Analysis Of The Epic Of Gilgamesh - 1596 Words

Christina Moore July 23, 2015 In the verse narrative The Epic of Gilgamesh the principal character Gilgamesh, King of Uruk, is described as a being that is two-thirds god and one-third man. Gilgamesh is a hero/protagonist who exhibits many more human features than divine features. This makes him a flawed hero because all humans are flawed. The Epic of Gilgamesh is the same type of story that is seen in the Old Testament. The story itself was found on stone tablets, written in the same time period as many of the Old Testament stories. It features a similar setup with Gilgamesh being the primary character in the same way that Noah, Abraham and Noah are featured in the bible. Bible characters are portrayed as having flaws and being†¦show more content†¦He is described as doing whatever he wants. â€Å"The people suffer from his tyranny, the people cry out that he takes the son from his father and crushes him, takes the girl from her mother and uses her, the warrior’s daughter, the you ng man’s bride, he uses her, no one dares to oppose him† [Mitchell p.72]. Gilgamesh was able to rationalize this behavior because he was bigger and stronger than most of the men but more likely because he was providing protection for all the people in his kingdom. It does not appear that Gilgamesh had any conscience or morality when he was oppressing his subjects. As Gilgamesh was engaging in his poor behavior, his subjects prayed to the gods to help them. The gods responded by sending Enkidu, similar to Gilgamesh in physical strength but different in that he acted more like a wild animal, to counter Gilgamesh’s poor behavior. Enkidu is initially civilized by a woman who seduces him and enters civilized society because of his encounter with her. Gilgamesh meets Enkidu in Uruk when Gilgamesh was trying to force himself on a woman. Enkidu and Gilgamesh confront each other and have a huge fight. Ultimately Gilgamesh wins the fight but finds some respect and admirati on for Enkidu and the two of them become very close friends. Again, this is more of a human response. Generally, competitors have a high opinion of people who compete with them and Gilgamesh