Gods In Gilgamesh

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The Epic of Gilgamesh opens on the selfish demigod, Gilgamesh, who is consumed with power. His lack of compassion for the subjects that he leads illustrates the abusive nature of his not-so-humble attitude. His partner in crime, Enkidu, a wild man, who also happens to be more than human, is also part beast. At the start of their quest to prove their strength and maintain their overwhelming power the two friends are convinced that their god-like qualities trump their human assets. However, the human condition prevails, showing them just how mortal they really are and how death and one’s fate, chosen by the gods, are in fact inescapable. Ultimately, Enkidu and especially Gilgamesh come to realize that they are more human than they had anticipated and unfortunately at the mercy of the gods.
The relationship portrayed between gods and humans is an unbalanced one. The gods are rather impulsive in the way they interact with the mortals. Ishtar, the goddess fertility’s, initial reaction when Gilgamesh offends her, is a prime example of the god’s fickle behavior. When she attempts to seduce Gilgamesh and fails, she throws somewhat of a temper-tantrum and immaturely demands retribution from her parents. At first they resist their daughter’s whims but eventually give in to her nagging persistence as they send The Bull of Heaven down to Earth to terrorize the people of Uruk.
When Enkidu and Gilgamesh successfully slay The Bull of Heaven in Tablet VI, the gods act out on impulse and curse Enkidu with a deadly illness. It is at this point in the epic in which Gilgamesh and Enkidu finally complete humanity and succumb fully to the facets of the human condition. The human condition is simply defined as the unique features and inevitable events...

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... paramount discovery, a serpent swallows it and it is gone forever. Here, Gilgamesh is forced to come to terms with his weakness. He has no control over his fate. Only the gods have this power. It is here that he realizes he is only human and thus limited in ways that the gods are not, “He lacked the power to bring him [Enkidu] back to life” (76).
In conclusion, humans are constantly aware of the concept of death and time passing. Both Gilgamesh and Enkidu succumb to this mentality, revealing how the human condition affects them just as much as any other mortal. They experience human feelings like sadness, regret, and love. They even reminisce on memories they have shared together. The two are also at the mercy of the gods powers whether good or evil. This is shown through their constant prayers and offerings to them and the consequences they face when defying them.

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