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.
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.
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. Within the book the authors cover the transition of humans from a hunter-gatherer life into a more sedentary life: forming the civilizations we know today. This transition can be witnessed through the character of Enkidu’s in The Epic of Gilgamesh. Enkidu—a glorified forager—is forced into civilization, we watch him transform from a wild beast into a civilized person.
The Epic of Gilgamesh is an epic poem from ancient Mesopotamia that is the earliest surviving work of literature. The summary of this poem is that Gilgamesh, the king of Uruk, and Enkidu, a wild man created by the gods to stop Gilgamesh from opposing the people of Uruk challenges Gilgamesh to a test of strength. Gilgamesh wins and then the two becomes friends and start a 6-day journey together. Along the journey Enkidu ends up dying and his death causes Gilgamesh to start a journey to discover the secret of internal life.
Many cultures have certain archetypes that their literature follows, and in Sumerian culture, the major archetype is the hero’s journey and its different stages. In The Epic of Gilgamesh, translated by N.K. Sandars and based on Sumerian culture, the Sumerian hero Gilgamesh encounters many stages of the hero’s journey when he goes on his quest for immortality. Gilgamesh completes the Sumerians’ archetype of the hero’s journey when he is helped by the threshold guardian and supernatural aid, faces several challenges in unknown lands, and undergoes a transformation before returning to Uruk. Gilgamesh begins the hero’s journey by receiving help from the threshold guardian and from supernatural forces.
The story “Gilgamesh” is the world’s oldest recorded story. The first record of the story was created in Mesopotamia (circa 4000 BCE), and many other civilizations have adapted their own version of “Gilgamesh”. The story was written in cuneiform, which is the world's first writing system. The story follows Gilgamesh, who is one part human and two parts god, and Enkidu who is sent to help and humble him. Gilgamesh and Enkidu face many emotional and psychological struggles during the story; these can connect an ancient epic to a modern reader, because of their motivations, emotions expressed, and internal thoughts.
The Epic of Gilgamesh conveys numerous themes. Among those are the inevitability of death, the eminence of the gods, and strikingly the importance of love as an impetus. Love, defined in a consummate sense is intimacy, passion, and commitment. These traits are exemplified in Gilgamesh and Enkidu's relationship, and they are also implied between Enkidu and Sham hat. Despite the violent and abrasive nature of the happenings of this text, love is displayed blatantly throughout.
The hero Gilgamesh, passed through various tests and turns out better for it. For at the beginning the epic the king appears in the form of an unbridled, corrupted and cruel young man, then after the death of Enkidu, he is finally capable of a heartfelt deep sorrow. For the first time he becomes aware of the futility of existence, feeling the fear of the death, the hero of the poem turns to the gods to find out the secrets of life and death. From now on, Gilgamesh cannot simply rule his people, he wants to know the secret of death. His soul comes to complete despair: how could the immortal power and energy in the body of Enkidu die?
Accessed 19 Feb. 2023. Snodgrass informs how The Epic of Gilgamesh is a conventional Greek epic that emphasizes the cultural aspects associated with Mesopotamia, an ancient civilization. The author is unknown, but Mesopotamia is illustrated in a culturally enriched approach. Gods and goddesses are present throughout the story and possess certain roles relevant to the plot
Human suffering is one of the major themes in The Epic of Gilgamesh. When confronting with painful circumstances in our lives, we often ask ourselves why is life so difficult and wonder if suffering is necessary. In the Epic of Gilgamesh, the two heroes, Gilgamesh and Enkidu both go through suffering either physically or mentally. There are many beliefs to the reason why suffering is inevitable. In this epic, it is portrayed that the two heroes’ sufferings are the results of their fundamental flaws, such as their hubris and their attachments of to be remembered.
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.
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).
Literature, art, and music have always found ways to transcend the physical barriers and borders humans put up. They influence cultures other than the ones of their origins. Similarities between religions, mythologies, and folk stories have been noted often throughout time by academics and historians. The holy texts of some major religions like The Old Testament and the Quran share many overlapping literary themes and events with older religions and folk tales, like the ancient Sumerian poem; “The Epic of Gilgamesh”. Many examples of overlapping themes is the presence and references to great floods, supernatural influences, otherworldly gardens, and battles between good and evil.
