Epic of Gilgamesh Essay Example for Free

Epic of Gilgamesh Essay In the epic of Gilgamesh, Gilgamesh ventures upon a quest seeking immortality as a result to peace and significance in life. In means of this journey, Gilgamesh undergoes a combination of grand adventure, of mortality and also of tragedy. He tries to reach immortality in unusual ways, each as unsuccessful as its predecessor. Gilgamesh suffers conflict due to being two-part god and one part man, in a preliterate time, when gods were seemingly to be replaced by mortals on the throne of the city-states. Gilgamesh tries first through his actions, but then undergoes a transformation which leads him to next attempt physical immortality. Through events of this process, Gilgamesh encounters whom is to be his counterpoint, his equal. Gilgamesh then learns, on his journey to immortality, the truth of a man who endures the wrath of a god, in which he has displeased, causing a stage of extermination of mankind. Gilgamesh gains mature knowledge among his quest. Uruk, his city, is his legacy and the key to his quest. The legends of the pursuit for immortality assembled in the Epic of Gilgamesh portray the conflict felt around Sumerian times. As urbanization swept Mesopotamia, the ethnic condition pivoted from an unsettled hunting society to that of a rural gathering society. Man found his relationship with the divine indefinite and insecure. From the gods, Gilgamesh possessed a perfect body, perfect beauty, restlessness and courage. From his father, Gilgamesh possessed mortality. This results in Gilgamesh having to face the ultimate conflict; conflict of the desires of the god and destiny of the man. Even the king, to whom all things were known, would have to confront commands of tragedy. Superior to all mortal, Gilgamesh finds no desirable match in love or in war. Intending to provide a companion, the gods create from Clay, Enkidu. â€Å"Enkidu, the ‘natural man’ reared with wild animals, and as swift as the gazelle† (Gilgamesh, 22). Gilgamesh and Enkidu seemed to equal out each other and quickly became partners. Gilgamesh was made by the gods so therefore has high self confidence, very smart, but extremely arrogant. He felt as if he had â€Å"supreme powers† and that nothing was impossible. Enkidu was raised by animals in the forest. He was brave, smart, and loyal to his new friend. Enkidu helped Gilgamesh discover his humble and kindhearted side by their newfound brotherhood. Even though the first time they met was a long brawl, the two became inseparable brothers. Not only have they fought against each other but they also fought against many other evils. This later concludes in Enkidu’s death and brings Gilgamesh into a sadness he thought he could only overcome if he was immortal. My hand’s strength, the sword in my belt, The shield before me† (Gilgamesh, 62), reveals the nature of Gilgamesh’s relationship with his soul mate, best friend, and loyal companion, Endiku. The gods in Gilgameshs epic are bestowed as being easily agitated and vindictive. Being two-thirds a god himself, Gilgamesh acts of defiance also speak to a bitter aspect of the gods among ancient Mesopotamians. The gods are depicted as being challenging to satisfy, sometimes penalizing without account or granting punishments that seem out of equivalence to violation. Both men face consequence by insulting Ishtar, but Gilgamesh is able to face his own mortality and Enkidu discover s great knowledge of the measure of life. Subsequently, the loss of Enkidu, Gilgamesh’s young brother and dear friend landed Gilgamesh in a pit of despair. His equal companion has been overtaken by mortality. On his journey in search of immortality, caused by this fear of death, brought him to Utnapishtim. The man who was blessed with everlasting life after surviving the great flood. Aroused by the outrageousness, Enlil, the god of air, felt, â€Å"In those days the world teemed, the people multiplied and the world bellowed like a wild bull†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"The uproar of mankind is intolerable and sleep is no longer possible by reason of the babel† (Gilgamesh, 70). As the advocate of destruction towards human kind, Enlil dominates with his weapon of storm. To his care, Anunnaki, gods of the underworld, cast upon rising waters by lightening. A great flood that will exterminate all mankind has been cursed upon Utnapishtim. â€Å"I looked at the face of the world and there was silence, all mankind was turned to clay† (Gilgamesh, 71). Similar to Noah’s ark, like doves, a swallow and a raven were released. After land was promised, fed to the gods are sacrifices made by Noah and Utnapishtim. In turn, everlasting blessings were cast upon themselves and their families. Utnapishtim challenged Gilgamesh’s commitment to immortality by ordering Gilgamesh to prevail against sleep for six days and seven nights. Gilgamesh fails this request. This journey underscores his humanity, which he did not truly learn a lesson until he first erred in the wrong direction. Therefore, the society, by writing the story of Gilgamesh, guarantees not only his immortality, but the immortality of the new order being established. The Sumerians were the beginning literate culture of Mesopotamia. They carried the gift of language and ideas. In a time when gods were replaced by mortals, Archaic Sumerian civilization was the age. From the oldest of the tablets from Gilgamesh, language relates back to the one of the Sumerians. Through Gilgamesh’s desperate seek to find immortality, he eventually comes back to the point at which he began; however, now he realizes that the beginning point was always the object of his quest.