Comparing Gilgamesh And Enkidu's Life
Consequences
Consequences are life’s way of teaching lessons. Without consequences, how would a person learn to avoid those things that cause pain to oneself or others? Additionally, consequences help a person to learn when they have chosen the right path, and that …show more content…
they should continue on that path. In most situations, a consequence is balanced against a deed. For instance, a person will perform an arrogant deed, simply to boast one’s own power and strength, and in return they may be frowned upon for that deed. Gilgamesh is a character who does just that; by mistreating his people. The god’s find it necessary to send a companion to balance his arrogance. However, during that balancing period, many battles were fought and won, only to eventually lead to a painful loss as the ultimate consequence to his arrogant actions; the loss of his dearest friend.
But, what would one do if their entire life was centered on doing what was right and just, only to suffer unspeakable misery as a consequence? What if by doing what was right and just, and showing extreme devotion to one’s God, the consequence of those actions was to lose everything that was dear to them? What if being God’s most favored follower, unspeakable pain and suffering, such to the point that an individual would curse the very day they were born was the consequence. By doing everything correctly in the eyes of God, God would allow Satan to destroy your life and everything in it? The story of Job is just such a tale; one that at first may appear to shows consequence in a completely different light as the Epic of Gilgamesh. However, they are far more alike that the surface indicates. It all leads one to wonder what lessons are truly to be learned from consequences. Consequences do not always match the life behaviors of an individual. Regardless of the type of life a person lives, living life on life’s terms is inevitable, unpredictable, and without prejudice. The real question is this: Are the consequence of a person’s actions of their own making, or is there a hidden design behind the scenes that we are often blind to see? As our subjects may very well prove, a direct correlation between actions and outcomes, cause and effect, may simply be a figment of our imaginations. Perhaps, in reality, the choice itself was never ours to begin with.
Gilgamesh was a powerful ruler of the land of Uruk, where he was unmatched in strength and beauty. As having no equal will often present, Gilgamesh displayed great arrogance. Gilgamesh would constantly compete with the men of the city athletically, and bed new brides before the groom, simply because he was unmatched in strength and able to do so. However, the consequence to this action was the god’s creating his match on Earth; Enkidu.
Gilgamesh met Enkidu and battled him soon after the goddess Aruru created him.
The battle was fierce and destructive, ending with Gilgamesh as the victor and with both of them as friends. The friendship was more than a simple bond, but a deep and lasting one. An unexpected consequence of the battle between these two men provided Gilgamesh with something that he truly needed; a companion. A companion was the necessary balance to the equation; that which tempered Gilgamesh’s mistreatment of his people. This new-found companionship provided Gilgamesh with the necessary distraction to take him away from his people and into many adventures.
Gilgamesh and Enkidu share many profound deeds, which includes the slaying of both Humbaba of the Cedar Forest and the Bull of Heaven. Their arrogance in doing these things, however, angers the god’s, and as a consequence, Enkidu’s life is taken. This is devastating for Gilgamesh. His entire life, Gilgamesh was without an equal; a companion. When a companion is granted to him, his arrogance is tempered for a short time before it explodes out-of-control. One would wonder if consequences had any real effect on the final
outcomes.
Regardless of the actions of the gods, the arrogance of Gilgamesh could not be nullified. The god’s attempt at calming the arrogance of Gilgamesh through the creation of Enkidu failed. Though the citizens of Uruk were temporarily relieved of Gilgamesh’s rule, his relationship with Enkidu only enhanced his arrogance to the point that the Bull of Heaven caused widespread devastation and destruction before being killed by Enkidu. Regardless of the actions of the gods, Gilgamesh, or Enkidu, the consequences were ultimately the same; a man with great power will often exhibit great arrogance. It appears to be inevitable. Regardless of the situation, the story always returned to this simple fact. Even if for a short time Gilgamesh’s arrogance appeared to be tempered, it would blossom into its full force, again and again. Gilgamesh was forced to live a life that was not by his own terms, but by life’s terms. He may have been under the impression that he was making choices that influenced the ultimate outcome of his existence, but these were near to delusions. Gilgamesh was a toy for the gods; an unpredictable toy, none-the-less, but still a toy. In many ways he suffered as a direct result of the gods’ actions.
Another literary figure whose life took many unexpected turns, was Job. Job was the God of Israel’s most favored and blameless follower. Job, by God’s own admittance, was as near to sinless as man could be. No other man in the entire world did God choose as his champion of righteousness and devotion. However, the consequence to Job’s unyielding faith and love for his God was torture and torment by the hand of Satan, the Adversary. Though Satan is the one that carries out the deeds, it is by God’s decree that this may occur.
A game of sorts begins, between God and Satan, with Job being the primary game piece. God considers Job to be “blameless and upright, a man who fears God and shuns evil.” Job, in many ways, was God’s ideal follower. However, the Adversary believed otherwise. Perhaps if all the blessing bestowed upon Job were taken away, then he would turn away from God and curse his name.
All the blessings of Job are quickly torn away. His herds and children are either destroyed or stolen. Everything, almost instantly, is taken from him. However, the Adversary is proven wrong when job cries out to God, saying, “The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away; may the name of the Lord be praised.”
As a consequence for Job’s continued devotion, God allows that he be tortured even more severely. The Adversary claims that for Job to turn against God that he must also feel the pain and loss within his physical body, so God grants another task to the Adversary. From head to toe, Job his struck with painful sores. As a consequence of his continued love and devotion to his God, Job must continue to suffer, and even greater than before.
Again and again, Job suffers, but never does he turn his back on his God. Despite the horrific consequences that Job faces, he continues to remain devoted to his God. One might ask, why? Much like Gilgamesh, Job is blind to what is happening around him. He searches for the true reason of his suffering, but it is not revealed to him. Even though Job is a good man who treats others with love and compassion, he is still forced to suffer greatly. Once again, life on life’s terms has found a way to leave a man confused and suffering.
It is never easy to understand why things happen the way that they do. One may be told their entire life that “you get out of life what you put into it” or “what comes around, goes around.” But does it really? It is often impossible to know if the next decision we make will be the right decision or the wrong one. Until the decision is made, and the consequences are realized, the true outcome will not be evident. The world is full of billions of people, and each one of them makes choices on a daily basis. Each of those choices will have an outcome; a consequence. As a human, one may believe that the consequence was directly related to the choice that was made. The reality of the situation is this: Each of us is born, and each of us dies. In that short time we have on Earth, our job is simply to live. Regardless of the choice we make, life will happen on its own terms, and we will be powerless to do anything about it. We may be frightened, we may be uncertain, we may be unwilling to accept the outcomes, but the outcome isn’t always up to us. Regardless of the type of life a person lives, living life on life’s terms is inevitable, unpredictable, and without prejudice. Perhaps, in reality, the choice itself was never ours to begin with.
Works Cited
W.W. Norton & Company Inc. "From Job." The Norton Anthology of World Literature. Ed. Martin Puchner. Trans. Robert Alter. 3rd. Vol. A. New York: W.W. Norton & Company Inc., 2012. 6 vols. 193-218. Anthology.
W.W. Norton & Company Inc. "The Epic of Gilgamesh." The Norton Anthology of World Literature. Ed. Martin Puchner. Trans. Benjamin R Foster. 3rd. Vol. A. New York: W.W. Norton & Company Inc., 2012. 6 vols. 95-151. Anthology.
Consequences are life’s way of teaching lessons. Without consequences, how would a person learn to avoid those things that cause pain to oneself or others? Additionally, consequences help a person to learn when they have chosen the right path, and that …show more content…
they should continue on that path. In most situations, a consequence is balanced against a deed. For instance, a person will perform an arrogant deed, simply to boast one’s own power and strength, and in return they may be frowned upon for that deed. Gilgamesh is a character who does just that; by mistreating his people. The god’s find it necessary to send a companion to balance his arrogance. However, during that balancing period, many battles were fought and won, only to eventually lead to a painful loss as the ultimate consequence to his arrogant actions; the loss of his dearest friend.
But, what would one do if their entire life was centered on doing what was right and just, only to suffer unspeakable misery as a consequence? What if by doing what was right and just, and showing extreme devotion to one’s God, the consequence of those actions was to lose everything that was dear to them? What if being God’s most favored follower, unspeakable pain and suffering, such to the point that an individual would curse the very day they were born was the consequence. By doing everything correctly in the eyes of God, God would allow Satan to destroy your life and everything in it? The story of Job is just such a tale; one that at first may appear to shows consequence in a completely different light as the Epic of Gilgamesh. However, they are far more alike that the surface indicates. It all leads one to wonder what lessons are truly to be learned from consequences. Consequences do not always match the life behaviors of an individual. Regardless of the type of life a person lives, living life on life’s terms is inevitable, unpredictable, and without prejudice. The real question is this: Are the consequence of a person’s actions of their own making, or is there a hidden design behind the scenes that we are often blind to see? As our subjects may very well prove, a direct correlation between actions and outcomes, cause and effect, may simply be a figment of our imaginations. Perhaps, in reality, the choice itself was never ours to begin with.
Gilgamesh was a powerful ruler of the land of Uruk, where he was unmatched in strength and beauty. As having no equal will often present, Gilgamesh displayed great arrogance. Gilgamesh would constantly compete with the men of the city athletically, and bed new brides before the groom, simply because he was unmatched in strength and able to do so. However, the consequence to this action was the god’s creating his match on Earth; Enkidu.
Gilgamesh met Enkidu and battled him soon after the goddess Aruru created him.
The battle was fierce and destructive, ending with Gilgamesh as the victor and with both of them as friends. The friendship was more than a simple bond, but a deep and lasting one. An unexpected consequence of the battle between these two men provided Gilgamesh with something that he truly needed; a companion. A companion was the necessary balance to the equation; that which tempered Gilgamesh’s mistreatment of his people. This new-found companionship provided Gilgamesh with the necessary distraction to take him away from his people and into many adventures.
Gilgamesh and Enkidu share many profound deeds, which includes the slaying of both Humbaba of the Cedar Forest and the Bull of Heaven. Their arrogance in doing these things, however, angers the god’s, and as a consequence, Enkidu’s life is taken. This is devastating for Gilgamesh. His entire life, Gilgamesh was without an equal; a companion. When a companion is granted to him, his arrogance is tempered for a short time before it explodes out-of-control. One would wonder if consequences had any real effect on the final
outcomes.
Regardless of the actions of the gods, the arrogance of Gilgamesh could not be nullified. The god’s attempt at calming the arrogance of Gilgamesh through the creation of Enkidu failed. Though the citizens of Uruk were temporarily relieved of Gilgamesh’s rule, his relationship with Enkidu only enhanced his arrogance to the point that the Bull of Heaven caused widespread devastation and destruction before being killed by Enkidu. Regardless of the actions of the gods, Gilgamesh, or Enkidu, the consequences were ultimately the same; a man with great power will often exhibit great arrogance. It appears to be inevitable. Regardless of the situation, the story always returned to this simple fact. Even if for a short time Gilgamesh’s arrogance appeared to be tempered, it would blossom into its full force, again and again. Gilgamesh was forced to live a life that was not by his own terms, but by life’s terms. He may have been under the impression that he was making choices that influenced the ultimate outcome of his existence, but these were near to delusions. Gilgamesh was a toy for the gods; an unpredictable toy, none-the-less, but still a toy. In many ways he suffered as a direct result of the gods’ actions.
Another literary figure whose life took many unexpected turns, was Job. Job was the God of Israel’s most favored and blameless follower. Job, by God’s own admittance, was as near to sinless as man could be. No other man in the entire world did God choose as his champion of righteousness and devotion. However, the consequence to Job’s unyielding faith and love for his God was torture and torment by the hand of Satan, the Adversary. Though Satan is the one that carries out the deeds, it is by God’s decree that this may occur.
A game of sorts begins, between God and Satan, with Job being the primary game piece. God considers Job to be “blameless and upright, a man who fears God and shuns evil.” Job, in many ways, was God’s ideal follower. However, the Adversary believed otherwise. Perhaps if all the blessing bestowed upon Job were taken away, then he would turn away from God and curse his name.
All the blessings of Job are quickly torn away. His herds and children are either destroyed or stolen. Everything, almost instantly, is taken from him. However, the Adversary is proven wrong when job cries out to God, saying, “The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away; may the name of the Lord be praised.”
As a consequence for Job’s continued devotion, God allows that he be tortured even more severely. The Adversary claims that for Job to turn against God that he must also feel the pain and loss within his physical body, so God grants another task to the Adversary. From head to toe, Job his struck with painful sores. As a consequence of his continued love and devotion to his God, Job must continue to suffer, and even greater than before.
Again and again, Job suffers, but never does he turn his back on his God. Despite the horrific consequences that Job faces, he continues to remain devoted to his God. One might ask, why? Much like Gilgamesh, Job is blind to what is happening around him. He searches for the true reason of his suffering, but it is not revealed to him. Even though Job is a good man who treats others with love and compassion, he is still forced to suffer greatly. Once again, life on life’s terms has found a way to leave a man confused and suffering.
It is never easy to understand why things happen the way that they do. One may be told their entire life that “you get out of life what you put into it” or “what comes around, goes around.” But does it really? It is often impossible to know if the next decision we make will be the right decision or the wrong one. Until the decision is made, and the consequences are realized, the true outcome will not be evident. The world is full of billions of people, and each one of them makes choices on a daily basis. Each of those choices will have an outcome; a consequence. As a human, one may believe that the consequence was directly related to the choice that was made. The reality of the situation is this: Each of us is born, and each of us dies. In that short time we have on Earth, our job is simply to live. Regardless of the choice we make, life will happen on its own terms, and we will be powerless to do anything about it. We may be frightened, we may be uncertain, we may be unwilling to accept the outcomes, but the outcome isn’t always up to us. Regardless of the type of life a person lives, living life on life’s terms is inevitable, unpredictable, and without prejudice. Perhaps, in reality, the choice itself was never ours to begin with.
Works Cited
W.W. Norton & Company Inc. "From Job." The Norton Anthology of World Literature. Ed. Martin Puchner. Trans. Robert Alter. 3rd. Vol. A. New York: W.W. Norton & Company Inc., 2012. 6 vols. 193-218. Anthology.
W.W. Norton & Company Inc. "The Epic of Gilgamesh." The Norton Anthology of World Literature. Ed. Martin Puchner. Trans. Benjamin R Foster. 3rd. Vol. A. New York: W.W. Norton & Company Inc., 2012. 6 vols. 95-151. Anthology.