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Epic Of Gilgamesh Research Paper

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Civilization When researching the meaning behind the term of civilization, it is the intense study of both primary and secondary sources that look into myths, poems, and various other forms of literature. This paper will be focusing on the different primary sources, the impact to history, and also the role these play on its impact on modern society. When we look into what a myth really is, it is seen as a traditional story that is passed through various generations in which gives a new generation a look into how the people before them, train of thought. As this paper goes into what a myth is, the first evidence of a myth came from King Gilgamesh and myths also played an important role into understanding the writings of Homer. Prayer is a …show more content…

But based on the way of communication available to them before 3200 BCE which was word of mouth, there can be seen a light of truth into myth as they would not have any other means of communicating important things between each generation. As mentioned in the previous paragraph, Myths are important tools which can be used by an upcoming generation so that they can improve on ideas and train of thought of the generation which came before them. The first account of a Sumerian myth was the Epic of Gilgamesh, this myth was vital in that it brings to light the day to day life of the Sumerians. This myth discusses the theory of life after death and also takes a look into immortality. This can be seen in an excerpt from the epic in which Gilgamesh’s brother dies and Gilgamesh is said to be roaming over the plains, during which he says, “How can I rest, how can I be at peace? Despair is in my heart. What my brother is now, that I shall be when I am dead. Because I am afraid of death I will go as best as I can to find Utnapishtim whom they call the Faraway, for he has entered the assembly of the gods (1, p8).” The story of Gilgamesh also brought to life the reality of the Egyptians fear of death, and this is critical to driving force behind Gilgamesh search for immortality. As it was mentioned in the introduction, prayer was another aspect of the study of

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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

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On the other hand, the Mesopotamians sort of have a fear to die especially if it was not of an epic or heroic death. In the “Epic of Gilgamesh,” Gilgamesh realizes

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World Lit 5/16/18 The Relationship between Gilgamesh and Enkidu Research Paper The bond between Enkidu and Gilgamesh is the heart of the Sumerian epic. I took a look back to when Enkidu and Gilgamesh first encounter as enemies and battle each other. During this epic battle Gilgamesh comes to his sense that what he think about women and life overall could be incorrect.

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Gilgamesh persists in reaching his goal of immortality, but as he journeys through the Cedar Forest and beyond, Gilgamesh begins to realize that his purpose in life is not to live forever, but rather to leave something behind for eternity in his name. When Gilgamesh interacts with Utnapishtim and tries to determine how Utnapishtim was able to achieve immortality, Utnapishtim explains how he saved human life from extinction and was thus rewarded immortality from the gods. Humans are not measured by their achievements of strength and power, but instead on how they can make society stronger. Not only does Gilgamesh pass on military success and a powerful city, but he also gives the people of Uruk the knowledge he has learned of the value of respect and comradeship. Even though Gilgamesh was not successful in achieving his goal of humanity, Sumerians values knowledge for future experience above all else.

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Psychological triggers and their role in self-discovery as examined in The Epic of Gilgamesh Epics are most often characterized by a flawed hero’s journey or quest to fulfill a fleshly desire, but instead fulfills the hero’s need for wisdom. Likewise, The Epic of Gilgamesh can be characterized by Gilgamesh’s self-realization of humanity and mortality, discovered by both Gilgamesh and the reader through his quests for fame and immortality. He embarks on two separate journeys. The first journey, the slaying of Humbaba for eternal fame, is the first step of his transformation from a divine and selfish ruler to a very much humbled and wise human one, setting off a series of events that lead him to his second journey, a quest for immortality.

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Although my family is Christian, I do not necessarily consider myself religious, so I will be doing a myth from a different culture that I find interesting. The Epic of Gilgamesh is a hero myth from ancient Mesopotamia and part of Mesopotamian religion. In the myth, Gilgamesh is part god, though mortal, and stronger than any man. He is the king of Uruk, but a very bad one and quite the opposite of a hero.

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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).

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The idea of being immortal is shown throughout several cultures around the world. In the in book The Epic of Gilgamesh, the main character Gilgamesh, went on a quest to reach immortality. Gilgamesh’s journey consists of many trials and tribulations; however, his endeavor to yield immortal status must be granted to him from the Gods. The main character’s obsession with his own mortality is fueled by the death of his best friend Enkidu. A series of events leads to Gilgamesh’s journey and his mission to become immortal.

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The sudden shifts in his character he experienced on the topic of death effected the thinking of the Ancient Mesopotamians also. With all of Gilgamesh’s efforts, he found there was no easy way to reach immortality. This story was one of the main influences toward the Mesopotamians beliefs that death is inevitable. Using the evidence from the source “Epic of Gilgamesh”, this essay will attempt to solve the problem of death that the Ancient Mesopotamians endured through the character development of

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The Epic of Gilgamesh: Confronting Mortality and Reflecting on Human Nature The Epic of Gilgamesh, from ancient Mesopotamia dates back to the Third Dynasty of Ur, which refers to the 22nd to 21st century BC. It is one of the oldest known works of literature, however the themes it explores are still just as relevant today as they were four thousand years ago. Gilgamesh highlights the stubbornness of human nature and the importance of finding meaning in the face of mortality. Throughout the myth, Gilgamesh, who has been called the King who has tried to conquer death, is faced with the fundamental aspects of the human condition, such as mortality, the inevitability of death, the search for meaning and purpose in life.

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The Epic of Gilgamesh is the first epic poem to be written in ancient West Asia. It was written around the third millennium BCE in Mesopotamia by Sumerian people (Spodek, 127). The epic is based on actual an historical figure, a Sumerian king who reigned the city-state of Uruk around third millennium BCE. Ashurbanipal, the last Neo-Assyrian king who was literate, built a great library in his capital and preserved 20,000 tablets including the earliest complete version of The Epic of Gilgamesh (Spodek, 128). Sumerian attitudes towards gods, friendship, and the story of the great flood are revealed throughout the epic.

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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).

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Gilgamesh’s despaired heart had soon subsided from years of manufacturing his kingly destiny. His heart was now occupied with unearthing the most exquisite maiden of Uruk. He could now definitively accept mortality and had gained awareness of how lonesome a mortal life without a partner would be. To assist in his possession of a wife, Gilgamesh declared a midnight bash for all the maidens of Uruk, no matter their social standing. That same night maidens came pouring in like vicious rains, labeling themselves as ‘Gilgamesh’s permanent female consort’.

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What is the cause of the majority of all teen deaths? Teens are not known for their ability to make quality decisions. However, their choices can affect them for the rest of their lives. Nearly 1/3 of all teen fatalities are caused by motor vehicle accidents (Miniño). While some of these deaths can be contributed to weather, road conditions, and drunk drivers, texting and driving can be easily solved and is a waste of an innocent life.

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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.

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