The Epic of Gilgamesh

by Andree Northcutt, April 2015

1200 words

4 pages

essay

Recounting the deeds of historical or legendary characters in their searches of meaning or identity, epics are inextricably linked with human history (Fiero, 2011). Providing the possibility of “learning from history”, epics enable people to understand lived experiences of their ancestors, their activities, environments, driving forces of their deeds, the role of circumstances in human life, and the hypothetical significance of historical events. Depicting the past, epics provide modern readers with opportunities to become aware of their present life by understanding beliefs, creeds, real and/or imaginary events, motives, and circumstances that gradually led them to their contemporary conditions.

Despite it is considered to be the world’s first epic poem and precedes the major antique writings (Fiero, 2011), the Epic of Gilgamesh remains one of the greatest achievements of art and philosophy. The epic of Gilgamesh includes epic heroes and mythological characters; it contains a wide range of plots epic by origin, however, it not is devoted to events of Sumerian national history but development of personality and a person’s destiny in the world. The main character of the epic is Gilgamesh, a probable governor of the ancient Sumerian city of Uruk. Uruk is an ancient city-state, which predominates over Babylon in power and grandeur and serves as a prototype of cities in general.

“Surpassing all kings, great in respect, a lord in his form”, Gilgamesh possesses unique skills and abilities due to his origin; according to the epic, he is a “two-thirds god and one-third man” (Fiero, 2011). He is handsome, mighty, powerful, wise, “familiar with all things”, and has no equal. Contradictory to present religious beliefs, Gilgamesh’s world is not divided into fleshly (terrestrial) and sacral (divine) parts; all people’s actions contribute to the universe and possess their own sacrality. Gilgamesh and his contemporaries do not believe in the God or gods; they live in the world where gods exist initially and, by definition, it is the foremost axiom of their life.

The epic narrates neither details of Gilgamesh's wonderful birth nor his childhood though these episodes are frequently inserted into epics about mythic heroes. When the story begins, Gilgamesh is adult and surpasses all other people by force, beauty, intelligence, and his enormous desires, which are a consequence of his semi-divine origin. The epic, thus, promotes ideas of possible combinations of divine and human in one being. The epic focuses on Gilgamesh’s quest in search of eternal life caused by the death of Enkidu, his bosom companion. Enkidu passes all stages of development leading from wildness to civility. Although Enkidu’s initial mission is to withstand Gilgamesh, they become the dearest friends after their duel. Neither that nor other can win and this outcome leads to their friendship. Gilgamesh and Enkidu accomplish a set of feats; they fight against furious Humbaba, the guardian of mountain cedars, and against the monstrous bull sent to Uruk by the goddess Ishtar because of her unrequited love for Gilgamesh. Being angered by Humbaba’s murder, gods slay Enkidu. Gilgamesh grieves his dearest friend and runs to the …

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