All the worlds a stage, and all the men and women merely players (Shakespeare 242). Medea plays the role of a woman as the most wretched creature (Euripides 21). Looking at her life, one can see that in ancient Athens females were powerless. They were not able to manage their lives as a woman had no right to refuse her husband (Euripides 22). Still, they were waiting for the time when honor will come to the race of women and everything will change (Euripides 27). They wanted to control the circumstances that influenced their lives and characters negatively. Then it would be the turn of men to play the roles of bad creatures, which the chorus believes to be some kind of revenge.
As the main representative of women, Medea is considered to be also the source of life. Evaluating the murder of the children, the conclusion can be drawn that the females were thought to give the life and take it back. It can be an association with the gods, but women are presented as creatures that can quickly change their minds and become extremely violent.
Medea cannot be considered to be a classical tragic hero. She shows that females are too proud. They do not want to admit their mistakes and even if they do eventually, they do not wish to return to the previous stage.
Gilgamesh
The Power of True Friendship
The Epic of Gilgamesh is a great story that shows how friends can change ones life. From the very beginning, Gilgamesh looks like a cruel man who is ready to take a risk and does not care about the feeling of other people. He lives his life in a search of dangerous adventures that can bring new feelings and fill the emptiness in his heart.
Enkidu enters the story as a creature that has more in common with animals than with people. However, soon he searches for a friend, which proves him to become more human becoming aware of himself, he sought a friend (Garrison 32).
As they meet, Gilgamesh and Enkidu fight, but it is not the beginning of the war, it is the beginning of a new sincere friendship Gilgamesh bent his knees, with his other foot on the ground, his anger abated [&] They kissed each other and became friends (Gardner 165).
Gilgamesh used to take care only of himself but now he understands that the well-being of his friend is of great importance to him. Even though the character stays selfish and is aimed at achieving his own goals, neglecting the Enkidus wish to do away with dangerous quests, he cannot imagine his life without the friend. He appreciates this friendship He will have you lie on a grand couch [&] so that the princes of the world kiss your feet. He will have the people of Uruk go into mourning and moaning over you, and fill the happy people with woe over you (Gardner 245).
As Enkidu dies, Gilgamesh goes off on a new quest. However, this one does not seem to be possible to accomplish. It looks like with the death of his friend, Gilgamesh also loses a part of himself, which makes him less rational.
The exile experienced by such characters as Gilgamesh and Prospero forces them to acquire or display some of the qualities that they previously lacked; in particular, one can speak about temperance, fortitude, ability to forgive, and sense of justice.
The author argues that The Epic of Gilgamesh can assist readers in understanding the values of people who were living during that period (Jarman 330). In order to illustrate this viewpoint, the author looks at the positive changes in the behavior of the protagonist. For instance, the author speaks about the influence of Enkidu on the values of the main character (Jarman 330). Moreover, this scholar discusses Gilgameshs encounter with the goddess Siduri who describes the best way for a person to live (Jarman 334).
Overall, this article can be of great relevance to the future paper because it can throw light on the way in which historians and literary critics study The Epic of Gilgamesh. Moreover, readers can learn more about the value system adopted in Mesopotamian society. I have chosen the following quotes, which can be incorporated into the final assignment.
The value of the epic Gilgamesh, despite any tendentious claims for contemporary relevance, is in learning what was on the minds of people who, in the 5000 years since the Ice Age (Jarman 330).
In this passage, the author urges the readers to regard The Epic of Gilgamesh as a source that can illustrate the worldviews and values of the Mesopotamians. Therefore, one should pay attention to the cardinal virtues that the protagonist acquires in the course of this narrative.
He returns to the great walled city of Uruk, empty-handed, a sadder and a wiser man, still mortal but now possibly accepting of Shiduris sage advice (Jarman 334).
This quote suggests that the journey undertaken by Gilgamesh dramatically transforms the main character. The author refers to the recommendation which was given to the protagonist by the goddess Siduri. This deity said that Gilgamesh had to accept his mortality (Jarman 334).
The goddess who created Gilgamesh obligingly creates Enkidu. The creation of Enkidu may parallel the creation of Eve in its purpose, so that Gilgamesh may have a companion (Jarman 330).
This sentence is also critical because it highlights the importance of such a character as Enkidu. He can be viewed as one of the forces that prompt Gilgamesh to evolve and display his best qualities. In my opinion, the role of this character should not be disregarded by the readers. This is why this quote should not be overlooked.
To a great extent, this article confirms my perception of this epic poem. In particular, the author emphasizes the value system as an important element of this literary work. Moreover, this work can illustrate how the protagonist became enriched in the course of the narrative. This is why this article can be incorporated into the final assignment.
Works Cited
Jarman, Mark. When the Light Came On: The Epic of Gilgamesh Hudson Review 58.2 (2005): 329-334. Print.
Firstly, Gilgamesh was the king of Uruk, the city of Mesopotamia, known for its beautiful walls around it. Moreover, he is described as a half-God, a crucial characteristic for the epic hero at that time. By stating that Two-thirds they made him god and one-third man (2), the author even enforced Gilgameshs heroic status (2014). However, as with every epic character, Gilgameshs heroicness should be proved through specific examples of situations where he demonstrated the special ability distinct from ordinary characters.
For instance, when describing Gilgameshs journey to the mountain Mashu, the author illustrated his persistence and tenacity through the scorpions attitude to the main character. More specifically, he stated that (23) No man born of woman has done what you have asked, no mortal man has gone into the mountain; the length of it is twelve leagues of darkness; in it, there is no light, but the heart is oppressed with darkness (Sandars et al., 2014). On the contrary, the main hero proved his braveness in front of the real-life danger by answering that (23) Although I should go in sorrow and pain, with sighing and with weeping. Still, I must go (Sandars et al., 2014). As a result, this concrete example illustrates that even though Gilgamesh is one-third a man, his major part of the soul was created by Gods power so that no human danger could destabilize his intentions to execute his initial plan. In addition, the dangerous situation which requires a high amount of bravery for the main character usually testifies to the individuals heroic attributes.
However, to analyze the situation holistically, it is crucial to understand the main reason for climbing the dangerous mountain Mashu. This requires some understanding of the culture of that time, where the kings father played a major role in the main heros establishment. Moreover, the readers should understand that the general concept of a hero at that time was developed through the notion that the hero should be half-God. As a result, the heroes were facing real danger for their lives so that ordinary people could not achieve the final goal, and Gods would find these obstacles too easy to overcome.
Turning to Gilgameshs outward metamorphosis, he was selfish and arrogant at the beginning of the epic, convinced of his exceptionality and ultimacy of judgment. He was the authoritarian king of Uruk, living an extensive life by spending much time with women. On the contrary, when his father Lugalbanda died, the main hero realized that he was not immortal, that his time of being a king of Uruk was not infinite. Consequently, he became a genuine epic hero since he took the risk on himself and started taking active decisions.
After that, he executed his famous journey to Mashu, where he faced many obstacles coming from absolute darkness. As a result, the readers perception of Gilgamesh was positively influenced by his apparent metamorphosis from an egoistic king to the epic hero devoted to his dream and kingdom. This consideration of Gilgameshs heroicness significantly contrasts with todays vision of an epic hero. This is since these days, the main characters are described as ordinary people who are struggling with ordinary but severe life challenges throughout the story. On the other hand, Gilgamesh faces tough obstacles which require unhuman braveness and endurance.
Roles of Women
When analyzing specific examples of womens domination in the Epic of Gilgamesh, there are no characters influencing the main characters representatives, such as Shamhat, who seduced for the first and the last time Enkidu. Being in such a strong effect, Enkidu proclaimed to Shamash, the God of Sun, concerning the womens power that (18) A ring for your hand and a robe shall be yours. The priest will lead you into the presence of the gods. On your account a wife, a mother of seven, was forsaken (Sandars et al., 2014). This situation represents the power that certain women could control men by using their sexuality and attractiveness in those times. However, it was the only womens remedy for their weak and unstable status in society since when a woman is not already interesting for a man, then her future life would not be more as good as it was before.
Quest for Immortality
Throughout the whole epic, the question of infinite life was raised several times. At first, Gilgamesh thought that he was immortal since he has only one-third of real-world man. However, after his fathers death, Gilgamesh completely changed his point of view on his eternal life and its perspectives. More specifically, he realized that the genuine king should dedicate his life to effectively leading the kingdom and developing its population well-being. In addition, he understood that his time was strongly limited so that he began acting, and his main journey started. Consequently, it is possible to provide a parallel between Gilgameshs or Mesopotamian and the current perception of immortality. The concept of eternal life discourages an individual from appreciating every second of their life, while the strict life boundaries motivate and even force a person to live for today without expecting to wake up tomorrow.
Reference
Sandars, N. K., & Kelley, R. L. (2014). The Epic of Gilgamesh (1st ed.). Assyrian International News Agency. Web.
A hero is a man who is uniquely courageous and with a special ability and bravely that wins him admiration and nobility status from many. In my Opinion, a hero has qualities and characters that make him a true society model. Heroic in this case means the state of often displaying unique characters of courage and bravely associated with a hero.
The journey to heroic nature was very tough and dangerous for Gilgamesh King of Uruk. This paper examines the verse narrative Gilgamesh by Herbert Mason in an attempt to provide a personal opinion on the challenges that Gilgamesh faces in his pursuit for recognition as a hero by his followers in Uruk.
In the first mentioning of Gilgameshs immoral life with the women of Uruk, I feel that he does not qualify to be bestowed with the honor of a hero. However, the step that he takes to face the monster Humbaba in the cedar forest makes my opinion change towards recognizing this great man as a hero. The hesitation of Enkidu, who lived in the wilderness all his life, seems not to bother the determined Gilgamesh. I could have expected Gilgamesh to give up from the entry to the cedar forest after what befell Enkidu at the gate Enkidus hand is paralyzed when he touches the cedar forest gate&, (Sanders 19), or after the wild dreams, but he kept focused. His struggle to acquire a heroic title by facing the forest monster was a brave move and from the success of it all, I regard him as a true hero.
I count the death of Enkidu as one of the most unfortunate instances in the book. According to my Enkidu was not supposed to die. First, his conversion to civilization was not out of his own free will. Secondly, the refusal of Gilgamesh to marry Ishtar the daughter of Anu did not concern him in any way. Finally, he did not choose to be born partly human and partly animal. Therefore the decision of the gods to have him sacrificed for the wrongs of his friend who was in his search for heroism was according to me, not justified.
Gilgamesh seems to associate heroism and eternity. He struggled successfully to acquire the heroic title by killing Humbaba the monster and went ahead to look for a chance to live forever. Siduris advice to him was, You will never find that life for which you are looking. When the gods created man they allotted to him death, but life they retained in their own keeping (Sanders 33). He could have been contented with this and stop the search for Utnapishtim. I feel that the king was too ambitious.
I see the story of the flood however to have changed the kings heart to contend with the earlier advice that, as for you, Gilgamesh, fill your belly with good things; day and night, night and day, dance and be merry, feast and rejoice. Let your clothes be fresh, bathe yourself in water, cherish the little child that holds your hand, and make your wife happy in your embrace; for this too is a lot of men. (Sanders 34).
Gilgamesh had a rough journey that was full of challenges in acquiring recognition as a hero but according to me his morals in society did not model a character for others to emulate. It is proper that his search to live forever was not rewarded for I feel like he could have misused the chance based on his moral background. The Conversion of Enkidu to civilization was a good idea but unfortunately, it consequently earned his untimely death that I think was misplaced.
References
Sanders Nancy, Trans. Gilgamesh. In The Norton Anthology: World Masterpieces, Expanded Edition, Volume I: 10-41, 1981.
To delineate the line between values of idealism and materialism for human beings means to find out the sense of life. In this respect, two legendary literature works, namely Gilgamesh and The Death of Ivan Ilyich, are in the focus. The idea is that human nature is controversial in terms of securing the most significant rules to live. In other words, human beings become deceived every time they trap into a pit of fallacy. They try to run the gamut of life, but they do not beget sufficient ideas for it. Two main characters, Ivan Ilyich and Gilgamesh are struggling in their souls while trying to decide on the right way in life. Such general estimation of both should be separated by peculiarities in how they start-up and where their final breath takes place.
Being excerpted from the ancient writing source, the story of Gilgamesh is a mystical epic with points on the struggle of divine and human parts in a man. Here the struggle between passions inside a man and his devotion in part of gorgeous nature is contradicted. It was done to provide the central part of the Epic of Gilgamesh with its most comprehensive outlook. There is a point in Gilgameshs reasoning of how to act in his struggle with Enkidu, his friend being half-wild. The main collision is represented when the protagonist thinks of whether he will go out of this situation as a winner or as a loser. In this respect, the death of Enkidu is considered as the trophy . At this point appears the pivotal inner redemption of Gilgamesh. He decides to reduce the feeling of rage against Enkidu. The support in overcoming human passions refers to the prayers of Gilgamesh to gods while stepping forward in his life journey. Gods help him stay on the right pathway, notwithstanding his outbursts to make a false step.
Hence, a reader may suggest that different episodes and scenes prevailing in Gilgamesh relate to the dilemma of material and spiritual values. These significant features provide a choice that man should scope out. One should decide on whether to balance material and spiritual constituents by inner harmony or not. However, the last approach is too hard for any human being. Further still, the epic provides a theme on the immortality of Gilgamesh concerning Enkidu. It is even imposed in the idea that the protagonist is described as a half-god and a half-man. Moreover, Gilgamesh is a king. A good part of him that is concerned with a sound mind is related to gods and their will. In this respect, one should bear it in mind that a man is full of divine nature, notwithstanding strong passions. It is better to realize it each moment of life even if the hardest times happen.
The tragedy of Ivan Illyich is discovered in his relationship to the circles of top-flight people who value the material performance of a man more than a man himself/herself. This main failure of the protagonist makes him devoted solely to material amenities. Being a judge, he used to have whatever he wanted in life. His disappointment in life and him, as an individual, emerged at the moment when he is taken ill. Starting with this part of the novel, Ivan Illyich is in terror of his final days. He goes insane about what he experiences. The end is inevitable. The colors go darker around him. His destiny is nothing at the moment because his life lies dying. His family, his colleagues, and many more people are near, but he does not deserve it at all. His insanity reaches culmination when it becomes clear to him that his life was full of egoism. Moreover, he did not even do something to improve on it. The dramatic concept of the novel provides similarity of such situation in real life.
It is a choice for everyone who struggles for the place under the sun. Death reaches all humans. However, the way and the reason that led to death vary. Ivan Illyich is dead morally because he never lived for anyone else besides him in person. This tragedy provides an insight into the antinomy between good and bad principles living in a human being. Not for nothing, people say that a man is a sum of his/her deeds. The morality oppresses Ivan Illyich at the core moment. It is when he realizes that he was harming many people. Trying to resolve this problem for himself, he believes that his playing a box will set other people close to him free.
To conclude, two works, The Epic of Gilgamesh and The Death of Ivan Illyich, manifest themselves, as a complete explanation of how individuals should weigh their decisions and deeds in terms of material and spiritual values. In this respect, spiritual and human parts in a man are contradicted, so that he/she might reach the truth of reality. It is supposed by letting people study on mistakes of their predecessors. Furthermore, the conceptual featuring in both works promotes an idea of the divine part prevalence in whoever a human being is.
Most epic poems present long descriptions of events that are important to certain periods in history. In addition, epic poems present readers with a detailed analysis of heroic conquests as they unfold. Most epic poetry is either primary or secondary in nature. Primary epics focus on heroes exploits from a firsthand account while secondary epics are mostly recreations of the author. In The Epic of Gilgamesh , the poem details the heroic actions of the main character with the view of incorporating them into history.
On the other hand, in the epic poem The Iliad the author is concerned with the heroic exploits of Achilles in the contexts of death and immortality. The main hero in The Epic of Gilgamesh is concerned with his own immortality throughout the entire story. This situation mirrors that of The Iliad where the hero is seeking to replace his mortal self with an immortal version of himself that can only be achieved after death. The heroes in both The Iliad and The Epic of Gilgamesh have elements of divinity and they have partners who are almost similar in nature as seen through the characters of Enkidu and Patroclus.
On the contrary, One Thousand and One Nights is written using the context of the Arabic and Indian cultures. However, most of the stories in One Thousand and One Nights do not primarily adhere to the epic genre but they have epic-like elements. For instance, in One Thousand and One Nights , the themes of death, immortality, and love are evident. These themes are also heavily featured in both The Iliad and Gilgamesh . There are various similarities and differences between these three literary works; The Epic of Gilgamesh , The Iliad , and One Thousand and One Nights .
The most striking stylistic aspect in The Epic of Gilgamesh is that the book is historically significant. Unlike other mythological accounts such as the one in the The Iliad , The Epic of Gilgamesh presents facts of an actual society that existed around 2700 B.C. The exploits of the hero and his society in The Epic of Gilgamesh reflect those of a king who ruled over an ancient Sumerian society. Some aspects of the plot in The Epic of Gilgamesh are also cited for having similarities with the Book of Genesis in biblical accounts. The story of Gilgamesh is quite rich in elements of symbolism and mythology.
Although the story was discovered several centuries ago, it mostly resonated with the Victorian society. Nevertheless, the story of Gilgamesh is cited for having various omissions and unfamiliar plots. These factors have not prevented the story from becoming a main staple in the modern society. The Epic of Gilgamesh is subdivided into tablets and this coincides with the fact that most of the story was discovered by archeologists in parts. The oral transmissions that are used in The Epic of Gilgamesh are not strange to modern literature because they adhere to several aspects of Greek mythology.
The only difference between The Epic of Gilgamesh and most other literary works of Greek mythology is that Gilgameshs exploits have a viable historical context. Some of the aspects of The Epic of Gilgamesh are eerily comparable to the chronicle of Noah and the Ark as it appears in the Biblical accounts. Consequently, observers have questioned which of the two stories borrowed from the other or whether both accounts are borrowed from an older literary account.
On the other hand, The Iliad is considered to be one of the most complete works of the epic poetry genre. Both The Iliad and The Odyssey are Homers most-known literary works and they are also the most read Greek mythologies. The Iliad is a product of oral literature that was passed down in history by storytellers and other narrators. This method of transmission is different from that of The Epic of Gilgamesh , that was written in tablets. However, the transmission mode is somehow similar to that of a Thousand and One Nights which for a large part was carried down in oral terms until it was finally written. The modern literary world has embraced The Iliad as a classic work of literature and it is the most significant of Greek Mythologies.
For a long time One Thousand and One Nights has been the most significant work of Arabic and Indian origins. Readers are offered a rare insight into the ancient Arabic culture through the One Thousand and One Nights . This collection is also rich in various forms of literature because although most of the book is in prose, some parts feature poetry and music. The main difference between the collection of One Thousand and One Nights and The Epic of Gilgamesh or Homers The Iliad is that the collection was written through the efforts of several writers, translators, and researchers across North Africa and part of India.
Consequently, the One Thousand and One Nights does not reflect the literary styles of a single culture but those of an entire civilization and culture. Most of the stories that are included in One Thousand and One Nights represent the Caliphate era and its peculiar elements. There are diverse genres in the stories that are contained in One Thousand and One Nights . However, most of these stories can be traced back to the ancient Mesopotamian, Arabic, Persian, Egyptian, and Indian literature (Gerhardt 76).
It is important to note that most of the stories that are contained in One Thousand and One Nights are derived from other tales. This development is an effect of oral translations and the fact that translators and writers of One Thousand and One Nights used a framing story to derive the other stories. In the original story, the main characters are Shahryar or the overall ruler, and Scheherazade, the overall rulers wife.
There are striking similarities between both the mythical accounts of Gilgamesh and Homers The Iliad . For instance, the heroes in both stories go through similar experiences of leadership. Gilgamesh the hero is a character who is involved in both physical and mythical exploits. Gilgamesh traverses the worlds of both mortals and spiritual beings (Sandars 4). The hero in Gilgamesh is involved in a number of epic encounters when his situation is compared to that of ordinary Greek mythological main character. However, through Gilgamesh the readers are offered a rare insight into the conflict between death and immortality.
The hero who is presented in The Epic of Gilgamesh has survived through various aspects of the Sumerian civilization. While Gilgamesh existed as early as 2700 B.C, the events surrounding Homers characters happened a few hundred years later. Achilles and Odysseus both interact with readers in human and spiritual fronts. However, their insight into the elements of death and immortality are not as comprehensive and detailed as the ones that are presented through Gilgamesh. Although the exploits of Gilgamesh are presented in forms of tablets, the author is able to highlight recurring themes in these short stories. When the episodes of King Gilgameshs exploits are presented in detail, they reveal the image of a heroic leader who undergoes through several transformations in life. By the end of Gilgameshs journey, the heroic king has reconciled with the rest of the world.
It is important to note that the Kings change in attitude and subsequent enlightenment in The Epic of Gilgamesh comes from the death of his comrade Enkidu. On the other hand, Enkidus character as a conqueror alongside the king does not change throughout the epics episodes. The same pattern is replicated in The Iliad where the character of Achilles follows through a similar path of heroism (Homer 3). Achilles partner is Patroclus, who is a constant factor in the heros exploits, and whose loss changes the perspective of the main character.
Gilgamesh and Achilles are divine rulers in their own right and they are also crossbreeds of gods and mortals. The origins of the two rulers are only mentioned and they are not a major part of these epics. In addition, both heroes have divine abilities to communicate with gods. In the unfolding events of these stories, the heroes fathers (the King of Uruk and the god Thetis) do not play any major roles. On the other hand, the heroes are not preoccupied with romantic attachments and their only allegiances are to their mothers and comrades. The epics also reiterate the need for wisdom and development among these heroes.
Most of the heroes in One Thousand and One Nights follow different paths in their journeys because conquering is often as a result of wit and wisdom, and not divinity. In addition, most Arabian heroes are under the mercy of gods and they are not part of these deities. Nevertheless, the themes of idolatry and obedience to gods are evident in Gilgamesh, Achilles, and Arabs societies. Immortality in most tales of One Thousand and One Nights is closely tied with religious assignments and general wisdom. The kings ability to circumnavigate through challenging and complex life situations is a key component in most ancient epics.
The framing story in One Thousand and One Nights involves a condemned Queen narrating stories to the King with the view of delaying her execution (Mahdi 6). This form of wit is the central premise in most of the consequent stories where characters use wisdom to get out of complex situations. On the other hand, Gilgamesh and Achilles navigate through life using sheer military power and the favor of gods.
The issue of emotion versus reason is addressed in all the three texts. In One Thousand and One Nights , these two aspects are merged to constitute viable solutions to the main characters. Nevertheless, emotions play a vital role in the stories of One Thousand and One Nights because they are used to convey the message of destiny to the readers. Most stories in this collection begin with the main character being confronted by destiny and continue when the main character uses other tools to deal with his/her destiny. In the case of both Achilles and Gilgamesh, reason takes a back seat and it is presided over by the emotions of these main characters. For instance, the temperament of the hero in The Epic of Gilgamesh outlines the direction that is taken by his story. However, in the end Gilgamesh resorts to reason to make conclusions about life and immortality.
Works Cited
Gerhardt, Mia Irene. The Art of Story-Telling: A Literary Study of the Thousand and One Nights, New York: Brill Archive, 1963. Print.
Homer, Unkown. The Iliad-Translated by Robert Fagles, New York: Penguin Books, 1990. Print.
Mahdi, Moses. The thousand and one nights, New York: Brill, 1995. Print.
Sandars, Nancy. The epic of Gilgamesh. Penguin, New York: Penguin Books, 1972. Print.
The legacy of the oldest civilizations is the great contribution of our ancestors to modern life. Culture, science, and technology everything was developed at the highest level. The civilization of the Sumerians, the oldest culture that ever existed on the Earth, appeared around the 4th millennium BC that is evidenced by the data discovered by scientists. Such significant discoveries of the mentioned ethnicity inspired me to create the drawing I called Epic of Gilgamesh King of Uruk . It is difficult to state confidently about the period they lived as the list obtained from the famous cuneiform library of Ashurbanipal, the king of Assyria, refers only to the 7th century BC.
I read the epic telling about the adventures of the legendary founder of Ur city the demigod Gilgamesh and his friend Enkidu. Their campaign against the ruler of the mountains of Lebanon, monster Humbaba, the death of Enkidu, and the journey of Gilgamesh to the land of Siduri motivated me to create this drawing. While there are several pieces of art that portrait Gilgamesh and his journeys, it was my idea to present my own vision of his personality. Therefore, I learned the available literature to imagine the appearance of this character and pondered over his depiction.
Looking through the evidence, I understood that an ancient person had a different life and views compared to a modern individual. Unlike that of us, his world was not divided into terrestrial and divine, and any earthly action affected the strings of the universe and had its own sacredness. Gilgamesh and his contemporaries did not believe in their God or gods as they lived in a world where the gods existed from the beginning of the world and by definition, and this was the first axiom of their being. I would also like to mention the second important characteristic of Gilgamesh that is associated with relationships and attitudes to others. I use the identified piece of art to explore Gilgameshs personality and relations with the world. In my painting, the main hero symbolizes strength, energy, and resoluteness, while two bulls accompanying Gilgamesh support this image.
The epic about Gilgamesh may be called the treasury of the poetry of Mesopotamia that was created by Sumerians and Akkadians thousands of years ago. Some Sumerian songs about Gilgamesh and Enkidu were preserved. They are the other source used by me to create the drawing. Such songs demonstrate the same enemies, for example, Humbaba, guarding the sacred cedars. The key idea of presenting Gilgamesh with two bulls is to show his strength of the character, courage, and power. The greatness of his soul is not in outward manifestations or confrontation with the gods, but in relation to his friend Enkidu. While combating with enemies, Gilgamesh always supported his friend and was fearless. I believe that the epic about Gilgamesh is the greatest anthem in the world literature, which not only contributes to overcoming external obstacles but also transforms them and allows modern people to become closer to the Sumerian civilization.
Then if I fall, I leave behind me a name that endures; men will say of me, Gilgamesh has fallen in fight with ferocious Humbaba.
Context & Explanation
This quote comes from the section of the text titled The Forest Journey. Having befriended Enkidu, Gilgamesh is left wondering about where he should direct his unrivaled energy next. Enkidu is also longing for action, saying that the idleness of the city life oppresses him, and his mighty body loses its strength due to the want of a real challenge. Because of that, Gilgamesh decides to build a marvelous monument to the gods. This is the task worthy of a hero because, in order to acquire the previous cedar logs for the monument, the characters would have to travel to the faraway forest guarded by the dreaded giant Humbaba. Enkidu is not ecstatic about the prospect of meeting such a creature and relays to Gilgamesh what he had heard about Humbaba from his animal friends before becoming civilized. According to him, the giant is not only mighty but also has supernaturally keen senses, and no sane person would willingly risk an encounter with such a terrible foe. This is the point when Gilgamesh says the line quoted at the beginning of the paper.
The particular passage provided above means that Gilgamesh is willing to take risks and face dangers, even as dreadful as the ferocious giant from a faraway land, if it means living a lasting legacy. While he is not oblivious to the possibility of being killed in his intended fight against Humbaba, it does not undermine his decision to embark on the journey in the slightest. Death is certainly undesirable but ultimately inescapable because only gods can live forever. As far as Gilgamesh is concerned, the real question is not whether but how one dies, and dying without being remembered is the fate he would do anything to avoid. Whatever happens, the proud warrior-king of Uruk wants his name to live forever in the annals of history, and his travel to the cedar forest is not a goal in itself but a means to this end. This is what Gilgamesh means by explaining his choice to frightened Enkidu: trading ones life for eternal glory and remembrance is a deal he would take any day over the prospect of living a long yet unremarkable life.
This quote summarizes the primary claim of The Forest Journey section because it essentially explains and encapsulates Gilgameshs motivation at this stage of the epic. The moving force of the plot that leads to the conflict with Humbaba is Gilgameshs determination to earn fame and glory. At this point in the epic, he is not yet at odds with the idea of death itself and accepts his mortality but is already determined to live a noteworthy and heroic life whatever the cost. This is the message that he delivers to Enkidu to raise his friends spirit and invoke the same feeling of heroic derring-do within him. There is no use running from death because it comes for every living creature with only gods being exempt, but a heroic deed or an equally heroic death may ensure that ones memory, if not body, lives on. Hence, this single sentence summarizes Gilgameshs motivation and perspective on life at this particular stage of the plot while relating to the larger theme of mortality that runs through the entire epic.
The epic of Gilgamesh, Homers Illiad, and Vergils Aeneid all reflect the traditional fundamental structures which make them appear quite similar. They are curved around the lives and times of the heroes and present their achievements, follies, strengths, and weaknesses that mark their destiny. In all these epics, there are elements of heroism, tragedy, the theme of suffering, and the device of troubled journeys which are presented as pre-conditions that the heroes must endure before their crowning moments.
The story of Gilgamesh is anchored on his supernatural qualities. He is presented in the epic dimensions that showcase him as partly human and partly as a god. Gilgamesh is a man of immense physical powers and handsome facial attributes. Through these strengths, he manages to establish a kingdom and succeeds in vanquishing most of his earthly enemies with the support of the gods. But his fundamental weakness lies in his disposition towards oppression. He is shown as a brutal and loveless individual and one who is much given to an amorous streak (Mitchell 1). This weakness incurs the wrath of the humans who have to endure a lifetime of torment under Gilgameshs wrath. It is through this brutality that he manages to establish a kingdom that is most synonymous with his levels of earthly glory.
The establishing of a kingdom, in these three epics, appears to be a permanent feature that the authors of these epics have used to create the warrior ethic. This is because Homers Iliad just like Virgils Aeneid is centered on the theme of enthroning. Achilles has to triumph against the Trojans for him to guarantee the safety and permanence of Greece (Leaf 1-6). Aeneid has to battle the storms on the high seas, get shipwrecked, travel great distances, and fight devastating wars for him to finally achieve the dream of establishing Rome.
One other similarity in these epics is the role of women. They are represented as both makers and destroyers of civilization. The plight of Gilgamesh is captured in his weakness and lust for women. Many times prostitutes and young women are used to ensnaring him towards failure, (Leaf 480-482). But on the contrary Achilles wife and his goddess mother are brought out as the reservoirs of strength that he repeatedly falls onto in times of trouble. For instance, his mother manages to convince the gods to make some fresh amour for Achilles after he loses them in time of battle. These contradictions in the character of women are similar to the modern conception of feminine power which is variously brought out as both positive and negative.
Another similarity that strengthens the warrior ethic is captured in the pursuit of a single goal or a rare find. This single pursuit most often seems to be elusive so that the process of search also becomes the making of the hero. In the Iliad, this one goal lies in the slaying of Hector who cuts the image of a lifelong tormentor of the Greeks. His survival means their doom, and therefore their prosperity is entirely dependent on his demise. It, therefore, becomes the role of the hero, in this case, Achilles, to slay him and by so doing mark his moment, and mission of glory.
In Virgils Aeneid, the hero-making process is centered on the goal of establishing Rome. This process involved prophesies intervention of the gods, wars, and strenuous and adventurous travel, (Ganiban 1-7). The final hour comes when Aeneid manages to slay his archrival and actualize the mission of establishing a city, which is both metaphorical and literal. Gilgameshs lifetime dream is to discover the secret of immortality. He engages in all forms of paranormal encounters as he tries to find the one substance that might give him the guarantee of immortality. In the end, however, fails in his mission and has to contend with the brevity of life and the passage of seasons.
These searches are used in the epics to bring out the sense of immortality in humans and the futility of pursuing things beyond the physical realities. These three epics in a sense bring out the limits of human experience, human power, and the vanity of striving to exist beyond the natural boundaries of man. The heroes in these epics are represented in god-like forms and as characters that can dialogue with god as they wish. The relationship between the gods and the humans is equally problematic especially in the sense in which the gods are portrayed as falling below the glory and becoming subject to some earthly appetites of love, lust, and more.
Through these epics, the reader gets a rare glimpse into the historical developments of the societies where these epics are set. The values, mores, superstitions and, cultural beliefs are represented in the discourse of the main character. The heroes in these fictional settings are made to represent the actual idealized forms of realities as lived through the actual settings of these epics. The heroes in these epics evoke and perpetuate the hopes and aspirations of the people represented in the epics. Achilles for instance evokes the virtues of courage, love, and romance as it was desired in the lives of the people of Greece in the time setting of the Iliad.
In contrast, the villains are made to capture the fears, and challenges of the societies represented by these epics. The exploits of the villains are metaphorical representations of the enduring of evil and immense efforts that ancient civilizations invested in ridding the systems of these forces. This way these epics become a form of celebrating the epic heritage of a people are represented in the heroic expeditions of their past heroes. The character of Hector in the Iliad represents the forces that stood against the forces of nationhood and stability. The authorial development of the character of Hector is one way through which hyperbole and contrast achieve the mission of creating the protagonists in the poem.
The import of these three epics lies in their historicism. They are stylistically created to align with the genealogy of civilizations. The making of the Roman Empire, the development of the ancient Greek culture, and the spread of cultures around the world are all captured within the substance of these epics. The plot is most cases linear so that it vibrates directly with the progressive passage of time. The flow of the poems is also made to resonate with a lyrical flow which evokes a kind of narration to the reader. There is therefore the feeling that the historical aspect of civilizations, the exploration of cultures and values, is being let out in an ordered sequence. It is these similarities that tie the three epics of Iliad, Aeneid, and Gilgamesh as superstructures that unearth the histories, cultures, and values of these generations.
Works Cited
Ganiban, Randall. Virgil: Aeneid, Book 1. New York: Focus Publishing, 2009.
Leaf, Walter. Homer, the Iliad. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, Vol2, 2010.
Mitchell, Stephen. Gilgamesh: A New English Version. New York: Simon and Schuster, 2006.
The main purpose of the Gilgamesh myth is to illustrate the weakness of man in the face of destiny. This is particularly presented by the vision of the underworld as presented by Enkidu from one of his dreams. Enkidu describes the underworld as a very dark place where the people are clad in feathers and feed on clay (Cunningham and Reich 7).
By the time this dream appears in the story, the reader is already aware Enkidu is bound to die, but one reads on hoping that Enkidu would somehow find a loophole that would take him away from going to the underworld as predicted by the dream.
The epic of Gilgamesh does not make death less frightening in comparison to the overwhelming nature of life. The afterlife as described by Enkidu is just an unsettling existence that no human being would like to live. In actual sense, it makes death even scarier especially drawing from the words of Enkidu while on his demise bed. Enkidu tries to find a scapegoat by blaming the lady Shamhat for his own shortcomings in his pre-death premonition.
He is basically trying to make amends with his creator so that he does not have to go to the underworld he had seen in an earlier vision. His disappointment at dying a weak mans death is evident from the story and one would be tempted to blame him for not responding to earlier challenges adequately. As a reader, it is easy to picture ones self in Enkidus shoes and suffer the same anguish he does of having to die young without accomplishing much.
Having hitherto lived a very active life, it is easy to understand why Enkidu does not anticipate having to die such a slow death and then have to go to a harrowing afterlife. It makes it harder for the readers to appreciate the fact that they have to die someday and it is even frightening to think of how one would lose his life.
The death dream definitely makes the journey tougher for Gilgamesh. As a young man, Gilgamesh is one individual who has become acquainted with using his own might to get out of challenging situations. He cannot help feel some deep anguish over the fate that is going to befall his friend over a mistake that they both took part in. Gilgameshs sorrow continues even after Enkidus death and seeing how terrifying it is to lose ones life, he goes on a journey to find a way of acquiring immortality for him and the rest of the human race.
The test by Utnapishtim is supposed to illustrate the desire by mankind to have all the good things in life even though they lack the personal willpower to obtain some favors.
Gilgamesh wants to live forever so much that he agrees to partake in the test without as much as a second thought and only realizes the impact of human weakness when he fails it almost immediately. Even when he gets a second chance at immortality, Gilgamesh once again exhibits the lack of focus by man when he decides to go for a bath leaving the flower of life for the serpent to take.
It would have been appropriate for Gilgamesh to complete search for eternal life and then go for the simple pleasure offered by a bath but the inherent manly greed in him makes him want to have it all. He consequently loses the opportunity to live forever both for him and the rest of people in the world.
Works Cited
Cunningham, Lawrence & John Reich. Culture and Values: A Survey of the Humanities. Connecticut: Cengage Learning, 2009. Print.