild bull in the steppe and it pinioned his arms and then someone pulled him out and gave him water to drink. Enkidu then explains the dream to Gilgamesh and tells him the the wild bull was actually the god Shamash and that the person who gave him water was Lugalbanda, his father. When I first read this dream I immediately thought of a instance in the Christian bible, specifically the old testament, that I thought shared similarities to Gilgamesh’s dream. In Genesis, Jacob son of Isaac is in the desert when he encounters a man in which he wrestles with form night to daybreak. At daybreak, Jacob realizes he is actually wresting with God and when God decides to end this contest, he dislocates Jacob’s hip. However Jacob does not let go until God blesses him. God blesses him and thus his name is changed from Jacob to Israel. The story of Jacob wresting with God in the desert and Gilgamesh grasping with a bull, who we find out to be the god Shamash, in the steepe bare quite a few similarities from my perspective. When Lugalbanda gives Gilgamesh the water, I believe he is receiving some sort of a blessing. Rather it be a blessing from fathe that will help him on his journey or his father giving him approval of his nobel