The Epic of Gilgamesh Analysis Essay

Analysis of The Epic of Gilgamesh

Introduction

The Epic of Gilgamesh is one of the few great literatures that survived the ruin of ancient civilizations, more particularly the ancient Mesopotamia. It is a poem that tells the story of two great heroes, friendship, adventure, and the gods. Comprised of twelves tablets, each depicting a section of the overall tale, the Epic of Gilgamesh exists in various versions—with the Akkadian and Old Babylonian versions being the most prominent. This essay considers various parts of the Epic and seeks to examine/illustrate a few details about the heroes “Gilgamesh and Enkidu”, their relationship, the actions of the gods, and the overall significance of this Epic—as regarding its depiction of the ancient Mesopotamian civilization.

Gilgamesh and Enkidu

Gilgamesh was the first character, of the two, to be introduced. In the introduction, Gilgamesh was described as one who had exceptional qualities that transcends that of mere men. He had esoteric wisdom of ancient things (Abusch 615), the strength of many men, and the pomposity that is often common in men of extreme capacity. It is also to be noted that Gilgamesh was two-thirds god and one-third man (Khan 2), which is due to his lineage (Gilgamesh is a direct descendant of the sun-god: through his father Lugalbanda, and his goddess mother: Ninsumun). Furthermore, he was a bully king. He would often challenge his male subjects to various competitions, which he was certain to win (due to his obvious advantage). To the females in his kingdom, he had his way with whomever his heart chooses. This behaviour seemed to conflict with the initial idea of him as the protector and shepherd of his kingdom (George 228), Uruk. Due to the continued complaints of Gilgamesh’s subjects to their respective gods (complaints of their oppression, and request for a salvation), the next hero “Enkidu” is introduced.

Enkidu was introduced out of necessity: to curb the excesses of the mighty king Gilgamesh. The gods had a consensus that Gilgamesh must be tamed, and interestingly introduced a “wild man” to do the deed (the irony is quite intended). Enkidu was described as a man that fed and slept with the animals of the wild. Un-cultured, wild, and mighty in strength (Dickson 171). He was meant to be the equal of Gilgamesh, or maybe even more powerful. He was discovered by a trapper, who reported him to Gilgamesh as one who is…

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…is a common feature of many ancient civilizations like the Egyptians, Greeks, Romans, Africans, etc. The Mesopotamians also believed in the justice system of the gods and would rather go make their complaints to their god than confront their leadership. This is seen in the very first tablet, where Gilgamesh basically did whatever he wished, and the people only complained to the gods. As a validation for said belief system, the gods in the story decided to punish Gilgamesh of his wantonness by creating Enkidu as his nemesis. Finally, it shows a bit of the old Mesopotamian views on sex (George 235). The concept of a “sacred prostitute” describes a view on the religious/spiritual aspect of sexual intercourse and the significant power it wields. It is also a common part of many old cultures, like those described by Herodotus in his account about ancient Babylon (incidentally, the ancient Babylonians have an account of the Epic of Gilgamesh as well).

Conclusion

The Epic of Gilgamesh is a tale whose lessons are still relevant in our modern civilization. The fight against mortality is unending and mankind still wrestles with the dissatisfaction of this limitation. Technology has provided us with a stronger weapon this time…