Preview

Epic of Gilgamesh

Good Essays
Open Document
Open Document
956 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Epic of Gilgamesh
Title: Gilgamesh

Type: Epic

Author: Anonymous

Theme: The central idea of Gilgamesh was the greed that he had to receive eternal life. Gilgamesh was a selfish person who was half god and half man and wanted to keep his youth after seeing Enkidu die. Gilgamesh knew his destiny was not to receive eternal life because he was half man. He decided to go against the odds to fight against not having eternal life searching for the secret despite what the Gods told him.

Exposition: The story dates between 2500-1500 B.C. Gilgamesh ruled in Uruk, a city in ancient Mesopotamia.

Protagonist: The epic is centered on Gilgamesh because he is the main character and ruler of Uruk who in the beginning is rude and arrogant and has a journey finding everlasting life. At the end of the epic Gilgamesh changes as a king who is loved.

Antagonist: Gilgamesh being half man is what is stopping him from receiving eternal life that Gilgamesh wants so he will not die.

Major conflict: The main issue between Gilgamesh and him being half-man is that he is restricted from not dying. He wants to remain youthful for the rest of his life after seeing the death of his friend Enkidu.

Conflicts: 1. Man vs.-Man: Gilgamesh and Enkidu fight battles to make names for them. The Gods reveal to them that one must die because of the crimes they committed. Since Enkidu died, Gilgamesh mourns for many days and searches for the secret of everlasting life.

2. Man vs.-Self: Gilgamesh could not grasp the fact because he was half god and half man he could not live forever. He did not want to die like Enkidu so he went on a journey on his own to try and find everlasting life.

3. Man vs.-Nature: Gilgamesh could not control death because he was half man.

Inciting Incident: After Gilgamesh and Enkidu battled their enemies the gods gave Enkidu a dream that one must die and Enkidu suffered for many days before he died in bed. Gilgamesh saw his death and was saddened
Continue Reading
View Writing Issues

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Satisfactory Essays

    The Role Of Enkidu's Journey In The Epic Of Gilgamesh '
    • 275 Words
    • 2 Pages

    The Role Of Enkidu's Journey In The Epic Of Gilgamesh '

    The journey that Gilgamesh took after Enkidu died was a turning point of his life. The reason it was so meaningful to Gilgamesh and the story was because it showed Gilgamesh and the readers reading the book, that no one life has immortally. Gilgamesh was very distraught and he set on a journey to seek immortally for himself. “…did bitterly weep as he wandered the wild…” (Gilgamesh 70) Gilgamesh thought that he was immortal but seeing could what happen to Enkidu he could not let that happen to himself also, because he was afraid of death and what would become of him. His journey is to find Uta-napishti, who has immortally. Then, when Gilgamesh meets Uta-napishti, Uta-napishti ask why Gilgamesh is so down in the dumps, telling him how he was…

    • 275 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Odysseus And Gilgamesh Comparison
    • 727 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Odysseus And Gilgamesh Comparison

    Gilgamesh tyrannically terrorizes the people of Uruk over which he rules. "when the people of Uruk complain about Gilgamesh's arrogance, the goddess aruru creates enkidu to contend with the king and absorb his energies." (heading for the battle with Humbaba). So, this guy oppresses his people into fearful prayer, yet through those prayers a savior comes to the occupants of Uruk. Enkidu ends up being friends with Gilgamesh and they purge the land of several evils. Eventually Enkidu dies and strikes fear into the heart of Gilgamesh. "how can I rest, how can I be at peace? Despair is in my heart. What my brother is now that shall I be when I am dead. Because I am afraid of death I will go as best I can to find Utnapishtim whom they call the faraway, for he has entered the assembly of the gods." (ll. 4-10 of The Search For Everlasting Life). The selfishness of this man to think that he deserves to be immortal. He eventually fails in his quest and…

    • 727 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Who Was Gilgamesh Power Hungry
    • 189 Words
    • 1 Page

    Who Was Gilgamesh Power Hungry

    Throughout the Epic, Gilgamesh was perceived in countless ways: an authoritarian who was power hungry, a bloke who transitioned into a mighty slayer of evil, a depleted broken man, and finally someone who had overcome countless obstacles, satisfied with his life. Gilgamesh first became introduced into the Epic as a dominant king who was two-thirds divine, one-third human; his father, a previous king and his mother a goddess. King Gilgamesh felt as if he was superior to the common folk. Believing that everything was supposed to be bestowed upon him, it caused an uproar in his life. Gilgamesh's first form was the primary condition that was to be seen in this work. He was a tyrant king who cared only for himself, and the citizens of Uruk felt…

    • 189 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
    Read More
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Gilgamesh's Heroic Journey
    • 243 Words
    • 1 Page

    Gilgamesh's Heroic Journey

    Gilgamesh goes on this heroic journey in hope to bring his dear friend Enkidu back to life. He travels twelve leagues of darkness in order to find Utnapishtim. There are many factors in which Gilgamesh is considered an epic hero. Gilgamesh completed a long and dangerous journey into the afterlife, he wished to know the secret to life in order to gain fame, and Gilgamesh also has the physical qualities of a hero, considering he was made perfect by the Gods. Gilgamesh is a hero because he is determined, strong, powerful, and brave. He is also two thirds god. However, he has some qualities that gets him into trouble, such as his overconfidence and his violence. The Epic of Gilgamesh can be compared to the hero tale, The Odyssey. These…

    • 243 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    How Did Gilgamesh Develop
    • 472 Words
    • 2 Pages

    How Did Gilgamesh Develop

    Then Gilgamesh meets and develops a codependency with his perfect opposite, another man formed by the gods to balance him out. This two-thirds animal man, Enkidu, challenges Gilgamesh, but eventually falls in next to his side as Gilgamesh’s other half. Here Gilgamesh learns to love and care for another, and he faces many conflicts and fears with the support of Enkidu, which leaves him wiser and more mature. When Enkidu dies from Humbaba’s curse, Gilgamesh’s pride and power is worn down by the hopelessness of watching his other half leave him. “Shouldn’t my cheeks be hollow, shouldn’t my face be ravaged, frost-chilled, and burnt by the desert sun… I cannot bear what happened to my friend” (Mitchell, 167). He embarks on his quest for eternal life, and from those that assist and hinder him along the way, he learned humility, acceptance, and perhaps even the beginning of kindness. The futile quest takes away nearly everything that made Gilgamesh’s character at the exposition of the epic, leaving a complex and grief driven man, who yet still self-centered, now has seen and lived…

    • 472 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Better Essays

    In The Shadows Of Gilgamesh Analysis
    • 1344 Words
    • 6 Pages

    In The Shadows Of Gilgamesh Analysis

    Herbert Mason’s retelling of the Sumerian epic poem Gilgamesh, is about a king who learns that he is not capable of having eternal life. Throughout his journey, Gilgamesh comes to realize the harsh realities of life, the power of acceptance, impermanence, and transformation. He discovers that moving on from death does not mean overcoming death, and because Gilgamesh has the blood of man, he will never have the ability to live like a god. Ultimately, although Gilgamesh has to learn to accept death as a part of life, he needs to first live life in the present, instead of living in the past with Enkidu, or in the fear of his future.…

    • 1344 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Better Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Gilgamesh As A Hero Essay
    • 503 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Gilgamesh As A Hero Essay

    In the beginning Gilgamesh is said to be two-thirds god and one-third man. He was the king of Uruk. He was physically beautiful as well as strong. Gilgamesh was a brutal ruler to his kingdom though. Gilgamesh enjoyed proving he was worthy any chance he got. He also wanted to be immortal so he could defeat death and live forever.…

    • 503 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Gilgamesh Human Condition Essay
    • 572 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Gilgamesh Human Condition Essay

    Gilgamesh was 2/3 God 1/3 man, the strongest in the kingdom and a warrior type, who was at first an unfair king. Gilgamesh was larger than life because of the tasks that he set out to perform; killing of Hamarba, Chopping down the cedar forest, and the killing of the Heavens Bull; these were feats that no mortal would dare, or could do. Gilgamesh has a human side to him that is the want for the self (sex- his decree of all mans marriage night duties, friendship- how he reacts to Enkidu's death, riches- he claims all in the beginning). He is a very needy man in his wants and desires; his need to fill this is greater than what is around him.…

    • 572 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    The Hero Archetype
    • 716 Words
    • 2 Pages

    The Hero Archetype

    Gilgamesh is told not to be 100 percent God. He is two-thirds God and one-third man. His mother Ninsun created him from clay and other Gods gave him his looks and personality. God of Storms gave him courage, and God of Wisdom gave him the ability to learn from his experiences. While he was created by God’s he was still human, and with this death was inevitable. As I was reading the story from the book, I asked myself why would the God’s make a part man part human? Maybe this was to humble Gilgamesh since he was a prideful being. In society today, people are blessed with certain talents such as being athletic and athletic sometimes think they are above the law. This is the same with Gilgamesh. He acts as if he is pure God, or above the law.…

    • 716 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Better Essays

    Gilgamesh
    • 1205 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Gilgamesh

    Gilgamesh was destined to perfection from birth. He was created as a divine mortal, two-thirds god and one third human. He was a man destined to live a lavish life with all the riches a man could ever want. Unfortunately, his arrogance and superior strength got in the way; in the beginning of the book one realizes that Gilgamesh is an arrogant person who needs to make it known he is the strongest, bravest man there could ever be. The men of Uruk would explain how, “Gilgamesh sounds the tocsin for his amusement, his arrogance has no bounds by day or night. No son is left with his father, for Gilgamesh takes them all, even the children; yet the king should be a shepherd to his people. His lust leaves no virgin to her lover, neither the warrior’s daughter nor the wife of the noble… (62).” The gods heard these cries from the people and the gods decided to create his equal, Enkidu. To challenge Gilgamesh in a battle, once the two started to grapple like wild bulls, once Gilgamesh had defeated Enkidu,…

    • 1205 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Better Essays
    Read More
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Gilgamesh; a Verse Narrative
    • 295 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Gilgamesh; a Verse Narrative

    Gilgamesh crucially abused his power as King of Uruk and ruled as a “tyrant to his people” (15), much like many leaders have before, but after meeting Enkidu, he grew as a person, saw things differently, and adjusted his concepts of holding the responsibility of leadership. He grew to come to terms with his struggles and accept them, which is what leaders are looked up to for. The idea that one can make mistakes and repent for them, being mortal and vulnerable, is what connects leaders to those whom are supposed to be led. The struggle of mortality, the fact that one could only attain power for so long, is greatly expressed within the story. “The life of man is short,” Siduri attempts to persuade Gilgamesh to abandon his quest and enjoy life while he is still alive (57). The understanding of questions regarding life and death, humans and gods, and what to truly believe in is very prominent to the people of Uruk, for they had no control of what Gilgamesh did, and all they could do was pray to the gods to fix any corruption that existed. Without true faith in their leader, “Uruk’s gentle people fear for their king.” (24) In 2012, we are still referring back to stories such as this. Considering Gilgamesh could not live forever, his actions and legacy left behind still do. For every action, there is a reaction. All has forged together to form the ultimate realization that even though humans are not immortal, previous acts and legends of humankind are. It took friendship, time, experience, bravery, and humanity, but in the end, Gilgamesh proved himself to be a hero.…

    • 295 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Epic Of Gilgamesh Research Paper
    • 726 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Epic Of Gilgamesh Research Paper

    The epic of Gilgamesh is story about death and friendship, these are two main themes in the book. Gilgamesh is the one who has to come to grips with the reality that death is inevitable, and that friendship is a necessity. When Enkidu dies Gilgamesh cannot…

    • 726 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Epic Of Gilgamesh Analysis
    • 771 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Epic Of Gilgamesh Analysis

    The Epic of Gilgamesh by Donna Rosenberg revealed the tale of the two-thirds god and one-third mortal king, Gilgamesh, whose biggest fear was the common fate of all human beings - death. Throughout his journey to find immortality, the story portrayed various examples of different categories of archetypes that influenced the passage, and added to the overall meaning of the text. The most important archetypes that impacted the plot of the story include Gilgamesh’s heroic characteristics, Enkidu’s death, and the idea of immortality.…

    • 771 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Better Essays

    Similarities Between Roland, Aeneas, And Gilgamesh In The Song Of Roland
    • 2076 Words
    • 9 Pages

    Similarities Between Roland, Aeneas, And Gilgamesh In The Song Of Roland

    In The Epic of Gilgamesh, even though Gilgamesh is egotistic and self-centered, he proves to be a hero while on his mission to discover eternal life. Different from Roland and Aeneas, Gilgamesh was born one-third human and two-third god. He felt that he was superior to everyone else. Arrogance was one of his flaws that also made him different from other epic heroes. During his journey to find immortality, Gilgamesh is unaware that the gods were observing him from above.…

    • 2076 Words
    • 9 Pages
    Better Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Gilgamesh Research Paper
    • 507 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Gilgamesh Research Paper

    Gilgamesh has unusual circumstances of his birth by being a god and a human along, with Gilgamesh born to become a king. According to Gilgamesh it states, “Gilgamesh was two- thirds God and one-third man” (28). Gilgamesh was unusual when he was born since, he was both God and human. Because of his unusual birth it meant that he's a still human and will eventually face death. But, Gilgamesh knowing that he can die any moment doesn't stop him from going on the adventures and fulfilling his quests. As a result Gilgamesh's birth is an aspect of him becoming a hero. The text states, “Gilgamesh was the renowned king of the city of Uruk. To his people, Gilgamesh was a tyrant who became a great hero” (28). In other words Gilgamesh was known to…

    • 507 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More

Related Topics