Exile of Gilgamesh and Shakespeare’s Prospero

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The Importance of Exile Experienced by Gilgamesh and Prospero

The theme of exile can be examined with references to many literary works that can differ dramatically in terms of their genre, style, and historical period. This paper focuses on discussing The Epic of Gilgamesh which was created in ancient Mesopotamia. Furthermore, it is necessary to concentrate on William Shakespeare’s play The Tempest. The theme of exile and inner struggle is presented in the works in different ways. Thus, Gilgamesh cannot accept the fact that he is a mortal human who has many limitations such as the lack of courage or sense of justice. In his turn, Prospero is deprived of an opportunity to rule other people, and this loss is unbearable for him. However, both the characters become enriched because of their ‘journey’. For instance, Gilgamesh reconciles himself with his mortality and learns how to become a better king, and Prospero understands the value of forgiving and empathy. The authors of these famous texts show in detail how the main characters Gilgamesh and Prospero struggle with the sense of alienation because of their exile, but overcoming this challenging experience, the characters develop their personalities and enrich spirituality. This point of view can be illustrated by examining the characters’ feelings of loss and their evolution, and these main aspects should be discussed more closely.

Exile is discussed by many people as a traumatic experience that also influences Prospero and Gilgamesh significantly. For instance, Gilgamesh becomes alienated from the other people at the time when he becomes aware of his mortality. In this situation, he understands that “he was no more a king, but just a man who now had lost his way” (Mason 54). This character is extremely afraid of his mortality because it reveals many of his weaknesses and provides a lot of limitations such as his intemperance and lack of fortitude. That is why Gilgamesh starts his quest for immortality. In his turn, Prospero, who is accustomed to being a ruler, is forced to live on an island where his power proves to be virtually useless. That is why the character appears to be a despotic person who can use coercion to make Ariel and Caliban obey his commands. This behavior is his initial response to the loss. Therefore, the exile profoundly affects the life of the main characters, and it reveals some of their worst qualities. Thus, it is critical to explain how they eventually cope with these difficulties.

Nevertheless, both the characters have to take a new look at their inner world and their qualities and attributes in the course of their exile. In particular, Gilgamesh gradually discovers that immortality may not bring some happiness to him. One of the main events discussed in the work is his encounter with the goddess Siduri who reminds him that many earthly pleasures can make life more enjoyable (Mason 62; Jarman 330). This goddess focuses on many values that are established and followed in ancient Mesopotamia (Jarman 330). Additionally, Prospero has to reconsider his values when his daughter Miranda falls in love with Ferdinand. Her behavior makes him remember that a person cannot be driven only by vengeance or will for power because this behavior is mostly self-destructive. To a great extent, these events make the protagonists understand that their previous existence and views were not complete. Thus, it is necessary to demonstrate these protagonists’ process of evolving in detail.

It is also important to examine the transformation of the main characters and how exile can enrich their inner world. From this point, Gilgamesh succeeds to understand that his mortality is a powerful stimulus for acquiring or developing better qualities. In particular, he acquires such virtues as temperance, sense of justice, and fortitude. These qualities are some of the virtues that could be valued by the anonymous author of this epic poem because of the cultural and moral heritage (Jarman 330). These virtues helped the protagonist become a better king. Furthermore, one should look at the transformation of Prospero. The readers of Shakespeare’s play can see that Prospero is not only a vindictive despot who cares only about his power. The narrative of this play indicates that he can forgive his enemies and accept the opinions and decisions presented by the others. To a great extent, these changes are the results of the exile experienced by Gilgamesh and Prospero.

The discussed situations of Gilgamesh and Prospero’s experiences support the idea that the difficulties encountered by the main characters not only make them struggle but also enrich the inner world of these people. These individuals have to live in a specific environment in which they lose something that they value greatly. For instance, Prospero is deprived of his power, and Gilgamesh understands that he is not comparable to immortal gods. Nevertheless, these characters eventually become enriched because they develop inner virtues that they did not possess in the past. The evolution of the protagonists should be emphasized because it can throw light on the value systems existing during different historical periods. On the whole, these literary works demonstrate that the experience of exile can assist a person in rediscovering his or her identity. Thus, the changes undergone by the protagonists throw light on the qualities and values that were of great priority for the authors and definite periods.

Works Cited

Jarman, Mark. “When the Light Came On: The Epic of Gilgamesh”. Hudson Review 58.2 (2005): 329-334. Print.

Mason, Herbert. Gilgamesh: A Verse Narrative. New York: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2003. Print.

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Exile of Gilgamesh and Shakespeare’s Prospero

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