Essay On Gilgamesh Epic Hero

1064 Words5 Pages

Throughout time there have been many stories about epic heroes and they have all consisted of a similar format. The epic hero would be born of strange relations. They would be capable of acts of great strength and bravery. They would be a respected and feared warrior. They would go on great journeys over vast settings. They would be a hero in the eye of their nation. They would have great humility. Lastly, they would come in contact with supernatural foes and friends. Gilgamesh, the first known epic hero, is a great example of what an epic hero is. He is part man part god, a great warrior, goes on long journeys, and comes in contact with supernatural beings. Although exhibits most of the characteristics of an epic hero, he is lacking in a few. He does not have two of the most important attributes; humility and the love of his people. This is a relevant topic because he is the first known epic hero and he is missing two of the most important qualities to be one. Though, he is missing important qualities he is still an epic hero. He has great strength, gets help from the gods, but he does not have modesty and is disliked by his people. The most prominent characteristic of a hero is their strength. …show more content…

He has great strength, fighting great foes such as Humbaba the great guard of the cedar forest and the Bull of Heaven. In the story he had important help from the gods, but had dangerous encounters as well. Some poor qualities of Gilgamesh were his arrogant attitude which made him disliked by his people. This topic was to show how Gilgamesh is a true epic hero and how epic heroes have had great influences on our societies throughout the centuries. There will be many more epic heroes in the future, although they will probably have a different backdrop. In the beginning of this story we saw Gilgamesh as an arrogant and powerful ruler who was oblivious to his people's feelings. In the end, he saw the meaning of life and became a true epic