Themes In The Story Of Gilgamesh

Literary devices are very crucial techniques to an author’s writings because it allows the author to get their message across to the reader in a very powerful way. Some examples of literary devices that allow the author to convey their message in a powerful way to the audience are imagery, tone, and anaphora just to name a few. In Margaret Atwood’s poem “Siren Song,” these literary devices are what make up the foundation of this writing and really allows her poem to almost seem as if it were happening in real life. This poem is about the Sirens from Greek Mythology and how their song would cause sailors to go mad and jump overboard where they would never be seen again. Atwood does a fantastic job at using these literary devices to allow the reader to not only be able to comprehend the poem, but to make them feel as if they are in the poem itself.

There are two biggest themes are friendship and definition of life. Before the journey began, Gilgamesh is a tyrant, and he is the most powerful and wise of all Uruk. Nobody can ever match his potential as he was a demigod. However, everything changes when Enkidu comes, Gilgamesh has to change his way of life and for that, the great story began. The first time Enkidu and Gilgamesh cross path end in a fight.

David Ferry, in his translation of The Epic of Gilgamesh explores the idea of change and how it affects people. Gilgamesh faces many challenges such as having to fight the Bull of Heaven, defeating Huwawa, suffering through his own friend’s death, and then eventually facing the ultimate test of seeking immortality. Through these journeys, Gilgamesh meets many new people, including himself. Interactions between people often teach one new lessons they would not have otherwise learned if they had not made those encounters before. Even before this, Utnapishtim offers Gilgamesh any reward he wants for making the long and perilous journey for immortality.

Symbolism in general is the building blocks to all sources of literature and can shape a piece of writing in many ways. Symbols in general can portray what something or someone represents, giving a deeper and metaphorical meaning to a symbol. Symbolism is often used within poetry, literature, music, or even art. This is how an author conveys a different meaning to the audience. For example artists may use the color “red” not only because of the color theory, but to convey love, passion, and maybe even health.

No matter who a person is, everyone has both good and bad qualities. The book “The Epic of Gilgamesh” by Benjamin Foster contains characters who portray these moral and corrupt qualities in which affect their fate in future journeys throughout their lifetime. To be specific, Gilgamesh and Enkidu are the main characters who seemed to hold heroic qualities, and weaknesses. To begin with, Gilgamesh was known to be a hero in the story because he was loyal and he persevered through a lot of hardships including the battle with Humbaba. The story reads “In the enclosure of Uruk he strode back and forth / Lording it like a wild bull, his head thrust high.”

Ambition can drive almost anyone to do things that their consciences normally would not let them do. For this tragic hero, ambition is his folly. Macbeth’s ambition causes him to be susceptible to outsides influences, overrides his conscience and ultimately brings his destruction. Macbeth’s actions have a profound effect on his character for the rest of the play.

It is evident from the beginning of the poem that Beowulf is meant to be the hero. He is strong, brave, and courageous but is also boastful and seeks only fame and glory. These characteristics are examples of things that could be related to hyper masculinity and are not necessarily desired in a hero today. In the quote “They have seen my strength for themselves, Have watched me rise from the darkness of war, Dripping with my enemies' blood. I drove Five great giants into chains, chased All of that race from the earth.

Always encountering success, Gilgamesh was once a tyrant to his people. Reflecting on his rule, he recalls that, “He demanded from an old birthright/the privilege of sleeping with their brides” (15). His triumphs fostered arrogance. To him, everyone else paled in comparison. When he experiences defeat, however, Gilgamesh grows as a leader, seeing the similarities between him and his subjects, their common humanity.

One outstanding interpretation of both is their willingness to change. Indeed, change does not come easily. Their ability to change is slightly affected by secondary characters such as the following: Enkidu in Gilgamesh, and Mulan's father deteriorating health. This change drives both characters to become completely different, as each of them brings honor to their villages separately. As is described by Mitchell, “The city is his possession, he struts through it, arrogant, his head raised high, trampling its citizens like a wild bull” (72).

Flashbacks are a great story telling device mostly used in narratives, such as the epic. It's almost a hand and glove fit in this story while adding depth to the story and a more intricate background. Flashbacks also draw the reader in and make story more interesting, and provide a better overall understanding of what's taking place as it takes you back in time. In “Gilgamesh” the example of a flashback that is used is the Story of the Flood.

An epic poem is a long narrative poem that is usually about heroic deeds and events that are significant to the culture of the poet. The epic hero is the central figure that reflects the values and heroic ideals of a particular society. Beowulf and Odysseus have qualities that are both similar and very different. The major and most obvious similarity is that they are both heroes. These classic epic stories are about two men and what they went through to achieve fame and glory.

The epic poem “Epic of Gilgamesh” is about a hero’s journey. First, one should know that Gilgamesh was once a selfish king that ruled over Uruk. When his best friend Enkidu dies, he realizes that he is mortal, so he goes on a journey to look for immortality (Sandars). In my opinion, heroes should always show loyalty and show respect to all classes of people. If the hero doesn’t show respect in the beginning, he will grow and will later on show much more respect.

Heroes have been a central amount part of our entertainment industry. One of the most famous examples of these is James Bond. Know as Agent 007, James Bond has captivated audiences for decades. Each new movie that comes out reinforces a similar theme across the entire series, which that James Bond is clearly an epic hero.