Term Paper on "Epic of Gilgamesh Is an Ancient Sumerian"

Term Paper 4 pages (1351 words) Sources: 2 Style: MLA

[EXCERPT] . . . .

Epic of Gilgamesh is an ancient Sumerian legend about a semi-divine king. Etched on a series of clay tablets in the third millennium BC, the Epic of Gilgamesh remains relevant in the 21st century. Its characters and theme are universal and archetypal. Although some of the original story has been lost because some of the original clay tablets have been destroyed, enough of the epic remains to reconstruct a cohesive narrative. Different translations of the ancient Sumerian do not alter the meaning of the epic either. The story introduces Gilgamesh as the King of Uruk, a man who is two-thirds god and one-third man. Gilgamesh explores what it means to be human, and he also learns about the relationship between human beings and the divine. His encounters with Enkidu also teach Gilgamesh about the nature of mortality: the meaning of life and of death. Thus, modern readers can appreciate Gilgamesh for its insights into human nature, human consciousness, and human history.

To learn the central meaning of the Epic of Gilgamesh, readers must examine its basic plot and how it is put together and arranged. This way, we can ask questions about the characters' motives. From a character's actions, readers learn about his or her personality traits. Also, the narrator of the epic helps the reader believe in the plot and characters. We accept what the narrator is saying to better enjoy the story and appreciate it as a work of literature. Moreover, we accept the narrator's words because it allows us to view the story as a cohesive whole. The Epic of Gilgamesh is both a character study and a thematic work.

The narrator informs us early on that Gilgamesh is two-thirds god and one-third man. This small bit of information sets the tone for the rest of the tale, because it is Gilgamesh's divided nature that provides the central conflicts of the story. The title character is driven by conflicting urges. He does not quite understand how to be either god or man. His conflicted nature causes him personal turmoil, especially as he develops a friendship with Enkidu and as he learns more about the meaning of life, death, and immortality. Gilgamesh is a heroic man, and thus he is mortal in spite of his semi-divine nature. One of Gilgamesh's personal tests is to reconcile himself with his mortality, with his humanity. It is precisely his mortality that makes him more able to accept his human nature. Ultimately Gilgamesh learns to accept that he will die.

When we are first introduced to the character of Gilgamesh, he is a powerful and dictatorial ruler. He is not the shepherd of his people but a tyrant who wields authority recklessly and egotistically. As a result, the people petition the gods for help. To help the people, the gods create a strong man named Enkidu. Enkidu is wild; he lives in the woods and is uncivilized. He was designed to be a perfect match for Gilgamesh, who represents the corrupting force of civilization. Eventually, Gilgamesh ad Enkidu fight and through their encounter develop tremendous mutual respect and a deep friendship. It is that friendship that helps Gilgamesh realize the meaning of humanity. Enkidu's death also teaches Gilgamesh about mortality, forcing him to consider his own.

Enkidu is the central way the narrator introduces the theme of humanity and civilization. As a wild man, Enkidu is uncivilized. After sleeping with a woman, he has a taste of what it means to be civilized and therefore loses his fully wild nature. In a sense, Enkidu is falls from a state of grace and must now contend with the trappings of civilization. His fall ejects him from the world of beasts and draws him closer to Gilgamesh's heart. The friendship leads ultimately to his death because as he grows closer to Gilgamesh the two men go on heroic quests together including taking on the formidable monster Humbaba. Gilgamesh and Enkdu triumph over the beast with the help of the Gods. As a result, Ishtar falls in love with Gilgamesh.… READ MORE

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