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Analysis of the epic of Gilgamesh
Analysis of the epic of Gilgamesh
Epic of gilgamesh summary
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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 …show more content…
In The Epic of Gilgamesh, Gilgamesh seeks out a way to cheat death and live forever, like the gods. In fact, most of the events in The Epic of Gilgamesh outline a quest for eternal life, so it could be seen as the central plot of the entire work. After the untimely death of his good friend, Enkidu, Gilgamesh seeks out Utnapishtim, the only man ever to be granted eternal life, and works with him to gain immortality. Utnapishtim tells Gilgamesh that he must stay awake for six days and seven nights in order to gain eternal life. Instead of successfully achieving this feat, Gilgamesh does the exact opposite; he sleeps for six days and seven nights. Once he fails, Gilgamesh finally settles for the idea of immortality through the glory of his acts. The walls surrounding Uruk are a prime example of the pride Gilgamesh takes in his work. It is through these types of acts that he will find his immortality. On the other hand, in Brooklyn Nine-Nine, Jake Peralta is a wisecracking police officer who simply lives for being the hero. He is always first through the door of a raid, and prefers the gory, tough-to-crack homicide cases to anything else. It is easy to determine throughout the series that Jake Peralta wants to be remembered as a good cop. In the episode known as “The Chopper,” Peralta tells Captain Holt: “[s]ir, with all due respect, this is an epic case. It’s the …show more content…
In the Epic of Gilgamesh, the hero’s second self is named Enkidu. The gods specifically created Enkidu to be Gilgamesh’s match. After having many of what some may refer to as “misadventures,” the two form a deep bond. The trouble that Gilgamesh and Enkidu cause begins to upset the gods. The pair collectively slay Humbaba, Ellil’s personally appointed Cedar Forest guardian, and the Bull of Heaven who was sent to punish Gilgamesh for rejecting Ishtar’s advances. Their destructive fun does not last, though. Before long, by the will of the gods, Enkidu falls ill and passes away. Enkidu’s death causes the usually orderly Gilgamesh to leave some of his kingly attire behind for a more chaotic look. In his grief, Gilgamesh instructs the citizens of Uruk to weep. Distraught, Gilgamesh strips off his finery, puts on the skin of a lion, and roams the wilderness. In addition, this wild-man look is what he dons on his quest for immortality. In Brooklyn Nine-Nine, Jake Peralta has a similar relationship with a man named Doug Judy, also known as the “Pontiac Bandit”. Their relationship is first brought to fruition when Doug and Jake have to work together to solve a crime. The pair might seem a bit mismatched, seeing as how Jake is an orderly detective and Doug is a chaotic criminal. Jake Peralta, with the help of his girlfriend,
In the beginning of the book, Gilgamesh appears to be selfish. Gilgamesh’s “arrogance has no bounds by day or night” (62). Even though he is created by the Gods to be perfect, he misuses his powers and gifts for his own earthly pleasure. He has sexual intercourse with all the virgins of his city even if they are already engaged. Through all Gilgamesh’s imperfections and faults, he learns to change his amoral personality. The friendship of Enkidu helped to change his ways, for only Enkidu, who “is the strongest of wild creatures,” (66) is a match for Gilgamesh. Through this companionship with Enkidu, Gilgamesh starts to realize his incapabilities and need for his friend. When they fight Humbaba, they both give moral support to each other when the other is scared. Another event that changes Gilgamesh’s character is the death of Enkidu. When Enkidu dies, Gilgamesh goes through the suffering of losing a loved one. Gilgamesh experiences a pain, which no worldly pleasure can ease. By this experience Gilgamesh starts to understand his vulnerability toward death and pain. Losing his best friend causes Gilgamesh to be melancholic. At this point Gilgamesh is humbled by the fact that even he could not escape the wrath of death. Gilgamesh goes from this arrogant king to a lonely grieving person with fear of death in his heart.
After encountering the death of his friend Enkidu, Gilgamesh realizes that all men will die. Gilgamesh evolves from the beginning of The Epic of Gilgamesh as an unruly king to a realistic king who’s life ends in death. In the end after accepting that he too must die and be subject to fate, Gilgamesh settles back into his city setting, only this time to be a wise king rather than the foolish hero he once was.
He exudes pride in a manner only rivaled by Enkidu, his best friend. Gilgamesh and Enkidu relish in their brotherhood through fighting Humbaba and the Golden Bull. Their shared life is not permanent however. After they defeated the Golden Bull, the gods look down upon Enkidu and Gilgamesh, in which they decide one of them needs to die. As the book carries on, Enkidu is struck with a deathly illness and inevitably passes on. This changes Gilgamesh’s mindset towards death. In Mitchell’s translation, it reads,“If my grief is violent enough, perhaps he will come back to life again.’ For six days and seven nights I mourned him until a maggot fell out of his nose. Then, I was frightened, I was terrified by death” (Mitchell 167). Gilgamesh, who before was enthralled with the idea of dying a hero, suddenly became terrified of death. This growth, albeit not positive growth, was a direct result of the prior circumstances. The heroes’ shared hubris angered the gods who struck Enkidu down, causing Gilgamesh to lose his best friends. This loss causes gilgamesh to grow by fearing
Throughout the epic novel of Gilgamesh, the cause and effect nature of the plot, affect the development of the major characters Gilgamesh and Enkidu. The character development, in turn, advances the plot towards its theme of fate. This vicious cycle repeats itself numerous times as the story and characters feed off each other. This remarkable ancient literary work displays one of the most clever and fascinating uses of character and plot development and serves as a guideline for modern writing.
The main character in the book The Epic of Gilgamesh, is Gilgamesh himself. In the beginning of the book one realizes that Gilgamesh is an arrogant person. Gilgamesh is full of himself and abuses his rights as king. He has sexual intercourse with the virgins of his town and acts as though he is a god. Throughout the story, many things cause Gilgamesh to change. He gains a friend, he makes a name for himself by killing Humbaba, and he tries to become immortal because of the death of Enkidu. Through these main actions his personality changes and he becomes a better person.
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.
Gilgamesh is not only a character of a story; he is actually a portrayal of people and how they act out of human nature. he like many of us, does not want his existence to end when he leaves this world. He is not content with what he has, good looks, money, and power and desires more in life. In the story of Gilgamesh we, as people, can relate to. There are similarities between Gilgamesh’s journey and our own journey through 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.
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.
A journey is what makes a person a hero. However it is the transformation of the warrior within that defines the hero. By using Joseph Campbell’s model the hero’s journey, and Carl Gustav Jung’s theory of the collective unconscious I will compare the transformations and identify the archetypes of the mythological Kings Gilgamesh and Oedipus. Both Kings have went through a tremendous ordeal in order to change their perceptions of themselves and the world around them. These men both have angered the gods and deities, while interfering with their fate, free will and destiny. Gilgamesh and Oedipus are both thought to be godlike and each journey through a progression of physical, emotional and psychological changes.
Gilgamesh, King of Uruk, is the protagonist of The Epic of Gilgamesh, where the audience is brought through the story of a tyrannical king 's transformation to become a mature king. He would learn that his responsibilities as king come before any of his wishes for fame and acknowledgment. As a being who was two-thirds god and one-third human, he desperately tried to gain the attention and later on the immortality that only deities would have. In the Epic of Gilgamesh translated by Andrew George, Gilgamesh believed that in order to be a great king, he would have to complete heroic tasks such as killing Humbaba, the guardian of the Cedar Forest and going to the netherworlds to find the source of immortality.
Gilgamesh is a man with no equal, so he feels superior. Although Gilgamesh starts out cruel, he develops into a very kindhearted man. He is extremely supportive of Enkidu and encourages him in various situations. When the men are fighting, Humbaba Gilgamesh says, [you] will surpass all of them. a friend who knows battle understands fighting.
Gilgamesh is an epic of great love, followed by lingering grief that causes a significant change in character. It is the story of a person who is feared and honored, a person who loves and hates, a person who wins and loses and a person who lives life. Gilgamesh's journey is larger than life, yet ends so commonly with death. Through Gilgamesh, the fate of mankind is revealed, and the inevitable factor of change is expressed.
Enkidu and Gilgamesh were the main characters in the Epic of Gilgamesh. In the city of Uruk, King Gilgamesh was a merciless ruler, a strong man, and had long, beautiful hair. Under Gilgamesh’s rule, the people asked the gods to generate their tyrannical king’s competitor. To cease Gilgamesh from dominating people, Enkidu was developed. Enkidu was a hairy-bodied man raised by animals. He was prepared to accept the challenge. The two men were almost iden-tical in their courage and physical abilities. Gilgamesh had a vision ...
After Enkidu's death, Gilgamesh comes to the realization that one day he too will succumb to the same fate as his friend.