Man cannot live for ever this is an indisputable fact; however, long after our mortal bodies decay, we can live on through our children and our children's children. David Ferry’s version of the poem “Gilgamesh” support this idea and synthesises it with other points to support the following theme: no matter how great a man is in living his glory is only valuable if he lives on in his offspring. I believe Gilgamesh’s journey and failure to find immortality supports this, revealing values that early Mesopotamian culture held. After pursuing and failing to find immortality for himself, Gilgamesh pleads to the gods to raise his friend to speak with him about death and its state. The spirit of Enkidu raises and reveals to his friend the following
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.
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? During the reign of David and Gilgamesh, they are known to be the greatest king among all the other kings, but there are moments that portrayed them as wicked rulers and tyrants. Being a king means they both possess divine and absolute power, and with the power comes along the complications such as corruptions and misconducts.
When reading The Epic of Gilgamesh we can find different examples of the six criteria for evaluating works of art. Therefore we are able to hone in on a few that really prevail throughout the story that persuades the reader to think critically about what exactly the author wants the reader to understand. Three main themes of the Christian critical tradition in The Epic of Gilgamesh are truth, righteousness, and beauty. When looking at the epic of Gilgamesh and accessing the literature for truth we see that an ultimate truth is death.
The Epic of Gilgamesh gives a lot of insight to what was happening and what was expected in ancient Mesopotamia. The epic poem which revolves around a king, includes many details in to the civilization, beliefs, and values of the Mesopotamians. The king thrives to be remembered and many of his actions reflect that. The Epic of Gilgamesh show how an ideal heroic king should be in ancient Mesopotamia. The first thing it shows us is that hero kings should be strong.
Cultural diffusion is the spread of cultural beliefs, social activities, and items from one group to another. Cultural diffusion has played an enormous role in societies throughout history, as civilizations have thrived and grown on the spread of ideas throughout early nomadic times, medieval times, and even today in modern times. Cultural diffusion allows cultures to mix together in order to create a superior culture which improves society. Cultural diffusion played an enormous role in the creation and booming of civilizations, most importantly in the 1200’s to 1600’s. Throughout history, cultural diffusion has played an enormous role in societies as a result of trading and conquest for the better and for the worst.
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).
Using repetition and duality is a great way to express people’s feelings and reactions. The authors of the Epic of Gilgamesh used repetition to emphasize their viewpoint in showing that Gilgamesh was a powerful king. Duality meant to better illustrate points about Gilgamesh, and to catch the reader’s attention. Dualities gave a good picture of Gilgamesh and life in Uruk, and this picture was better when these dualities were repeated, because that made Gilgamesh 's personality brighten up. Although immortality and power were not big themes in the epic, the use of repeated dualities by different characters emphasizes the importance of power and immortality.
Reading Gilgamesh was important because it gives the reader insight and an understanding of what was important to the people who lived during the time that Gilgamesh was written. It also allows us to see how things have changed from what we are used to reading to what we could have been reading before. Repetition in a story can sometimes seem a little annoying to the reader. However, I think it could be a very important characteristic when reading certain material.
Gilgamesh is an epic hero because, he part divine, interacts with gods and his story has a series of adventures and superhuman victories. Gilgamesh is a king that shows off his power and enviably shows his weak side in most altercations. Most scholars see him as a historical figure, but I myself think he is definitely an epic hero. He oppresses people who call out to the gods, this is not very heroic, but his other actions will show the truth. Gilgamesh IS an epic hero.
Jared Diamond’s 1987 article, “The Worst Mistake In The History Of The Human Race,” takes a different perspective on the agricultural revolution. According to Diamond, “The Worst Mistake In The History Of The Human Race” was the switch from hunting and gathering to agriculture and farming. Diamond’s revisionist interpretation questions the traditional progressivist belief that the agricultural revolution has continuously improved the health of our ancestors. Instead, Diamond considers the negative changes associated with the development of the agriculture.
The Epic of Gilgamesh and The Odyssey have been a part of human literature for several years. Both poems are from the category of epic poetry and have a time difference of at least one thousand years apart. Their themes explore different aspects of human cultures and ideologies. The Epic of Gilgamesh is a poem from early Mesopotamian culture while the onset of the Greek civilization inspired The Odyssey. The main characters for these epics are Gilgamesh, a demigod and ruler of Uruk, and Odysseus a great warrior returning home to his wife from war.
The Epic of Gilgamesh is the oldest story known to mankind, being written on Sumerian clay almost five thousand years ago (Garone). Since the story was originally known orally, the culture and themes from The Epic of Gilgamesh must have existed long before it was finally inscribed (Mark 4). Having known this, the cultures and themes can be compared to today’s society, discovering about how they have shifted and evolved, and also observe how they are similar. The ancient days of Gilgamesh has brought culture that has greatly influenced today’s society. Because Gilgamesh was set around the time of late Babylonian or early Sumerian society, the Babylonian and Sumerian cultures also play a role in shaping the world into what is is today (Mark).
Literary devices are used to bridge the gaps and fill in the cracks for me where simple words do not suffice in some stories. I find myself constantly searching stories for and identifying different types of literary devices. In the Epic of Gilgamesh, three uses of literary devices were demonstrated and used consistently. These literary devices are: repetition, imagery and flashbacks. This literary narrative is centered on an epic journey that utilizes literary devices to enhance the complexity and understanding in the story.
The Epic of Gilgamesh: Relevant Truth for Today’s Society The Epic of Gilgamesh is set in Uruk, an ancient city of the ancient Mesopotamian civilization of Sumer, now modern-day Iraq. The epic was said to be written by Sin-liqe-unninni, but it is based on five earlier Sumerian poems with no known author. The piece was difficult to translate, and there are two main version for the Epic of Gilgamesh. This is the result of the environment during the time the piece was being written.
