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Gilgamesh and Enkidu in the Epic Poem of Gilgamesh
In this paper, I seek to explore the identities and relationships between Gilgamesh and Enkidu in the epic poem of Gilgamesh, up through Enkidu’s death. I will explore the gender identity of each independently and then in relation to each other, and how their gender identity influences that relationship. I will also explore other aspects of their identity and how they came to their identities as well, through theories such as social conditioning. I will investigate the possibility that Gilgamesh and Enkidu enjoy a homosexual relationship, since modern times allow such investigations which only 20 years ago were considered extemporaneous to ancient texts by traditions western conventions. Conversely, I will also consider the possibility of a heterosexual male-male relationship in the terms of Platonic love. In addition to this, I will touch briefly at times on the unique relationship each has to a world that is caught up in a change from nature and natural things to what we call a civilized life, or an urban life.
In the beginning of the epic poem Gilgamesh, the main character Gilgamesh is conveyed as a generally immoral human, his genesis mythically coming from the gods. “Two thirds they made him god and one third man.” (19, Norton; “Gilgamesh”). He also is said to have a perfect body, which is a trait of godliness in many ancient cultures. “When the gods created Gilgamesh they gave him a perfect body.” (18, Norton; “Gilgamesh). Here again it is obvious that the myth says Gilgamesh is from the same stuff as the gods. He is known for taking whatever he desires “His lust leaves no virgin to her lover, neither the warriors daughter or the wife’s noble.” (19, Norton; “Gilgamesh”). He has the arrogance and audacity to simply take anything that he considers in his kingdom. Clearly, at least early on in the story, the actions of Gilgamesh mirror that of his mythical genealogy from the gods, who live by a different moral code than that of civilized humans. At the same time however, Gilgamesh is certainly portrayed in the story as magnificent and capable of incredible things, such as the building of the walls and Rampart in Uruk. “Climb upon the wall of Uruk; walk along it, I say; regard the foundation terrace and examine the masonry: is it not burnt brick and good?” (19, Norton; Gilgamesh). So at the ...
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...ith the fact that it seems death simply can not be escaped. This helps to change Gilgamesh a great deal, and in fact it is after this that Gilgamesh begins to change his way and is truly a “shepherd of the people.” In the end, Gilgamesh veils Enkidu like a woman (35, Norton: “Gilgamesh”). In fact, the text describes this as being veiled like a bride in this translation. So once again, even in death, it seems that Enkidu and Gilgamesh have moved to a very close and personal relationship with each other, which is certainly Platonic in nature, and even possibly sexually oriented in some way or another. In the end, it is unavoidable that in some way each is affected by the other, either to serve or remember the other and to be the fulfillment of each other.
Works Cited
Uknown Author. “Gilgamesh.” In The Norton Anthology of World Masterpieces, the
Western Tradition, Seventh Edition, Volume 1. Ed. Sarah Lawall and Maynard Mack. New York: W.W. Norton and Company, Inc., 1999. 18-35.
Doty, William G. Myths of Masculinity. New York: The Crossroad Publishing Company,
1993. 73-78.
Sayers, Janet. Sexual Contradictions. New York: Tavistock Publications Ltd., 1986. 23-34.
Every company has internal and external forces that effect how they operate within the community in which they are located and also within their own walls. These internal and external forces play a strong impact on the company’s profitability and success. These forces have an effect on what consumers they attract or ignore and how they are perceived by those who have the buying power. A mistake any analyzing and implementing measures to assist with these factors could greatly affects a company’s bottom line and success. This is why any company wanting to grow and be successful will need to take all of these forces; sociocultural, technological, economic, environmental and political-legal into consideration in creating their strategic plan.
True love and immortality in life would be a dream come true to many people. To spend time with a special someone; the person one feels closest to; the so-called soul mate and to never have that high feeling of emotion end mentally and physically would greatly appeal to most people. But when death steps into the picture, even with all the pain and devastation, one starts to re-evaluate themselves and realizes the important things in life and puts it all into perspective. In The Epic of Gilgamesh, the main character, Gilgamesh, is a powerful, arrogant king and part god. Enkidu, Gilgamesh’s partner, is animal-like but later takes on more humanistic traits such as his contemplation’s of death. The friendship between Gilgamesh and Enkidu is a very powerful, loving friendship. Enkidu is Gilgamesh’s soul mate, not only acting as his friend but as a lover too. Enkidu’s presence in Gilgamesh’s life allows Gilgamesh to see what is truly good in life and to accept his mortality much easier.
Gilgamesh, without Enkidu, is like fire without oxygen. Enkidu is needed by Gilgamesh in order to flourish; not being able to survive long without his sidekick. Both men were created, by the God’s, for each other. They were built to be together and work off each other’s strengths, being able to accomplish great things together. Without Godly intervention, the two may have gone unmatched and never met their other half. The question is: would the story, The Epic of Gilgamesh, have the same outcome without Enkidu and what would become of Gilgamesh.
First, when observations are made, hypothesises are formed. To test these hypothesises scientists conduct experiments. If their hypothesis is right, it is confirmed by further experiments and validated by other scientists. After many experiments and confirmations, a theory is formed. A scientific theory is a broad and general idea or explanation provided by scientists and is related to observations and is supported by a large amount of evidence. A theory is not a fact however it is just a possible explanation. An example of a theory is the Big Bang Theory.
In the Epic of Gilgamesh, the main character, Gilgamesh is first introduced as a glorious king of Uruk who is one-third human and two-thirds god. The idea that Gilgamesh is one third human and two thirds god is impossible because this would imply that Gilgamesh has three biological parents, in which two of them are gods and the other, a human. Indeed this notion is hard to believe but by closely investigating the way that the gods treat Gilgamesh, it becomes clear that this idea was not a mistake. While it may seem as if Gilgamesh is part god, a closer examination reveals that that detail about him being two thirds god only serves as a reminder that he is a superior human being, and because of this, Gilgamesh
Gilgamesh’s acceptance of mortality develops the theme of acceptance of mortality when the author writes, “Gilgamesh was alone again, but not with loneliness or the memory of death.(pg. 86) “Gilgamesh is now alone in the sense that he has accepted Enkidu’s death through his trials, and now no longer feels loneliness, death, or grief. Gilgamesh, who a moment ago was in grief, now sees that mortality and subsequent death is evitable and that in order to move on from it we must face and accept it. In addition to his acceptance of Enkidu’s death, Gilgamesh now sees his limitations as a human; he has moved on from his hubris at the beginning of the book and now accepts that he has limits as a human, and can’t go against that. Unlike the battle with Hubaba, which showed that Gilgamesh had excessive pride and confidence, Gilgamesh sees that he is human, and will always have human limitations. He understands that when faced with something like mortality, he cannot change or find a solution to it, he must understand it, face it, and recover from it just like everyone else. Thus, near the end of Gilgamesh, the theme of mortality is developed through Gilgamesh actual acceptance of mortality, and the subsequent understanding and acceptance of loss and
This alignment involves the assessment of implementing the chosen business strategy through appropriate IT strategy and the articulation of the required IT infrastructure and processes. This strategy is not constrained by the current organization design, but instead seeks to identify the best possible IT competencies through appropriate positioning in IT marketplaces.
...l of his wrongful actions and soon realizes that when he dies, he will eventually be tortured and punished with consequences for his cruelty. The friendship they both had has benefited both parties in a way because of the fact that they learned a lot from each other. By learning from each of their own unique personalities and differences, they both changed each others’ lives by fixing the image and portrayal of negativity and loathing, and finally approaching to a more positive and ideal essence of human nature. Without Enkidu, Gilgamesh would still be the same person before he met him, and his attributes would never change into a more proper standing. Gilgamesh successfully finds wisdom in himself towards the end of the story, and as he reaches mortality, he is put into a more suitable position and is metaphorically placed to be an improved person and king.
Gilgamesh was said to be the spawn of a god and a human woman. His handsome features, great strength, and cunning intelligence were supposedly the best in the land. Yet, he did not rule his kingdom with justice. He often took advantage of his citizens for his own personal pleasures. The following quote, “For Gilgamesh, the King of Broad-Marted Uruk, open is the veil of the people for choosing. He will have intercourse with the 'destined wife', he first, the husband afterwards. (Gilgamesh 17)”, was once such incident. He took it upon himself to sleep with the new wives of his people, saying that the gods decreed it. After he met Enkidu, a boy from the wilderness, he began to show compassion. Enkidu was outraged by his act with the wives. He, during his time with Enkidu, begins to show a small sign of morality towards his people... but that is swiftly ended by the death of his young friend. Afterward, he goes into a deep stage of mourning, forcing his citizens to do so also. He also beings ...
Enkidu was created to be Gilgamesh’s equal and his soul mate. ‘“You made him… now create his equal; let it be as like him as his own reflection, his second self, stormy heart for stormy heart’” (14). So the goddess of creation, Aruru “dipped her hands in water and pinched off clay, she let it fall in the wilderness” and created Enkidu (14). Before Gilgamesh had met Enkidu he loved him; ‘“… I bent down, deeply drawn towards… [Enkidu]… I loved it like a woman and wore it at my side”’ (16). Enkidu had “virtue in him” (14). He was also “innocent of mankind” (14). After Enkidu was civilized the wild animals would not be near him. He felt ...
Throughout time, people of all cultures have told stories of heroes and kings. The most ancient story we have on record is the tale of King Gilgamesh. This story is an account of the King's journeys and accomplishments. Although it was written over four thousand years ago, many comparisons can be made between the society in which the story was written and our own modern society. In this essay, differences and similarities between the two societies will be examined.
Everyone has qualities that are heroic and noble, and everyone has their flaws. No matter who they are, or how perfect others think they are, people still have some negative qualities that can hurt their heroic ones. In the book, The Epic of Gilgamesh, by Benjamin Foster, both Gilgamesh and Enkidu had positive and negative characteristics that affected the outcome of their journey and their adventures they experienced throughout their lives.
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.
A team of scientists can observe the same phenomenon under investigation. They can then formulate a hypothesis to account for those behaviors. They can then form experiments so they can confirm or reject those hypothesis designed to explain the behavior of organisms.
The steps that are included in most pre-college textbooks are defining the problem, gathering background information, forming a hypothesis, making observations, testing the hypothesis, drawing conclusions, and communicating the results, but this method is not used. One reason for this myth is the way results are published in research journals because it makes people believe that scientists follow a certain research plan. Philosophers have shown that no research procedure is applied by all scientists. Usually scientists use imagination, knowledge, perseverance, and other methods used by problem solvers. This myth teaches that science is not different from other challenges that humans face. This myth has a chance to be corrected because many newer textbooks are taking the method out of the discussions of