How Did Gilgamesh Change After Enkidu's Death

Published works of art are always found to have similarities with other published pieces. Whether they may be visual or audio, one is bound to find similarities that match their criteria of misery or happiness. This paper is about the similarities found in Mulan that relate to and are applicable to Gilgamesh. The story of Mulan is originally a Ballad. Published by an anonymous author, people assume that Mulan lived in the Northern Wei (386- 534) in the Northern Dynasties Period (386- 581) C.E. in China. Mulan is a girl that grew up in Ancient China. She took it upon herself to disguise herself as a man, and take her father's position in the army due to his advancement of age and fragility. She is accepted into the military as a male warrior.

Gilgamesh and David are presented as the best kings, but their reigns are also marked by serious personal failures. What does the relationship between the kings’ successes and failures show us about kingship?

“Gilgamesh went abroad in the world, but he met with none who could withstand his arms till be came to Uruk. But the men of Uruk muttered in their houses, ‘Gilgamesh sounds the tocsin for his amusement, his arrogance has no bounds by day or night.” As Gilgamesh first reached Uruk. The men of Uruk gossip and did not trust Gilgamesh. Even though The power of Gilgamesh could be a danger to Uruk, Gilgamesh had power and was wise because the gods made him two-thirds god and one-third man. With the power Gilgamesh had. The people of Uruk were frightened.

Written by Sumerians on clay tablets thousands of years ago, The Epic of Gilgamesh has been a window for the modern world to see the thoughts and beliefs of these ancient people. The epic’s main characters include Gilgamesh, the arrogant, half-man, half-god king of Uruk, and Enkidu, a wild beast of a man created by the gods to be Gilgamesh’s opposite and eventual friend. Because the gods control all of the things that happen to humans in the epic, they often revere the gods out of fear alone. However, Enkidu displays several acts of disobedience and trickery toward the gods, which mark him as the least religious character. Through these acts of rebellion toward the gods, tricking of the gods, and the throwing of the Bull of Heaven’s leg at

The characters of Gilgamesh and Job are heroes in the sense that they sacrifice their own well beings for the good of society. Both characters help contribute to the epic tales that were passed down from generation to generation and gave members of society a sense of understanding especially when it comes to death.

Great leaders embody a paradox. They develop strength and wisdom through failure and ignorance. The activist Gandhi recognizes this contradiction, noting that both strength and weakness and wisdom and folly are close companions: “it is unwise to be too sure of one’s own wisdom. It is healthy to be reminded that the strongest might weaken and the wisest might err.” Gilgamesh proves this truth in The Epic of Gilgamesh, translated by Herbert Mason. In this tale, a godly man, Gilgamesh, develops a friendship with beast-turned-man, Enkidu, who begins to teach Gilgamesh about the world and helps him to grapple with challenges. After one challenge in particular, a battle with the giant Humbaba, Enkidu dies abruptly, leaving Gilgamesh alone again, and forcing him to overcome adversities by himself. Gilgamesh is initially despondent, but these adversities eventually give him the strength to grow in wisdom and appreciation. Gilgamesh flourishes from his failures because he can finally understand the meanings of life and death, accept

Civilization means to develop in society, to grow towards a higher advancement. In The Epic of Gilgamesh, N.K. Sanders, the main character Gilgamesh goes on many journeys with his friend or brother Enkidu. Throughout the book Gilgamesh and Enkidu go through stages, or transitions that change who they are mentally and physically. They both change in the end, but Gilgamesh change is more mentally than physically. Gilgamesh’s transition from the way he acted before Enkidu and after Enkidu, Enkidu’s transition from having more of an animalistic nature to becoming a more civilized being, and

In essence, many of Mesopotamia’s tales focus on Gilgamesh’s epic. The Epic of Gilgamesh is a poem that portrays Gilgamesh’s journey, and ultimate aspiration for immortality despite the inevitability of death. The poem reveals his quest for a purpose and identity, which in turn can be perceived from many different aspects, ultimately molding his character in the epic. He perceives himself as two-thirds divine and one third man at the start of the tale, and progressively gains wisdom on his quest to conquer his aspirations of immortality, until he comes face to face with reality. His state of mind at the beginning of the epic, along with how it changes and matures, reveals the true heroes and villains of the story.

Gilgamesh is Two-Thirds god and One-Third Man. Gilgamesh is also the ruler of Uruk. He was a bad king since he Took advantage of his subjects so they prayed to Anu “his arrogance has no bounds…” and “His lust leaves no virgin to her lover…”. So Anu sent down Enkidu (Gilgamesh's best friend) to balance out Gilgamesh. After Gilgamesh and Enkidu kill the bull of heaven the gods kill Enkidu with a sickness making Gilgamesh set out on his quest for eternal life.

In comparison, it’s always observed on how different scholars find the similarity of especially marital settings, characters, and as well as the wanderings of the mythological world. Different events within the life of these characters cover broadly a huge range of epic encounters that are heroic. The character, emotional and psychological development of Gilgamesh can be borrowed especially from the ancient heroic perspectives of mortality and death while comparing with Achilles. Mesopotamian civilization has had several phases in which hero Gilgamesh has been in existence, however having similar attributes. One of the earliest stories of Gilgamesh is developed from Sumerian texts, one of the most influential and well-known poems (Michelakis & Pantelis 2007).

Cole and Ortega’s The Thinking Past is a book that covers the history of humans and civilization. The authors cover the transition of humans from a hunter-gatherer life into a sedentary life, forming the civilizations we know today. This transition can be witnessed through the character, Enkidu, in The Epic of Gilgamesh. Enkidu—a glorified forager—is created by the gods to keep the King of Uruk, Gilgamesh, in check. Enkidu is forced into civilization after being disowned by nature for sleeping with Shamhat. We see him transformed from a wild beast into a civilized person. As we follow Enkidu’s transformation, we see how he changes for the better, but also experiences some downfalls. The transition was not smooth, it took time to fully adjust, and although there are many disadvantages of leaving the hunter-gatherer lifestyle, the benefits made it worthwhile. Through Enkidu’s exposure to Gilgamesh, he changes from a human that lives among nature, to this great warrior that is willing to kill beasts for no other reason, but glory.

Gilgamesh and Enkidu from the start were bound to each other from their creation by the gods. To understand more you must learn of their similarity, difference and their experiences that take you to Enkidu’s death. From our reading assignments, I would like to have explored more past Enkidu’s death to learn more of how Gilgamesh had reacted. Each of our heroes brings much ado to the reality of friendship, love, and expression of men during their time.

In the introduction, when Mitchell assesses the comparisons and differences between Gilgamesh and Enkidu, he states that Enkidu “is also Gilgamesh’s opposite and mirror image: two-thirds animal to Gilgamesh’s two-thirds divine. These animal qualities are actually much more attractive than divine ones. Where Gilgamesh is arrogant, Enkidu is childlike; where Gilgamesh is violent, Enkidu is peaceful...” (Mitchell, 11). The description of comparing these two characters to an “animal” and a “god” seemed counterintuitive to me because, when I think of an animal, I think of it as wild, untamed, free. For a god, I usually tend to think of a divine higher being who is moral and righteous. Their alternate personality traits stated in the intro, steer away from the general thought process of an “animal” or a “god,” which shows that, before both characters even meet, they are already like

He completes his goal to be remembered in the minds of his people through his slaying of Humbaba and the Bull of Heaven. But, he loses his close companion Enkidu and his chance at a restored youth. He goes from being someone who throws his weight around and uses his strength to take what he wants to someone who is respected and revered as a hero by the people of his town. However, I do not see him to be a hero. Yes, he changes for the better and completes heroic acts along the way, but many things he does are done to help improve his reputation or used to show off. He is unwilling to admit a weakness, not acknowledging fear until facing the monster. But, Gilgamesh does have moments of selflessness. He completes what Campbell would call the hero's journey and comes out a better person. However, I do not find enough of the qualities that I look for in a hero in Gilgamesh. I find his motives to be selfish at their core. I cannot call him a

Gilgamesh is an epic that has been passed down for thousands of years. The epic narrates the legendary deeds of the main character Gilgamesh. Gilgamesh is two-thirds immortal and one-third mortal; however, he cannot accept his fate that one day he too will die. The entire epic tells the story of Gilgamesh’s life and searche for immortality. Through his many trials and tribulations, Gilgamesh proves that he has great physical strength. However, throughout the epic Gilgamesh also shows he is emotionally unstable and immature.