Gilgamesh Essay
Heroes are found everywhere. From movies that are being released today, to the most ancient tales of human history, there is always a hero. In the oldest, written story that remains today, The Epic of Gilgamesh, the main character Gilgamesh exemplifies his role as the archetypal hero. This hero archetype is made up of many things; the greatness of said hero, their ability to conquer, their travels, their feats, and even the way they show their cultures and beliefs. Throughout the epic, Gilgamesh demonstrates role as the archetypal hero by proving that he is larger than life when the narrator explains he is part god,by representing his culture when he made sacrifices to their gods, and by embarking on a journey to find the key
…show more content…
to immortality. Gilgamesh has many characteristics that are similar to to the archetypal hero, including that he is grand and larger than life. We can tell that he is greater, and at least metaphorically larger, than what an average human at the time was because of his description in the prologue, “When the gods created Gilgamesh they gave him the perfect body. Shamash the glorious sun endowed him with beauty. Adad the god of storm endowed him with courage, the great gods made his beauty perfect, surpassing all others, terrifying like a great wild bull. Two thirds they made him god and one third man” (1). In this quote the narrator discusses how Gilgamesh was created to be an example of perfection, so much to the point that he was made to be two-thirds god. In mesopotamian culture, almost no one was partially a god or even considered to have perfect beauty and courage. However, since Gilgamesh was part god and built by the gods to be perfect, the reader can see that he was crafted to be better or greater than the average person. The aspect of being larger than life that is native to archetypal heroes, is beautifully exhibited through Gilgamesh. Similarly to the fact that being part god made him so important to his people, Gilgamesh, like the average archetypal hero should, demonstrates the values and beliefs of his culture throughout the epic. This occurs especially after Gilgamesh and Enkidu kill the bull of heaven, “They admired the immensity of the horns. They were plated with lapis luzis two fingers thick. They were thirty pounds in weight, and their capacity in oil was six measures, which he gave to his guardian god, Lugulbanda” (11). The description of the horns show us how incredibly valuable they are, from being covered in gemstones to containing what seems to be a massive amount of oil. Furthermore, Gilgamesh realizes the worth of these horns, and instead of choosing to be selfish he decides to give them to that god that is his guardian as an offering. By doing this, Gilgamesh shows the reader how important gods were to himself and to Mesopotamian culture. Therefore, the archetypal trait in which the hero exemplifies the beliefs of his or her culture is clearly seen in Gilgamesh. While Gilgamesh was representing the values of Mesopotamian culture, he was also beginning a journey, which is also a trait of an archetypal hero.
Gilgamesh, after the death of Enkidu, is inspired to embark on a quest to find immortality, “I have travelled here in search of Utnapishtim, my father; for men say he has entered the assembly of the gods, and has found everlasting life: I have a desire to question him concerning the living dead” (20). Here Gilgamesh explains that he has travelled to find his father. When the archetypal hero, such as Gilgamesh, travels to another location to find something or have something answered, it is a journey. Therefore, when going on his own journey to find immortality, Gilgamesh is identifying with another trait of an archetypal hero.
Gilgamesh proves again and again that he is the archetypal hero in the Epic of Gilgamesh by the narrator’s explanation of his godliness when he explains Gilgamesh’s god-to-human make up, by the way he exemplifies his culture's beliefs a values through sacrificial actions, and by the way is quest for immortality is most definitely a journey worthwhile to an archetypal hero. Gilgamesh is one of the earliest examples of an archetypal hero to exist. Although, today, there are millions of character that represent an archetypal hero in each of their own stories, and there will continue to be millions
more.
The dominant factor in an epic is the heroic main character. This character often is the son of a god or goddess and is favored by the gods. Heroic characters are also always hounded by constant tragedy which drives them to fulfill their fates. Most heroic characters are high in social status and share close contacts with the gods. All of these qualities of heroic characters show up in the characters of Aeneas from The Aeneid and Gilgamesh from the Epic of Gilgamesh.
Merriam- Webster online dictionary defines an epic hero as, “ A grand and noble character in an epic poem, admired for great achievements or effected by grand events.” The same dictionary also defines an epic poem as, “a story told about a hero or exciting events.” The Epic of Gilgamesh is often considered the oldest story on earth; which would make Gilgamesh, the story’s controversial main character, and the world’s oldest epic hero. This epic set a precedent for all epics to follow; it displayed most of the traits that society commonly perceives an epic hero and epic poem should have. The Epic of Gilgamesh exhibits tendencies of an epic poem through its inclusion of an epic hero, multiple gods and goddesses, and it’s vast array of settings across the world. Additionally, Gilgamesh presents attributes of an epic hero through his quest for immortality, his noble birth and his battles with superhuman foes.
The quest for immortality after the death of Enkidu is the first sign that Gilgamesh has changed. Gilgamesh becomes frightened when he realizes that he isn’t immortal. After the death of Enkidu, Gilgamesh tries to find immortality by trying to cross the ocean to find it. He sounds pathetic as he rambles of his reason for trying to find everlasting life. His state of being at this part in the book, which is the end, is completely different from his arrogant beginning of this epic. Gilgamesh has gone from arrogant to scared.
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.
You may think Jesus isn't an epic hero or you may ask how is he an epic hero, but his story is more of an epic than you would think. On the other hand, Gilgamesh has the story and the characteristics of a good old fashion epic hero, that was brave, a strong fighter, and didn't back down for nothing. But Jesus never fought his enemies he fought them with love, and he was one hundred percent god on earth but Gilgamesh was only ⅔ god. Gilgamesh and Jesus have a good amount of differences. And in this essay I will be explaining the differences and similarities between these two godly figures abilities, the purpose of their quest,and what makes them very different from all humans on earth.
In The Epic of Gilgamesh, the characters and their lesson arise as the most memorable
Every action of his led created a domino effect and him to go on a journey. For instance, the death of Enkidu was a contributing factor into Gilgamesh’s transformation. If Enkidu hadn’t died, Gilgamesh would have continued on living in an illusion. Perhaps, this epic is meant to be a cautionary tale to warn those with a similar lust for immortality to not indulge in it and rather concentrate their focus and energy on something tangible. Since the desire of immortality is impossible to attain and leaves much reparations. So, instead this tale encourages acceptance and the idea of preserving knowledge and hope for future generations. Gilgamesh’s story is so crucial and essential because his personal experiences provided knowledge to future generations. After all, the “Mesopotamians believed that the highest knowledge came to sages of the remote past directly from the gods or through extraordinary events not likely to recur” (xxi). He experienced everything and achieved complete knowledge. He wrote about his journey, which he carved on a monument of stone and most importantly, built the mighty city of Uruk. He realized that although, mortals cannot literally achieve immortality, they can do so through the preservation of works regarding civilization and culture. He learned the only thing immortal is knowledge, which never dies and lives on eternally. Knowledge is the elixir of
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.
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.
Throughout history literature has consisted of millions of different themes. A hero on a journey is one theme that seems to reoccur more often than many others. The Epic of Gilgamesh and The Odyssey are prime examples of epic stories that have this theme embedded in them. Though the main characters in these stories, Gilgamesh and Odysseus, are very different in personality and their reasoning behind each quest, they both share striking similarities regarding their status, hardships, and connection to the gods.
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 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.
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.
Although The Epic of Gilgamesh was written nearly four millennia ago, its principle values – namely in relationships – can be seen in many contemporary works, such as the American sitcom, Brooklyn Nine-Nine. Albeit the respective mediums of the works are vastly distinct, there are three main themes that can be traced throughout each of these works. The first theme is found in a seemingly tense, yet somehow lovingly personal, relationship between the main character and an authority figure. The second theme is that the main character seeks out a form of glory or immortality. Finally, in both works, the hero possesses a so-called “second-self” that lies at the end opposite the hero on the spectrum of order and chaos. It is in these specific types