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A short summary of the epic of gilgamesh
The journey of gilgamesh
A short summary of the epic of gilgamesh
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The Epic of Gilgamesh
Questions for Analysis #1-6
1. What was the Mesopotamian view of the afterlife?
2. What is the message of Siduri’s advice to Gilgamesh?
3. Consider Utnapishtim’s initial response to Gilgamesh’s request for the secret of eternal life. How does his message complement what Siduri has said?
4. Consider the story of Utnapishtim. What do the various actions of the gods and goddesses allow us to infer about how the Mesopotamians viewed their deities?
5. According to the epic, what are the respective roles of the gods and humans? What do the Mesopotamian deities require of humanity? What do humans expect of their gods?
6. What wisdom has Gilgamesh gained from his epic struggles? How has he changed as result of his quest?
1. The Mesopotamians viewed the afterlife as a place of darkness where there was no return when entered. It was ruled by the Queen of the Underworld, Ereshkigal, who was accompanied by her recorder, Belit-Sheri. From reading the poem, it was thought of as a baron place where the dead wandered and little else existed. Those who were kings and high priests were now servants for the gods. It’s definitely portrayed as a place one wouldn’t look forward to, and that’s the dilemma that Gilgamesh contemplates.
2. Siduri’s message to Gilgamesh is to enjoy the life he was given and the life he retained. His days on Earth should be spent eating, being merry, and take care of his child. Essentially, the main idea is that at some point the life of man comes to end and it’s in god’s hands.
3. Utnapishtim complements Siduri’s message by giving analogies in regards to the fact that death is unexpected. Nothing is permanent or certain except death. You could build a house that’s believed to stand forever, but is it really true? Does an agreement hold for all time? These are the examples Utnapishtim gives. While death is certain, the time it occurs is not known by man.
4. About religion in general, whenever man defies god, his existence, or his actions, it’s considered to be an act of defiance and they are to face punishment. With this in my mind, we can infer that at a time where man was expanding in Mesopotamia, the belief in the gods and goddesses was declining. Thus, the punishment from the infuriated gods was to eliminate them all.
5. Mesopotamian deities required humanity to worship and praise them. Basically, they were to be their servants.
The Epic of Gilgamesh portrays a good relationship between the gods and humankind because the gods were living with humankind in the city before it was destroyed. The gods did not know what was happening when the sky went dark but they fled
This is the team that Ruth, Gehrig and Mantle played for. Twenty-seven time world champions. The most valuable sports franchise in history. The ownership pays the top baseball players in the world over $200 million per year to ensure competitive ballgames and victory. They have more Hall of Fame inductees than any other team in history. The most recognized sports franchise in the world. People on the other side of the world would kill to see the Yankees and their favorite players right before their very eyes. The classiest organization in all of sports, even forbidding hair below the lower lip. The Yankees are forever being mentioned in pop-culture: songs, movies, television shows, etc. The Yankee hat is the most beloved and coveted piece of sports apparel that exists. From Nelson Mandela to Jay-Z, and from Rudy Giuliani to Muhammad Ali, some of the greatest and most influential men who have ever lived sport the Yankee cap with pride. Yankee Stadium is the cathedral of sports. The perfectly manicured grass and electricity of the crowd and fellow fans is breathtaking. You can explore the history in the Yankees Museum, where signed memorabilia, World Championship trophies, and other astonishing pieces of history are put on display for the fans. Or visit Monument Park, and pay visit to the plaques belonging to the greatest who have ever played. Hungry? Your choices are endless. Sit down for a five-course meal at NYY Steak for one of the best steaks that New York has to offer. Or stop at Lobel’s Gourmet Steak Sandwiches for some mouthwatering pulled pork. Enjoy a draft beer at the Malibu Rooftop Deck, while overlooking the Manhattan skyline; or order up a Hurricane from the Mohegan Sun Sports Bar and enjoy the game overlooking centerfield. And finally wash it all down with a delicious milkshake from Johnny Rocket’s. Yankee Stadium offers well over 100 concession and dining options. A trip to Yankee Stadium will
First and foremost is the fact that it has provided upwards of 32 million Americans with some type of health insurance coverage. With the passing of the law, all insurance companies are now required to cover ten essential health benefits, including but not limited to mental health, addiction and chronic diseases. This saves money because these are the very people that would end up in the emergency room for treatment if they do not have access to healthcare. It has removed the stigma of preexisting conditions and now ensures insurance companies will no longer be able to deny coverage because of medical conditions and the insured can no longer be dropped or experience increased premiums should they develop a catastrophic illness. The lifetime and annual limits on coverage were eliminated which will help those who encounter tragic injury or illness; possibly preventing them from bankrupting themselves trying to pay for life saving measures. Children can now remain on their parent’s policy up to the age of 26. This alone has supplied around 3 million people with insurance coverage that they didn’t previously have (Shaffer, 2013). Health care reform gave each individual state the opportunity (although not all exercised this right) and option to expanded Medicaid rosters, making the threshold 138% of the Federal poverty level (Chang & Davis, 2013). The Affordable Care Act which includes the Prevention and Public Health
Hooker, R. (1999). Mesopotamia. Washington State University - Pullman, Washington. Retrieved April 15, 2011, from http://www.wsu.edu:8080/~dee/MESO/MESO.HTM
Ever since the beginning of time, man has learned to mature by trials and tribulations. In the beginning of The Epic of Gilgamesh, the protagonist Gilgamesh appears to be an arrogant person who only cares about himself. He abuses all his powers and takes advantage of people with his physical abilities. Basically in the beginning he thinks that no one on earth is better than him. However, just like all epic poems, the protagonist encounters many challenges that make him a better person. So as the story progresses Gilgamesh slowly starts to change his personality. Various events help transform this tyrant to a humble person.
In the ancient civilization of the Sumerians religion was an important part of both the lives of the citizens and the administration of government. People felt very distant from their rulers and this feeling was reflected in their religion. The great gods of the day were unconcerned with human welfare. They were in control of the forces of nature and were the source of authority for the rulers. Both inspired fear and veneration in the populace and the people created lesser gods as guardian intercessors to assuage the insecurity of their world. Although the Sumerians developed systems of writing and mathematics, the use of these arts was restricted to an elite upper class while the majority of the people were enslaved by ignorance and fear. This structure of subservience to a higher power was established in their religion and played out in their government.
In conclusion, the values from ancient Mesopotamian culture correlate to those in The Epic of Gilgamesh. The role of warriors show many similarities, including strength, bravery, and hubris. Furthermore, Gilgamesh compares with historic figures by expressing a dual nature. One may present a façade to hide one's faults, but no hero is infallible. Above all, it is learned how important heroes in Mesopotamia were, despite their imperfections, for in the eyes of their community, they were recognized like demigods.
Gilgamesh, feeling the fear of his own mortality, sets out on a journey to search for a way to preserve himself. Although the journey that he endures is much larger than life, Gilgamesh comes to realize that he can never achieve immortality. Before the creation of Enkidu, Gilgamesh is a man without an equal match. He is an individual with overwhelming power, and it is because of this that makes Gilgamesh a very arrogant person.
The people thought of all the gods to be wise and would seek their guidance in certain situations. Their religious beliefs brought this respect, and in some ways fear, to honor the gods so they would be gracious in return. “Religious beliefs instilled fear of the gods, who could alter the landscape, and desire to appease them” (Bulliet, 19). The Mesopotamians believed that the gods were human like in form, but that if they were to be unhappy by something the people did, they could alter anything in their lives, and in some cases even kill
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.
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).
Ancient world literature and early civilization stories are mostly centered on human’s relationship with higher beings. Ancient civilizations were extremely religious, holding the belief that their very lives were in the hands of their almighty god or goddess. This holds true for both the people of biblical times as well as those of the epic era. However, their stories have some differences according to cultural variation but the main structure, ideas, and themes are generally found correlative. It is hard to believe that one work did not affect the others. The first great heroic epic poem of Gilgamesh and the Old Testament are parts of two cultures that are hundreds of years apart. Whereas Gilgamesh is a myth and the book of Genesis is the basis of many religions, they both have notably similar accounts of symbols, motifs, meaningful events according to the relationship between the divine and humans in literature.
Gilgamesh goes on to seek eternal life. Death had never been a topic he had to deal with. Jacobsen explains, “death, fear of death, has become an ob...
This story teaches that death is an unavoidable and inevitable circumstance of mortal life, which is the most significant precept Gilgamesh learns. Gilgamesh is resentful that only the gods can exist eternally. Gilgamesh is frightened by the idea of his own destiny. Mesopotamian divinity proposes a perception of an afterlife; the deceased spend their period being dead in a netherworld. Death is inevitably entwined within the structure of creation. Life is also entwined, although mortals die, humanity maintains to live. The message that Gilgamesh returns with from his adventure is not primarily about death, but about life. Fragment of a tablet of The Epic of Gilgamesh is figure C down
“How can I rest, how can I be at peace? Despair is in my heart. What my brother is now, that shall be when I am dead. Because I am afraid of death I will go as best as I can to find Utnapishtim whom they call farwell, for he has entered the assembly of gods.” (Gilgamesh, 507) Gilgamesh finally finds Utnapishtim and demands for immortally. Untnapishtim explains to Gilgamesh that all that he did was obey the gods, in return the gods gave him immortality. Utnapishtim than gives Gilgamesh a three obstacles in order to receive immortality. “As for you, Gilgamesh, who will assemble the gods for your sake, so that you may find that life for which you are searching? But if you wish, Come and put it to the test: to Prevail against sleep for six days and seven nights.” (Gilgamesh, 511) Gilgamesh accepts Utnapishtim’s test but fails within hours and lies about his outcome. Utnapishtim’s wife feels sympathy for Gilgamesh, giving his another test in return for ever lasting life. “There is a plant that grows under the water, it has prickles like a thorn, like a rose; it will wound your hands, but if you succeed in taking it, then your hands will hold that which restores his lost youth to a man.” (Gilgamesh, 512) Gilgamesh accepts the test once again and actually succeeds but tying rocks to his feet in order for him the sink to retrieve the