The Friendship of Gilgamesh and Enkidu Essay - 778 Words

The Epic of Gilgamesh is a historic story of the king of Uruk, Gilgamesh. The story depicts the short lived friendship of Gilgamesh and Enkidu. The story begins as Shamat the harlot seduces Enkidu and convinces him to go to the city of Uruk and meet Gilgamesh. From that moment on, the two were very close. They planned a trip to the forest of cedars to defeat the monster known as Humbaba so that Gilgamesh could show his power to the citizens of Uruk. However, Enkidu tried â€Å"vainly to dissuade† (18) Gilgamesh in going to the forest. Despite Enkidu’s plead, the two continued on their voyage to the forest where Humbaba lives. Once they arrived, they found the monster and killed him. They cut down trees, â€Å"then Enkidu builds a gigantic†¦show more content†¦Utanapishtim himself is living an eternal life. He sets off on this journey with the death of his close friend Enkidu still weighing heavily upon him. On his quest to search for this form of unreachable eternal life, Gilgamesh learned some lessons. Utanapishtim gives him some good advice about death and how â€Å"no one sees death, no one sees the face of death, no one [hears] the voice of death, but cruel death cuts off mankind.† (82) Utsanapishtim goes on to state, â€Å"they did not reveal the time of death.† (83) Gilgamesh is given a challenge to see if he was worthy enough of eternal life. The challenge was to stay awake for several days without an ounce of sleep; if he couldn’t pass this challenge then he couldn’t expect to live forever. Unfortunately Gilgamesh fails the task by sleeping the entire week. Utsanapishtim gives his a rejuvenation plant in his last will to help Gilgamesh. However, the plant is taken away by a snake. Gilgamesh ultimately gives up at this point; â€Å"for myself I have obtained no benefit.† (95) Gilgamesh ends his journey to see Utanapishtim on a bad note. He finally faces the fact that he cannot live forever. Instead of running from the inevitable like he has been doing, he has to face his fear of death. After all of his attempts, he fails miserably and decides to go back to Uruk. The significance ofShow MoreRelatedGilgamesh And Enkidu s Friendship1897 Words   |  8 PagesGilgamesh and Enkidu’s Friendship In the Epic of Gilgamesh, friendship is a strong theme that drives the story. The bond that Gilgamesh and Enkidu develop throughout the myth is a bond similar to that of brothers. Gilgamesh was fearless, but arrogant and Enkidu was created by the gods specifically to keep the legacy crazed Gilgamesh in check and to teach him humility; Enkidu becomes his conscience of sorts. Gilgamesh was oppressing the people of Uruk and Enkidu and needed to put a stop to it by confrontingRead MoreThe Epic Of Gilgamesh : Gilgamesh1013 Words   |  5 Pages Gilgamesh in 2015 Even though the epic Gilgamesh is thousands of years old, it is still read today. Why would the era of technology read an epic this old? This is because the themes in Gilgamesh are still relevant. In addition, the themes are experiences that Gilgamesh went through in his life period, and serve as lessons for the current readers. Gilgamesh’s themes include journey, legacy, love, and death. These themes make Gilgamesh a vital reading for the 21st century citizens because peopleRead MoreEssay about Friendship Theme in Gilgamesh970 Words   |  4 PagesFriendship Theme in Gilgamesh True friendship is egalitarian. Everything is shared, loyalty to the friendship is equal, and the basis of the camaraderie is wholly altruistic. The friendship between the king Gilgamesh and the man of the steppe, Enkidu, was not a true and equal friendship. Loyalties and sacrifices to that friendship were disproportionate. Friendship is conveyed in more than one way in Gilgamesh. The companionship between Enkidu and the animals of the steppe is the first exampleRead MoreEpic Of Gilphash Essay : The Epic Of Gilgamesh1043 Words   |  5 PagesThe Epic of Gilgamesh is an epic poem from ancient Mesopotamia and the poem was originally written on twelve clay tablets. An epic is a extended narrative poem centered on either a larger than life hero or a heroine that’s written in a dignified way. An epic usually has it where the hero is in search for either immortality, gods, or other supernatural creatures while delivering an impactful message. The Epic of Gilgamesh is called an epic because the poem has all of the characteristics of a traditionalRead MoreGilgamesh And The Epic Of Gilgamesh988 Words   |  4 PagesThe maturation of Gilgamesh and his desire to acquire wisdom throughout his journey is quite apparent. By overcoming difficulties such as upholding Uruk, becoming friends with Enkidu, and var ious other scenarios, Gilgamesh proves that he did in fact grow up throughout the epic. As the epic starts, Gilgamesh is portrayed as a self-centered, self-admiring leader who believes that he is the only individual that can lead the city of Uruk. Gilgamesh believes that he is a god-like figure and often refersRead MoreExamples Of Character Development In The Epic Of Gilgamesh1541 Words   |  7 Pagesancient Mesopotamia epic poem â€Å" The Epic of Gilgamesh†. There is no known author for this work, however, it is often known as the earliest surviving great works of literature. It’s not called â€Å"The Epic of Gilgamesh† for nothing, Gilgamesh is shown in almost every part of the Poem. Him being the protagonist, really shows us, the audience, how much his character grew. In â€Å"The Epic of Gilgamesh† there are three significant events that show the growth that Gilgamesh goes under throughout the epic poem. Read MoreAnalysis Of The Epic Of Gilgamesh 1449 Words   |  6 PagesEpic of Gilgamesh, Gilgamesh is a bully king who frightens an d annoys the people of Uruk. After the gathering with Enkidu and becoming his friend does Gilgamesh transform, into a hero worthy of history. The brotherly or â€Å"bromantic† ( considering the questionable relationship they have) love the two have for each other helps Gilgamesh become an better leader to his people by permitting him to better understand and identify with them. Even though the myth of Gilgamesh is very ancient, friendship and deathRead MoreThe Epic of Gilgamesh Essay1245 Words   |  5 Pagescreatures, scorning a goddess, and traveling to fantastical places, lies the narrative of a profound friendship between two men. In The Epic of Gilgamesh, an ancient Mesopotamian literary masterpiece, all of its events are centered around the development of the friendship between Gilgamesh, the tyrannical and stubborn king of Uruk, and the man created by the Gods to both complement and challenge his nature: Enkidu. Each of the three dream sequences in the epic represent different stages of Enkidu’s life –Read MoreGilgamesh : The Epic Of Gilgamesh1194 Words   |  5 Pages The Epic of Gilgamesh is a Mesopotamian epic poem loosely based on a real king who ruled sometime around 2700 BCE. The standard version of this epic was written in the Akkadian language. In this epic poem, Gilgamesh is King of Uruk, he is one third mortal and two-thirds god; he is described as a strong, arrogant, and unruly king that does not show much consideration for his actions. Gilgamesh is a very egocentric person; he has no respect for the feelings of others and does not care about howRead MoreSimilarities Between Gilgamesh And Enkidu1178 Words   |  5 PagesCedric Harper World-lit Dr. Clark Gilgamesh and Enkidu In the epic of gilgamesh, Gilgamesh is a man and a God. He built high walls and had orchid fields around his city. He also wasn’t respectful. He touched women whenever he wanted to, He never gave his servants any type of love. Enkidu is a man who was created to tame gilgamesh. He was created by the Gods. The Gods wanted to tame him so they sent an equal power which was enkidu. A wild man who becomes Gilgamesh s best friend. After being visited