Preview

Examples Of Rewind In The Epic Of Gilgamesh

Good Essays
Open Document
Open Document
600 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Examples Of Rewind In The Epic Of Gilgamesh
Rewind and Replay
Sex, power, and fear of the unknown has motivated human kind for our entire existence. This is what drives man to act as we do today. In the Epic of Gilgamesh, we can relate more than a few key points of the story to something that is happening in the modern world today. Sex being a passage into civilization in the story is as true now as it was back then. Power is something humans crave and would do anything for. Fear of the unknown is something Gilgamesh experienced as he went on a quest for immortality. Today we still have this fear of death and what will happen to us. Brace yourself as we slightly rewind to parts of history and watch them replay in modern society today.
First lets talk about Marvin Gay who Sang the song Lets get it on he understood how important sex was to not only him, but the rest of the world. Playing on peoples ability to relate to the lyrics of his song is what he counted on. Shamhat the harlot also relied upon this as she used her charms on Enkidu when she seduces him for six nights and seven days. After using her charms she began to persuade Enkidu to come to Uruk with her. Our beer industries also use sex to seduce men in our societies
…show more content…
Power is money in most instances today. As for in history it was defiantly similar to what we consider power today. In the Epic of Gilgamesh it speaks about how powerful Gilgamesh was and how mighty his kingdom was. People are greedy no matter what time period we have lived. Gilgamesh is greedy and remains greedy throughout the epic. Power however is a very big motivator for people, which is why I feel it is embedded into our DNA. A little greed is a good thing, but when it takes over you need someone to pull you back to reality. Enkidu in the story was created for this very purpose. This is why our President has a congress to not only help him decide important decisions but they are also there to keep him in

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Good Essays

    Gilgamesh is an epic poem and it is one of the earliest pieces of world literature. The epic of Gilgamesh is the greatest work of ancient Mesopotamia. There are several translations around the world, but the one that I came across with was translated by Benjamin R. Foster. Immortality was something king Gilgamesh always dreamt of, but a friendship was something he didn't have before. “ They kissed each other and made friends” (Ln 115). This text shows that it was just the beginning of a irreplaceable friendship between two different powerful men. This epic poem contains several themes such as the King Gilgamesh wanting immortality due to the things surrounding him. However, the theme that actually made king Gilgamesh to do such quest, was the…

    • 319 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Power is defined as the ability to do something or act in a particular way, especially as a faculty or quality. How one interprets and uses this definition can differ between people, based on personal morals, motivations, experiences, and beliefs. You can clearly see these differences in utilization of power in the Ancient and Imperial Chinese civilizations. The civilization that was most powerful and used their power most effectively was the Mongol dynasty. They used their power to take over a large plot of land while still maintaining power within their dynasty.…

    • 644 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    I believe the motif of the Epic of Gilgamesh is Gilgamesh’s immortality. The hero of this epic, the demigod, Gilgamesh, was well gifted by the gods. He possessed the traits of beauty and strength, as was expressed in the opening paragraph of the Epic of Gilgamesh. “…The great gods made his beauty perfect, surpassing all others, terrifying like a great wild bull” (3). Gilgamesh wanted for nothing in the city of Uruk, as can be seen from the perspective of the men of Uruk when they stated, “Gilgamesh takes them all…” (4). Gilgamesh knew great friendship through Enkidu. While possessing many great traits, the one thing Gilgamesh did not possess and coveted was immortality. Gilgamesh confides to his friend…

    • 244 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    The Epic of Gilgamesh, suggests that the people of Mesopotamia expect their rulers to be strong, heroic, fearless, unselfish, and godly. Gilgamesh is said to be two-thirds god and one-thirds human, is described as being “strong, stately, and wise” and several times throughout the epic as “accomplished in strength”. However, not everyone sees the ruler as being great. Many believe that Gilgamesh exhibits many good characteristics but lacks generosity. The nobles at the beginning of the epic are one of those peoples who complain because Gilgamesh is acting tyrannically. They suggest that although they like how Gilgamesh is heroic and godly, they would like someone more democratic to be their ruler. In one part of the epic, Gilgamesh defeats…

    • 167 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    After reading The Epic of Gilgamesh I have discovered many metaphors and parallelisms between the Bible and the story of Gilgamesh himself. This has allowed me to enjoy reading the story more and understanding the Bible from a more metaphoric perspective rather than just a religion. Gilgamesh searches for something all humans either desire or question its reality, immortality. In my opinion each characters qualities are relatable in one way or another, maybe not in my own personal life but in the people around me. Towards the end of Gilgamesh’s story he suffers the death of his good friend and equal to illness. This puts an act in motion in Gilgamesh causing him to ponder his own life and realize that he too will one day suffer the same faith as his faithful friend. In our own lives its not a matter of how we…

    • 586 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    “The Epic of Gilgamesh” is an ancient story by William Ellery Leonard that we have a written record and was recited for generation before it was inscribed on clay table in cuneiform script(6). Leonard presents challenges and experiences encountered by the powerful man Gilgamesh who ruled the city of Uruk in ancient Sumer, between 2700 and 2600 B.C (6). His power and strength lead the entire society to call upon the gods to make them another man who can take over form Gilgamesh (7). Engidu was chosen to be the person to overcome Gilgamesh but Gilgamesh challenged him to a fight and worn (9). By reading this epic, we can learn more about: its content as well as citation, its communication in addition to context, and its…

    • 1218 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    Following the passing of Enkidu, his closest companion, he transforms into a man with a new purpose. Throughout his life, Gilgamesh has ruled his kingdom from afar, never connecting with his people. He has always been envious of the immortal gods because, though he is two-thirds god, he will never be immortal. Along his journey, he constantly grasps with chances to prove his equality to the gods, depicted perfectly in his defeat of Humbaba. With that in mind, it is clear Gilgamesh demonstrates his power as a king whenever he is given the opportunity. Though Gilgamesh may think that demonstrating his power prove his equality to the deities, it actually makes him more human in many ways. After Enkidu’s death, Gilgamesh begins to truly and deeply understand the capabilities of the gods he has strived his entire life to become. When he loses the plant of life, Gilgamesh realizes that he is not fit for immortal life and that he should move on because the dead will stay dead. Finally, because of this new found enlightenment, Gilgamesh is finally able to forgo his past desires and live freely without the weight of death, specifically Enkidu’s, on his shoulders. From Gilgamesh’s story of painful lessons turned positive, people can conclude and learn that at the end of every difficult journey, there will be development. However, in order to obtain the acceptance that although generations go by and people pass away, the cycle of life and the hand of time never stops, in essence, humanity never fades away. People going through hardships similar to that of Gilgamesh’s, need to learn the extremely difficult lesson, and undergo the journey, about life and more importantly, self-discovery. For Gilgamesh this means living in the moment, not in the past or the…

    • 1344 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    The Epic of Gilgamesh is an ancient Mesopotamian epic about a king who is two thirds god and one third man. The king does not meet his expectations of leadership as he is selfish and often angers the Gods. When his companion Enkidu dies, Gilgamesh goes off on a quest to attain immortality. He fails in this quest and eventually dies, but through his travel he came to terms with his own mortality and his greatness lived on. While the main characters are men, women have small but important roles in the Epic of Gilgamesh. The women in this epic reveal that ancient Mesopotamians valued womenÕs roles as child bearers and transmitters of civilization. While the Epic of Gilgamesh reveals much about Mesopotamian religion, the goddesses described also reveal, in some ways, how the Mesopotamian viewed and valued women. Ishtar is the goddess of both love and war, this shows that women have the power to be both wonderful and productive or destructive and horrible. A womanÕs most important role in life is to bear children and a woman who cannot bear children is seen as destructive to the population. Only a woman has the capacity to create life and that makes her important and valuable. The one who created the earth, according to the Epic of Gilgamesh, was a goddess, a woman. The wife of the sun is the dawn, giving birth to a new day. Because of…

    • 845 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Gilamesh Quest

    • 1013 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Ever since the beginning of time man has endured trials and tribulations that will overall contribute to the making of him as a being. In The Epic of Gilgamesh we see this factor play a role in the protagonist life just as well. Gilgamesh goes on 2 major quests that will ultimately change him forever. He encounters external quests that will contribute to his own internal quest for acceptance of his divine and mortal attributes. Throughout the story we see his evolution from self- righteous tyrant to a king with great wisdom. His quests begin to help him find the wisdom to accept his fate and make peace with the fate that the gods have bestowed upon him. Gilgamesh is by far one of the most growing characters in any epic poem. His many journeys make him a better and more devoted king. These traits will make him a person worth remember for centuries to come.…

    • 1013 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Foster presents the themes of "The Epic of Gilgamesh" as a model of what human knowledge and experience really is. He suggests that sex is a requisite for becoming human, which is to be succeeded by the idea of love and unity with another human being (not necessarily in a sexual sense). However, Foster explicitly includes the notion that these unifications are as mortal as human beings themselves, and are ultimately "doomed to disintegrate". Through this deterioration of a human relationship, Foster claims the individual (the human) has "acquired the next highest human knowledge". In plain terms, to fully feel human, one must endure suffering.…

    • 323 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    The story of The Epic of Gilgamesh is a western civilization historical poem that is mix of mythology and literature. It is to be believed was written around the first centuries of the second millennium B.C. considering one of the oldest, if not the oldest, ancient poem. It is about a hero who is desperate to become a god and goes an on quest for immortality. Within the pages of the old tale it reveals many hints of history, human nature, and myths of an ancient culture. Though the Sumerian Empire, the Mesopotamian culture, is long forgotten it has been told and retold by many for a reason. Is it because it’s similar views and culture? Is it because of its great story telling, its rich words? Or maybe because it enlighten the people historically? Though the tablets were founded by archaeologists in Middle East, it is a tale written by people of…

    • 897 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    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
  • Good Essays

    Gilgamesh's Transformation

    • 1272 Words
    • 6 Pages

    The Epic of Gilgamesh is an enlightening story that is filled with knowledge and wisdom that can teach everyone . Gilgamesh shows a great change from the beginning of the epic to the end, which can teach us all a lesson about life and death, and more importantly about our lives and how we should or shouldn’t live our lives. At the beginning of the story we see Gilgamesh as someone who thinks he is better than everyone, who treats his people unkindly and who uses people and things unfairly. At the end we see someone who has held, and lost, the secret to immortality, but in return, gains a new perspective towards living life.…

    • 1272 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    The Epic of Gilgamesh

    • 857 Words
    • 4 Pages

    The Epic of Gilgamesh is a third person journey about a man’s change from bad to good because of a character named Enkidu. Gilgamesh starts out a mean spirited, bitter, tyrant-like man and turns to a good humble like hero. Throughout the story different experiences and journeys lead Gilgamesh to this ending. On page 99, lines 2-50 Gilgamesh comes off as a cocky and selfish young king. In a way Gilgamesh cannot help but to be the selfish king that he is because, he came into this personality due to his upbringing and surroundings and his overall being. Gilgamesh is the handsomest, strongest, and most powerful man in the world. He also is two thirds god and his father was the king before him.…

    • 857 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    The Epic of Gilgamesh presents a fascinating interpretation on what means to be human, and informs us a great deal about how the ancient Mesopotamians saw themselves in relation to a seemingly chaotic natural order. An initial reading of the Sumerian epic presents a bleak and confusing outlook on the events of the story, was the story of Gilgamesh irrelevant? While his quest for immortality was ultimately in vain, and he would have to concede the uncomfortable fact of his own mortality, this is not the entire truth of the text. The story of Gilgamesh presents a much more optimistic view on humanity then this superficial interpretation; death is an inevitable part of all human existence, yet similar to Gilgamesh, we can all attain something meaningful with the time allotted to us. Gilgamesh learns this universal of the human connection through his relationship with Enkidu; their friendship is a source of joy for Gilgamesh, a relationship which enables him to accomplish great things and create a lasting legacy. The Epic of Gilgamesh serves as reminder, not only to the ancients to whom recited the tale but to the modern reader, that while we are destined to perish, what we do with what little time we have should define us, not the fear of the inevitable, thus the epic depicts human life as a thing of consequence, an end in itself.…

    • 1632 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Powerful Essays