Review Of The Epic Of Gilgamesh - 1301 Words

Stories about quests are common tales told throughout history and in many different cultures. All quest stories follow the same pattern and have the same archetypes. The first stage in a quest is the call to adventure or the protagonist s separation from his or her daily life. The next stage is the , threshold stage. After threshold is initiation or loss and the final stages are, the ultimate boon and return. Within every quest, there is also some lesson to be learned by the protagonist. The Epic of Gilgamesh, a story written thousands of years ago by the ancient Sumerians, follows the same archetypes as any modern day quest story. Gilgamesh begins his quest when he is separated from his normal life in Uruk and meets Enkidu. He then†¦show more content†¦This first stage shows shows a lot about ancient Sumerian spiritual culture. First, it shows that the ancient Sumerians were a polytheistic society. Their creator god is a female which shows that females were respected enoug h to hold a position of power. This was most likely because they can create life. Their belief system in gods and goddesses also shows that people believed that the gods could change their society and the daily lives of people. However, Enkidu and Gilgamesh unintended friendship also shows that the ancient Sumerians believed that their deities couldn’t control every facet of life. As the epic continues, Gilgamesh and Enkidu succeed on their mission to kill the demon Humbaba. â€Å"Humbaba the guardian he smote to the ground, for two leagues afar†¦ With him he slew †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦, the woods he †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ He slew the ogre, the cedar s guardian, at whose yell were sundered the peaks of Sirion and Lebanon, †¦ the mountains did quake, †¦ all the hillsides did tremble,† (The Epic of Gilgamesh, Ish 26-33). When they return to Uruk, Enkidu has a dream about the gods meeting. In the dream, they decide that Gilgamesh and Enkidu cannot both live. â€Å"â⠂¬ËœBetween these two [let one of them die!]’† And Enlil said: ‘Let Enkidu die, but not let Gilgamesh die!’† (The Epic of Gilgamesh, III(?) col. i). After having another dream, Enkidu falls sick and a few days later, he dies. â€Å"My God has taken against me, my friend, †¦, [I do not die] like one who [falls] in the midst of battle. I was afraidShow MoreRelatedReview Of The Epic Of Gilgamesh 1407 Words   |  6 PagesSaif Alkaabi Rebecca Williams HY 101-104 20/10/2014 The Epic of Gilgamesh Introduction The Epic of Gilgamesh is the story about Gilgamesh, the King of Uruk and Enkidu, their friendship, how Enkidu dies, how Gilgamesh mourns the death of his friend and finally he understands enlightened truth . Most of this story is narrated from Gilgamesh’s point of view. The story is set in Mesopotamia and the portrayal of Gilgamesh is ironical. He is described as a king of immense vigor and strengthRead MoreReview Of The Epic Of Gilgamesh 1416 Words   |  6 PagesAlkaabi Rebecca Williams HY 101-104 03/10/2014 The Epic of Gilgamesh Introduction The Epic of Gilgamesh dates back to the eighteenth century from Mesopotamia and is believed to be a great work of literature. Some of the copies of this epic are known to be found in the ruins of a library of the Assyrian king Ashurbanipal. The story is about Gilgamesh, the King of Uruk and Enkidu, their friendship, how Enkidu dies and how Gilgamesh mourns the death of his friend. Most of this story isRead MoreReview Of The Epic Of Gilgamesh 1097 Words   |  5 PagesN.K. Sandars, The Epic of Gilgamesh, is one of the most well-known stories in literature. Gilgamesh ruled the city of Uruk and one of the most advanced cities during the third millennium B.C. He orders his people to build the strongest walls by protecting them from dangerous attacks. In the Epic, he is described as physically strong, beautiful, and wise ruler of Mesopotamia. Yet, in the beginning, Gilgamesh was uncontrollable of his powers. His people can’t take it anymore and so they prayed to theRead MoreRevie w Of The Epic Of Gilgamesh 2187 Words   |  9 Pages Throughout the past century, it has been increasingly the case that authors and artisans utilize familiar stories and adapt them into a different medium. This practice of course, has been in place for many thousands of years, as we see the epic of Gilgamesh transcending its initial narrative to become more poetic, and weave itself into various mythologies, and Homers tales have long since made the rounds through all manner of works, whether narrative, paintings, plays or poetry. However, this practiceRead More A Comparison of the Epic of Gilgamesh and the Hebrew Scriptures1302 Words   |  6 Pages A Comparison of the Epic of Gilgamesh and the Hebrew Scriptures The Hebrew Flood story of Noah and his obligation to preserve man kind after God had punished all living creatures for their inequities parallels The Epic of Gilgamesh in several ways. Even though these two compilations are passed on orally at different times in history the similarities and differences invoke deliberation when these stories are compared. Numerous underlining themes are illustrated throughout each story. Humans areRead More The Influence of Women in Epic of Gilgamesh Essay580 Words   |  3 Pagesof Women in Epic of Gilgamesh Gilgamesh can be viewed as a writing that describes the social scene of the times it was written in. The characters of Enkidu and Gilgamesh are strong males. The roles of women in Gilgamesh are submissive and subtle. Women in this ancient Sumerian tale tend to be passive, but capable of influencing the outcome of events. Enkidu is a mighty force to confront. He is so strong that he is seen as a wild animal in his first appearances in the book. Gilgamesh is as strongRead MoreThe Epic Of Gilgamesh Essay1801 Words   |  8 PagesTonisia Tutt Professor Andre World Literature 1 October 11, 2015 The Epic of Gilgamesh does not quite have a happy end. Truthfully, Gilgamesh is not successful in his mission. It is shortsighted and deceived to expect that Gilgamesh, the saint, must be effective in his journey to hold the characteristics of courage. An unsuccessful journey not harsh any more than a courageous ending is essentially joyful. For recognitions of this, we need to look no more distant than the plenty of thoughtful legendsRead More12 Literary Piece1670 Words   |  7 PagesChristianity originating from Palestine and Greece 2. Koran: The Muslim bible originating from Arabia 3. The Iliad and the Odyssey: These have been the source of Myths and Legends of Greece. They were written by Homer. 4. The Mahabharata: The Longest epic of the world. It contains the history of religion in India. 5. Canterburry: it depicts the religion and customs of English in early days. This originated from England and written by Chaucer. 6. Uncle Toms Cabin: written by Harriet Beecher StoweRead MoreThe Epic Of Gilgamesh And The Iliad2165 Words   |  9 PagesInstructors’ Name Course Name Date Gilgamesh and Achilles as Portrayed in the Writings â€Å"Epic of Gilgamesh† and â€Å"The Iliad† â€Å"Epic of Gilgamesh† and â€Å"The Iliad† presented conflict between the ancient kings, the gods, and finest warriors with other ordinary community members. Throughout the writings Gilgamesh, the king of Uru Community, and Achilles, one of the greatest Greek warriors, struggled to resolve the conflicts between the gods and their community members. However, Gilgamesh misused his powers to a pointRead MoreWhat Makes an Epic Hero Essay1823 Words   |  8 PagesWhat is an epic hero? Although we would like to believe that a hero would always be there to save us as needed, that is not always the case. All heroes are different, but what makes them epic? Many would answer that question by saying because they are in an epic poem or story; however, that answer isn’t true. An epic hero, of course is in an epic narrative, but it is what they accomplish in that specific text. First, an epic hero has to make a grand journey and be in the Gods favor or shall we say