the epic of gilgamesh argumentative essay

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The Epic Of Gilgamesh Argumentative Essay Example

Type of paper: Argumentative Essay

Topic: Poetry , Poem , Animals , World , Friendship , Gilgamesh , Nature , Literature

Words: 1200

Published: 12/31/2019

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The plot of The Epic of Gilgamesh deals a lot with the world of nature. Considering the fact that Enkidu, the best friend and companion of the main character, was created as a wild man and lived in the forest before encountering Gilgamesh, it seems especially interesting to speculate on the question of how the natural world was presented in this epic poem. In the beginning of the poem when the reader comes across the first mention of Enkidu, one may notice that the author opposes the ingenuousness of Enkidu to the habits and actions of Gilgamish who belongs to the civilized people. The latter one is described as a tyrannical ruler, who is prone to voluptuousness while he demands the privilege of sleeping with brides of his people. He is a willful despot who can order his people to build walls and then let the walls decay, despite all the hard work which his people put into them. However, the ruler was the ruler and civilized people could only wish for changes and continue to bear their king’s whims. On the contrary, Enkidu was made as an opposition to Gilgamesh. He was supposed to possess something that Gilgamesh lacked but to be equal with him in strength in order to bring into his soul something that would make him better. The following entreaty regarding the creation of Enkidu was made to the goddess Aruru: “Let him be a match for the storm in his heart, let them vie with each other so Uruk may be rested!”(George, 5). Enkidu used to run with the animals that had no fear of him and to free them from traps. While Gilgamesh and Enkidu are contrasted in this part of the poem and the king of Uruk is represented in rather an unfavorable light it feels like the nature to which Enkidu obviously belongs provides freedom of soul which civilized people lack. Therefore the attitude towards the nature is positive from the very beginning of the poem. As soon as one encounters Enkidu on the pages of the book, he or she is immediately left with the impression that Enkidu, despite he is simply a savage who must be infinitely less clever than the king of Uruk, due to his simplicity and closeness to the nature possesses something good that Gilgamesh lacks.

When the prostitute whom Gilgamesh had sent to sleep with Enkidu walked him to Uruk and people first saw Enkidu, no one of them felt despise or superiority towards the savage. It might have happened though if general attitude towards nature in the poem was different. It is impossible to imagine that a man who lived with animals and knows nothing about customs and habits of civilized people would be greeted as equal in the modern world. Of course the society of the times that were described in the poems was way simpler than ours, so Enkidu did not have to know the achievements of science or technological progress to be considered equal by other people. Still, habits and customs are not less important and if natural world was thought to be something simple and a man was referred to in people’s minds as the king of the animals Enkidu would likely receive public scorn due to his way of life. But this did not happen. In fact as he entered Uruk people even compared him to their king, saying that Enkidu looked like Gilgamesh but was shorter and stronger. They decided that “He was born in the uplands, animals’ milk is what he was suckled on” (George, 15). The fact that the way of life Enkidu had led before coming to Uruk was not supposed to be something shameful and did not prevent the people of Uruk to have seen their king’s equal in him proves that the people in this poem felt a lot of regard towards the world of nature.

It was mentioned though that Enkidu and Gilgamesh were killing beasts, bears and tigers through their journey as they faced them. Still in the world of nature animals kill each other as well in order to survive. Therefore the fact that the main characters of the poem were killing some of the nature’s children does not prove that they lived in disharmony with nature or did not respect the wild world. Quite the opposite they acted like those who belonged there, taking a fight in order to defend themselves, not killing for their amusement. In the final speech in honor of his deceased friend Enkidu that Gilgamesh gave in front of the counselors of Uruk, he referred to Enkidu as to the son of the wild ass and the gazelle. It is hardly possible that he would mention that if he thought Enkidu’s origin and the life that he had led in woods before encountering Gilgamesh to be something shameful. A man in his situation, who was weeping for his friend and companion, would say only the best things about the deceased comrade. In this speech Gilgamesh referred to Enkidu as to his brother. If the king names someone like Enkidu to be his brother, it means that he does not mind a consequential relation to the world of animals. Being the “son of wild ass and the gazelle” Enkidu seemed to have been fully acknowledged as someone who was a part of the natural world, not civilized society. Taking into account that Enkidu was supposed to have been created as Gilgamesh’s second self it proves that those who wrote this poem gave a lot of credit to a human’s bond with nature, hinting that everyone should possess a part of Enkidu in his or her heart to become a full human.

Considering all the before mentioned it may be supposed that he poem reflected rather rural values than the urban ones. When Gilgamesh lived in the town and ruled his people he did not show the best qualities of man. He was a despot who was used to comfort which the king naturally received and the obedience of his folk. It was the journey with Enkidu, when he had only his friend by his side while travelling through forests and lands full of wild animals that finally made him human. Therefore the safe civilized town is contraposed to the experiences provided by the life in the wild that man should live through.

The Epic of Gilgamesh referred to the natural world with high regard and respect and it is no wonder that it was so, taking into account the time when it was created. The first version of it dates to the 18th century BC. People of that time must have had much stronger a bond with nature than modern people. A part of wild which Enkidu possessed was destined to complete Gilgamesh, to teach him how to feel what a human must feel and to develop worthy values in his soul.

Works Cited

George, Andrew. The Epic of Gilgamesh. London: Penguin Books Ltd., 2000. Print

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The Epic of Gilgamesh

April 30, 2020 | yalepress | Ancient History , Literature

John Carey —

The oldest surviving literary work is The Epic of Gilgamesh . It was composed nearly 4,000 years ago in ancient Mesopotamia (roughly equivalent to where Iraq and eastern Syria are now). No one knows who wrote it, or why, or what readership or audience it was intended for. It is preserved on clay tablets in the earliest known alphabet, which is called cuneiform script because the scribes who wrote it formed the letters by making wedge-shaped (cuneiform) dents in wet clay with bits of reed.

For centuries the secret of how to read cuneiform script was lost. Then, in the 1870s, a self-taught, working-class Londoner called George Smith, studying clay tablets in the British Museum, cracked the code and brought The Epic of Gilgamesh to light.

The epic tells the story of a king, Gilgamesh, whose mother is a goddess. He rules the city of Uruk (now Warka in southern Iraq). He is a great warrior and builds a magnificent city using glazed bricks, a new technique. But he is lustful and tyrannical, seizing and violating brides on their wedding day. So the gods create a wild man called Enkidu to stop Gilgamesh oppressing his people.

Enkidu is made from the clay the mother goddess washes from her hands, and he is an animal rather than a human. He is covered in hair and lives with the gazelles, eating grass as they do. However, a votaress of the temple in Uruk seduces him and after seven days and nights of fervent love-making he becomes human. She teaches him to wear clothes and eat human food.

Gilgamesh falls in love with Enkidu, caressing him like a woman. But when Enkidu tries to stop him violating brides, they fight. They turn out to be equally matched, so they kiss and make friends and embark on heroic adventures. Together they go on a quest to the Cedar Forest and kill the monster Humbaba who lives there. This angers the gods, since Humbaba was their monster. While Gilgamesh is washing after the fight the goddess Ishtar sees him, falls in love, and proposes marriage. But she is the goddess of sex and violence and all her lovers come to a bad end, so Gilgamesh rejects her. She is angry, and calls on her father, the sky god, to send another monster, the Bull of Heaven, to kill Gilgamesh. Instead Gilgamesh and Enkidu kill the Bull, which angers the gods still more, and they sentence Enkidu to death.

Gilgamesh mourns him bitterly and sets off to discover the secret of eternal life. He is ferried across the waters of death and finds the immortal man Utnapishtim, who survived the great flood, in which all other humans died, by following the gods’ instructions and building a boat. Gilgamesh dives into the ocean to find a plant that is said to make whoever possesses it young again. Though he finds it, and brings it to the surface, it is stolen by a snake, and Utnapishtim tells him that no one can defeat death. So Gilgamesh returns to Uruk, having learned that, though he is mighty and famous, he will be equal in death with all other human beings.

From A Little History of Poetry by John Carey. Published by Yale University Press in 2020. Reproduced with permission.

John Carey  is emeritus professor at Oxford. His books include  The Essential  “Paradise Lost,”  What Good Are the Arts?,  studies of Donne and Dickens, and a biography of William Golding.  The Unexpected Professor,  his memoir, was a  Sunday Times  best-seller.

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Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History Essays

Ira Spar Department of Ancient Near Eastern Art, The Metropolitan Museum of Art

The myth known today as the Epic of Gilgamesh was considered in ancient times to be one of the great masterpieces of cuneiform literature . Copies of parts of the story have been found in Israel, Syria, and Turkey, and references to the hero are attested in Greek and Roman literature.

The tale revolves around a legendary hero named Gilgamesh (Bilgames in Sumerian), who was said to be the king of the Sumerian city of Uruk. His father is identified as Lugalbanda, king of Uruk , and his mother is the wise cow goddess Ninsun. No contemporary information is known about Gilgamesh, who, if he was in fact an historical person, would have lived around 2700 B.C. Nor is there any preserved early third-millennium version of the poem. During the twenty-first century B.C., Shulgi, ruler of the Sumerian city of Ur , was a patron of the literary arts. He sponsored a revival of older literature and established academies of scholars at his capital Ur and at the holy city of Nippur. Shulgi claimed Lugalbanda as his father and Gilgamesh as his brother.

Although little of the courtly literature of the Shulgi academies survives, and Sumerian ceased to be a spoken language soon after the end of his dynasty, Sumerian literature continued to be studied in the scribal schools of the following Old Babylonian period . Five Sumerian stories about Gilgamesh were copied in these schools. These tales, which were not part of an epic cycle, were originally oral narratives sung at the royal court of the Third Dynasty of Ur.

“Gilgamesh and Akka” describes the triumph of the hero over his overlord Akka, ruler of the city of Kish. “Gilgamesh and Huwawa” recounts the journey of the hero and his servant Enkidu to the cedar mountains, where they encounter and slay the giant Huwawa, the guardian of the forest. A third tale, “Gilgamesh and the Bull of Heaven,” deals with Gilgamesh’s rejection of the amorous advances made by Inanna, the Queen of Heaven. Seeking revenge, the goddess sends the Bull of Heaven to kill Gilgamesh, but the hero, with the assistance of Enkidu, slays the monster. In “Gilgamesh and the Netherworld,” the hero loses two sport-related objects, which fall into the Netherworld. Enkidu descends into the depths to find them and, upon his return to life, describes the horrid fate that awaits the dead. In the final composition, “The Death of Gilgamesh,” the hero dreams that the gods are meeting to review his exploits and accomplishments. They decide that he, like all of humankind, shall not be granted eternal life.

In addition to the Sumerian compositions, young scribes studying in the Old Babylonian schools made copies of different oral stories about the hero Gilgamesh. One noteworthy tale was sung in Akkadian rather than in Sumerian. Called “Surpassing All Other Kings,” this poem combined some elements of the Sumerian narrative into a new Akkadian tale. Only fragments of this composition survive. By the end of the eighteenth century B.C., large areas of southern Mesopotamia, including Nippur, were abandoned; the scribal academies closed as the economy collapsed. A shift in political power and culture took place under the newly ascendant Babylonian dynasties centered north of Sumer. Hundreds of years later, toward the end of the second millennium B.C., literary works in Babylonian dominated scribal learning. Differing versions of classic compositions, including the Akkadian Gilgamesh story, proliferated, and translations and adaptations were made by poets in various lands to reflect local concerns.

Some time in the twelfth century B.C., Sin-leqi-unninni, a Babylonian scholar, recorded what was to become a classic version of the Gilgamesh tale. Not content to merely copy an old version of the tale, this scholar most likely assembled various versions of the story from both oral and written sources and updated them in light of the literary concerns of his day, which included questions about human mortality and the nature of wisdom. “Surpassing All Other Kings” now became a new composition called “He Who Saw the Deep.” In the poem, Sin-leqi-unninni recast Enkidu as Gilgamesh’s companion and brought to the fore concerns about unbridled heroism, the responsibilities of good governance, and the purpose of life. The new version of the epic explains that Gilgamesh, although he is king of Uruk, acts as an arrogant, impulsive, and irresponsible ruler. Only after a frustrating and vain attempt to find eternal life does he emerge from immaturity to realize that one’s achievements, rather than immortality, serve as an enduring legacy.

The poem begins by explaining that Gilgamesh, although he thought that he “was wise in all matters,” had to endure a journey of travail in order to find peace. Two-thirds human and one-third deity, the hero as king is unaware of his own strengths and weaknesses. He oppresses his own people. In response to complaints by the citizens of Uruk, the gods create Enkidu, a double, who becomes the hero’s friend and companion. Initially described as a wild animal-like creature, Enkidu (“Lord of the Pleasant Place”) has sex with a temple prostitute and is transformed into a civilized being. No longer animal-like, he now possesses wisdom “like a god,” a distinguishing characteristic of humans. After an initial confrontation, Gilgamesh and Enkidu become friends and decide to make a name for themselves by journeying to the Cedar Forest to fight against Humbaba, the giant whom the gods have placed as guardian of the sacred trees. The two kill the monster and take cedar back to Uruk as their prize. Back in Uruk, the goddess Ishtar, sexually aroused by Gilgamesh’s beauty, tries to seduce him. Repulsed, the headstrong goddess sends the Bull of Heaven to destroy Uruk and punish Gilgamesh. But Gilgamesh and Enkidu meet the challenge and Gilgamesh slays the bull. The gods retaliate by causing Enkidu to fall ill and die. Gilgamesh, devastated by the death of his friend, now realizes that he is part mortal and sets out on a fruitless journey to seek immortality.

On his travels in search of the secret of everlasting life, Gilgamesh meets a scorpion man and later a divine female tavern keeper who tries to dissuade him from continuing his search. But Gilgamesh is arrogant and determined. Upon learning that Uta-napishtim (“I Found Life”), a legendary hero who had obtained eternal life, dwelt on an island across the “Waters of Death,” Gilgamesh crosses the sea and is greeted by the immortal hero. Uta-napishtim explains to Gilgamesh that his quest is in vain, as humans were created to be mortal. But upon questioning, Uta-napishtim reveals that he was placed by the gods on this remote island after being informed that the world would be destroyed by a great flood . Building a boxlike ark in the shape of a cube, Uta-napishtim took on board his possessions, his riches, his family members, craftsmen, and creatures of the earth. After riding out the storm, he and his wife were granted immortality and settled on the island far from civilization. Devastated by this news and realizing that he, too, will someday expire, Gilgamesh returns to Uruk and examines its defensive wall. Finally, he comprehends that the everlasting fame he so vainly sought lay not in eternal life but in his accomplishments on behalf of both his people and his god.

Attempts to identify Gilgamesh in art are fraught with difficulty. Cylinder seals from the Akkadian period (ca. 2350–2150 B.C.) onward showing nude heroes with beards and curls grappling with lions and bovines cannot be identified with Gilgamesh. They are more likely to be associated with the god Lahmu (“The Hairy One”). A terracotta plaque in the Vorderasiatisches Museum, Berlin, depicts a bearded hero grasping an ogre’s wrist while raising his right hand to attack him with a club. To his left, a beardless figure pins down the monster’s arm, pulls his hair, and is about to pierce his neck with a knife. This scene is often associated with the death of Humbaba. The Babylonian Gilgamesh epic clearly describes Enkidu as being almost identical to Gilgamesh, but no mention is made of the monster’s long hair, and although Gilgamesh is said to strike the monster with a dagger, he holds an axe rather than a club in his hand. The scene on the Berlin plaque may reflect the older Sumerian story wherein Enkidu is described as a companion rather than a double of the hero. In this older tale, Enkidu is the one who “severed [Huwawa’s] head at the neck.” Similar images appear on cylinder seals of the second and first millennium B.C.

Spar, Ira. “Gilgamesh.” In Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History . New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2000–. http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/gilg/hd_gilg.htm (April 2009)

Further Reading

Foster, Benjamin R., trans. and ed. The Epic of Gilgamesh . New York: Norton, 2001.

George, Andrew, trans. The Epic of Gilgamesh: The Babylonian Epic Poem and Other Texts in Akkadian and Sumerian . London: Allen Lane, 1999.

Additional Essays by Ira Spar

• Spar, Ira. “ Mesopotamian Creation Myths .” (April 2009)
• Spar, Ira. “ Flood Stories .” (April 2009)
• Spar, Ira. “ Mesopotamian Deities .” (April 2009)
• Spar, Ira. “ The Gods and Goddesses of Canaan .” (April 2009)
• Spar, Ira. “ The Origins of Writing .” (October 2004)

Related Essays

• Flood Stories
• The Isin-Larsa and Old Babylonian Periods (2004–1595 B.C.)
• Mesopotamian Creation Myths
• The Origins of Writing
• Ur: The Royal Graves
• The Akkadian Period (ca. 2350–2150 B.C.)
• The Gods and Goddesses of Canaan
• The Middle Babylonian / Kassite Period (ca. 1595–1155 B.C.) in Mesopotamia
• Ur: The Ziggurat
• Uruk: The First City
• West Asia: Ancient Legends, Modern Idioms

List of Rulers

• List of Rulers of Mesopotamia
• Mesopotamia, 1000 B.C.–1 A.D.
• Mesopotamia, 1–500 A.D.
• Mesopotamia, 2000–1000 B.C.
• Mesopotamia, 8000–2000 B.C.
• 2nd Millennium B.C.
• 3rd Millennium B.C.
• Akkadian Period
• Anatolia and the Caucasus
• Ancient Near Eastern Art
• Ancient Roman Literature / Poetry
• Anthropomorphism
• Babylonian Art
• Cylinder Seal
• Dagger / Knife
• Deity / Religious Figure
• Eastern Mediterranean
• Greek Literature / Poetry
• Immortality
• Literature / Poetry
• Mesopotamian Art
• Mythical Creature
• Religious Art
• Sumerian Art
• Uruk Period

Epic of Gilgamesh Essay

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The aim of the mythic expedition of the male protagonist is to discover special understanding which will re-establish steadiness to him and the entire society. The conclusion of this knowledge is in most cases is personified in the female personality that the male protagonist comes across in his expedition. It also helps the reader to understand the Mesopotamian notion of women.

Nevertheless, the female personality could be hazardous since she has ability to build or put into destruction with respect to how she is tackled and how she utilizes her authority. Epic of Gilgamesh portrays women as possessing ample knowledge, authority and lure to put into success or into destruction. The hero when tangled with a woman is at liberty from illusion of contestants and achieves knowledge to dictate his destiny. However, the same woman could be risky and beholding her might be detrimental if not properly armed.

According to the Greek mythology, the ideal character is awarded with the role of facing limitations and, obstacles but overcomes them though courage, noble deeds and a spirit self sacrifice for the wellbeing of the society.

Gilgamesh is portrayed as a hero in the epic whose heroism is significantly developed by women in various instances. Epic of Gilgamesh presents female characters that express their knowledge and understanding in line with his mission. Gilgamesh, the Sumerian King whose quest for immortality was real is a character with great power, bravery and might.

The leader is a true hero whose intelligence is revealed in the eyes of women. He is brave while at war to remove evil beasts and pursues mission to find out the solution to the community’s problem. Gilgamesh relies to God for might in times of war, he heeds to his mother’s counsel to attain wisdom as well as the people he encounters.

Priestess Shamhat is the foremost female character awarded with the responsibility of calming Enkidu, the untamed man. She achieves it by moving into the wilderness and undressing to expose her womanhood to seduce Enkidu for a whole week. Enkidu could not resist the temptation and he engages into sex with her.

This makes him a real man and stops being primitive which marks the initiation of civilization (Spielvogel 13). He is become involved in a loyal relationship to his community and more particularly with Gilgamesh. In turn, through the epic, Gilgamesh portrays despicable ability being a warrior with the supplement of Enkidu.

His might in encouraging the armies is obvious since he leads them with bravery and attains victory over his opponents. His leadership skills are seen when the tribe is enthusiastic to go into war since they have faith in their king as they are assured of victory. For instance, his mightiness is portrayed in the war against Humbaba in which he comes victorious.

This war is not any easy since even the elders would advise him to led Enkidu being on the lead. He is anxious while going into the battle but he proved his expertise by assassinating the beast and going back home securely. It is evident that Gilgamesh is a real hero, with ample skills and is a wise leader willing to sacrifice his life for his kingdom.

He sought wisdom on death and now he could not fear it since it was inevitable and that why he faces it head-on through dangerous encounters. He also recognizes other people’s efforts and awards them accordingly. Therefore, a woman is the initiator of his heroism which is enhanced by Enkidu, a man who was initially valueless.

Enkidu becomes domesticated and he turns to be wiser. This portrays a woman as a benevolent power capable of transmitting wisdom and civilization into the male character, Enkidu which arms him for future escapades. He helps Gilgamesh to pursue risky missions to save his people and thus, emerges a hero.

However, his close ally, Enkidu, dies and this reawakens Gilgamesh to become aware of his human nature. He now comprehend that death is inevitable and at one time, he would lose his kingdom due to his death. He now quest to become immortal as he questions the prejudices that life has to offer. Gilgamesh and Enkidu represent true friendship that coexists harmoniously to salvage their society. When Enkidu dies, Gilgamesh is so annoyed about death and engages in a mission to fight it.

Nevertheless, he encounters Shamash, a woman who enlightens him on the meaning of death as one meant to endow memories of the one who has passed on. Gilgamesh’s, grief reveals a spirit of self denial stating that he cannot die like his friend and pursues to achieve everlasting life. This exposes his fears of having to work hard only to die and become forgotten.

He forgets that immortality belongs only to the gods and therefore, he should live his life to the fullest. Shamash helps him to become aware that immortality cannot be attained by the common man and therefore, there is no need to pursue it. What is important is to leave behind a legacy that you truly were a great man who lived harmoniously with others.

In the Epic of Gilgamesh, another most important woman is Shiduri, the pub custodian who meet Gilgamesh as he is morning the demise of Enkidu and trying to find ways become immortal. When he gives details his motives, Shiduri explains her personal opinion stating that human are meant to ultimately die as the gods dictates it.

Therefore, man should enjoy as long as he lives, not in grieve but in happiness. Gilgamesh disregards her wisdom and as a result, he submerges in great agony and never attains immortality. In a different case, a woman is also seen as a destroyer who puts the hero into temptation.

Ishtar, a goddess exposes this when she seductively summons Gilgamesh to marry her when he is successful over Humbaba. She tells him that he would be rich if he married her and his kingdom would be unending. Gilgamesh wisely avoids being ensnared by her seductions since he is conscious of his limitations. He also cares about Ishtar’s character of causing demise to men who do not heed to her desires, pointing forward various instances.

He wonders if he would be peculiar to her if he married her since he would most likely, also have a catastrophic end. This emphasizes his focus in salvaging his people irrespective of seductions from women. His expertise is also seen when he resists Ishta’s seductions and when he faces her wrath.

In conclusion, Gilgamesh is so eager to free his people from all evils that have plagued the city. In the epic, Gilgamesh is foresighted and is able to sense danger to ensure his society is secure.

He is apple to win the trust of his people for them to entrust their safety in his hands. Women appear to be the most important tool in arming the hero with essential knowledge that he needs to alter him and the entire society as well. A woman is portrayed as a symbol of magnificence and power in the Mesopotamian society where sex with a woman is viewed as sacred and able to transform a person.

Spielvogel, Jackson. Western Civilizations: A Brief History . 7Ed. Boston. Cengage Learning. 2010. Print.

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The Epic of Gilgamesh

By anonymous - gilgamesh, the epic of gilgamesh essay questions.

Enkidu is civilized through his encounter with Shamhat, a prostitute. As opposed to our own society, what does this say about views toward sexuality and femininity in ancient Mesopotamia?

Rather than being seen as a negative attribute, Shamhat's sexuality and its ties to the temple cement her importance in Mesopotamian society. She is a means to tame Enkidu as opposed to a means for him to behave like an animal. Throughout the poem, the role of women is unavoidable and important. Although Enkidu and Gilgamesh insult Ishtar, Gilgamesh specifically points out her temple to Urshanabi.

Compare and contrast the role of the serpent and the flood in the Bible and the Epic of Gilgamesh. What similarities and differences can be found?

In both books the serpent is presented negatively; a force that deprives humanity of some pleasure or immortality. In the Bible, the serpent is a deliberate force of temptation, and Adam and Eve are cast out as sinners. It is clearly depicted as an evil presence. In Gilgamesh, Gilgamesh’s own carelessness deprives him of immortality. In his case, the role of the serpent is necessary for him to move past his feelings toward life and death and become a better king, making this serpent less of a villain and more a catalyst for change.

The flood stories in both texts are very similar, and some scholars believe that they refer to a singular event. However, there are differences between the accounts.

What does Gilgamesh's and Enkidu's constant struggle and defiance of the gods tell us about how the gods were viewed in Gilgamesh's time? Are the consequences that both characters face worth the risk each takes?

The gods as depicted in Gilgamesh's story, as well as Utnapishtim's, are presented as being easily angered and vengeful. Part of Gilgamesh's heroic pedigree is inherent in being two-thirds a god himself, but his acts of defiance also speak to a possibly resentful view of the gods among ancient Mesopotamians. The gods are depicted as being difficult to please, sometimes punishing without explanation or meting out punishments that seem far out of proportion to the original offense, as in Utnapishtim's story. Both characters take on large risks by insulting Ishtar, but Gilgamesh is able to face his own mortality and Enkidu is able to learn of the world of humans and of the value of life. Both also come to understand the importance of friendship in life.

What does Humbaba/Huwawa represent? Use examples from the story to support your position.

Humbaba represents fear and the unknown. Both Enkidu and Gilgamesh experience great fear in the cedar forest when they are about to face Humbaba. They support one another with encouraging words when the other is frightened. One can also argue that Humbaba represents nature itself. As guardian of the Cedar Forest, he has a duty to protect it from harm. Gilgamesh and Enkidu together represent civilization. They seek to tame the natural world for their own purposes.

At various points in the story, dreams foretell events to come. What do these passages reveal about how dreams were valued in Mesopotamian culture? What do they tell us about the dreamer's state of mind?

It is obvious from the text that dreams were regarded as important markers that should be interpreted. It seems fair to say that the ancient Mesopotamians lent a good deal of credibility to them in their day-to-day lives. As Gilgamesh dreams of the meteor and the axe in anticipation of his meeting with Enkidu, he turns to his mother for an interpretation of his dreams. While she informs him of the imminent arrival of Enkidu, it could also be that Gilgamesh is lonely and looking for a companion. Enkidu dreams of the gods deciding his death and of what the underworld will be like. His state of mind is one of absolute fear of his defiance of the gods.

Although Gilgamesh faces his own mortality upon Enkidu's death, he also must now face a life without his friend. Why is this also of importance? What does it teach Gilgamesh about life and the spirit of endurance?

Beyond teaching Gilgamesh that his own life must end, Enkidu's death also forces Gilgamesh to continue living the life he still has left. He is initially so distraught over Enkidu's death that he more or less abandons his kingly duties. Utnapishtim teaches him that life must end, but Gilgamesh also must return to Uruk with the full understanding that his own life must continue if it is to have meaning.

What is the significance of the darkness that Gilgamesh encounters in the passage beneath Mount Mashu on his way to seek Utnapishtim?

The text repeatedly mentions how Gilgamesh is alone at this point in the story. With nothing else visible around him, Gilgamesh is truly on his own on this quest. He is also completely lost, without obvious direction, fumbling in the dark. This metaphor reiterates Gilgamesh's struggle with the loss of Enkidu. He is suddenly finding himself unsure of how to proceed in life.

Repetition is a frequent technique the author(s) used in the Epic of Gilgamesh, as is the theme of duality. Enkidu and Gilgamesh are near mirrors of each other, for example. They undertake two quests: one against Humbaba, the other against the Bull of Heaven. Discuss other examples of duality and repetition in the story. Why does the epic contain these elements?

Repetition reinforces themes present in the story, or attributes of a character. Sometimes repetition can also draw contrasts between different events or characters. Besides reinforcing elements in the story, repetition also suggests that these stories may have had a strong oral tradition and were largely passed down in this manner before being committed to these tablets.

Duality also draws comparisons between characters and again reinforces one of the themes of the story: companionship. Enkidu and Gilgamesh are near mirrors of each other. Gilgamesh and Utnapishtim also share some characteristics, not in appearance, but in the knowledge that they both have gained. Enkidu and Gilgamesh embark on two quests. Gilgamesh's journey to the underworld mirrors his quest with Enkidu.

The story begins and ends with a description of the city of Uruk and its walls and other features? What does this signify?

For Gilgamesh it signals reconciliation with the finite nature of life. He is able to return to where he began and see it, almost with new eyes, and a new appreciation. He accepts his place. It also brings the story full-circle, perhaps an aesthetic choice to mirror the cyclical nature of life.

Comment on Gilgamesh and Enkidu's relationship. Is their love of a sexual nature or a more platonic one? The text describes them as being very close. Why do you think that is?

Although there is language in the text suggestive of a relationship beyond friendship between the two, there is no direct evidence of a sexual relationship between Gilgamesh and Enkidu. At the same time, Gilgamesh declares a love for Enkidu greater than that for any woman. However, Gilgamesh's sexual appetite for women is established early on in the text, where it is written that he sleeps with newly married brides before their husbands do. It is more likely that as the gods created Enkidu to be a counterweight to Gilgamesh, the characters are able to find in each other an understanding that no one else can provide. Only they are able to comprehend what it is like to be the other.

The Epic of Gilgamesh Questions and Answers

The Question and Answer section for The Epic of Gilgamesh is a great resource to ask questions, find answers, and discuss the novel.

what insults does humbaba throw at gilgamesh and enkidu upon their 1st encounter ?

Are you sure he faces Humbaba in chapter 2? Gilgamesh talks about going to the Cedar Forest but I don't think he gets there in Ch. 2.

How does Enkidu help Gilgamesh before he dies?

Enkidu helps Gilgamesh to defeat Humbaba before he dies.

Epic of Gilgamesh

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https://www.gradesaver.com/the-epic-of-gilgamesh/study-guide/themes

Study Guide for The Epic of Gilgamesh

The Epic of Gilgamesh study guide contains literature essays, quiz questions, major themes, quotes, characters, and a full summary and analysis.

• About The Epic of Gilgamesh
• The Epic of Gilgamesh Summary
• Character List

Essays for The Epic of Gilgamesh

The Epic of Gilgamesh essays are academic essays for citation. These papers were written primarily by students and provide critical analysis of The Epic of Gilgamesh.

• Enkidu's Deathbed Realization
• Questions of the Hereafter in Gilgamesh, the Bhagavad-Gita, and the Bible
• Mother, Goddess, Seductress, Harlot: Women in "The Epic of Gilgamesh"
• Fellowship in the Epic of Gilgamesh
• Death and Immortality in the Epic of Gilgamesh

Lesson Plan for The Epic of Gilgamesh

• About the Author
• Study Objectives
• Common Core Standards
• Introduction to The Epic of Gilgamesh
• Relationship to Other Books
• Bringing in Technology
• Notes to the Teacher
• Related Links
• The Epic of Gilgamesh Bibliography

Wikipedia Entries for The Epic of Gilgamesh

• Introduction

Home — Essay Samples — Literature — Epic of Gilgamesh — Review The Epic Of Gilgamesh

Review The Epic of Gilgamesh

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Words: 750 |

Published: Jan 28, 2021

Words: 750 | Pages: 2 | 4 min read

Table of contents

The theme of mortality and human existence in "the epic of gilgamesh", works cited.

• George, A. R. (2003). The Babylonian Gilgamesh epic: Introduction, critical edition and cuneiform texts (Vol. 1). Oxford University Press.
• Grayson, A. K. (2004). The epic of Gilgamesh (Vol. 1). Bolchazy-Carducci Publishers.
• Kovacs, M. (1989). The epic of Gilgamesh. Stanford University Press.
• Leick, G. (2002). Mesopotamia: The invention of the city. Penguin.
• Leick, G. (2003). The Babylonians: An introduction. Routledge.
• Livingstone, A. (2012). Mystical and mythological explanatory works of Assyrian and Babylonian scholars. In H. F. J. Horstmanshoff, H. King, & C. N. van der Veer (Eds.), Medicine and religion in antiquity (pp. 371-392). Brill.
• Mitchell, S. (2006). Gilgamesh: A new English version. Simon & Schuster.
• Parpola, S. (2004). Letters from Assyrian and Babylonian scholars (Vol. 10). Eisenbrauns.
• Sanders, N. K. (2003). The epic of Gilgamesh: The babylonian epic poem and other texts in Akkadian and Sumerian. Penguin UK.
• Sandars, N. K. (1960). The epic of Gilgamesh. Penguin.

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