Archetypes In Gilgamesh

Gilgamesh, a Sumerian epic, is one of the oldest recorded narratives, yet it still holds relevance today. The epic is composed of 12 stone tablets that were discovered in 1853, and the ancient text lives in a state of flux with many different translations existing today. The text first entered the world stage only once George Smith published the portion of the text that related to the flood from the Hebrew bible. (Mosley Para. 64) The central character, Gilgamesh king of Uruk, is two parts god and one part man. He is handsome, brave, and strong but he is also boastful and filled with pride. He cares very little for his people and “does not leave a girl to her mother” (I, 65). Although he is ultimately perceived as a hero, Gilgamesh has more

However, the Epic is still relevant even today and one can still sympathize with many of the characters’ struggles and rally in their triumphs. Thus validating why it is still a central work in any literature classroom. By examining the roles of archetypes, the hero’s journey, and common motifs in the Epic of Gilgamesh we can understand it better. According to Carl Jung archetypes are images and thoughts that have universal meanings across cultures that may show up in dreams, literature, art, or religion. Jung focused on four specific archetypes: persona, anima/animus, shadow, and self, but he thoroughly examined many archetypes. The most striking archetype is that of the hero who comes in many forms but in the end has to be relatable to the audience as a whole. Gilgamesh’s desire to be remembered though fame and live forever is something that has been seen throughout all cultures and time periods so it is most definitely relatable. Another of the most prominent archetypes in the story is the shadow archetype represented through Enkidu and Gilgamesh’s relationship.

As a whole Gilgamesh’s ordinary world can be seen simply as the city of Uruk. This is where we find Gilgamesh at the beginning of the story and get to know him as a character. His ‘call to adventure’ occurs when he decides that Enkidu and himself must enter Humbaba’s forest. The ‘refusal of the call’ can best be seen when Gilgamesh has a dream that frightens him on their journey to Humbaba. However, Enkidu encourages Gilgamesh that the dream means they will defeat the giant and he has nothing to fear. When Gilgamesh enters Humbaba’s forest he has now entered the special world. Enkidu and Gilgamesh are able to defeat the giant and build a door out of one of his cedar trees. When they return to Uruk, Ishtar (the goddess of love) is spurned by Gilgamesh’s rejection of her so she convinces the other gods to send the Bull of Heaven to wreak havoc. After killing the Bull of Heaven the gods decide that Enkidu must die. All of these events could represent the ‘test, allies, and enemies’ phase of the hero’s journey. After Enkidu dies Gilgamesh is now faced with a new fear, which is death and seeks to become immortal. Gilgamesh is very deeply affected and dawns himself with furs in order to honor Enkidu. According to Dr. M. M. Nivargi an English professor at Mahatma College in India, “a person like Gilgamesh cannot face it [mortality] squarely