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Gilgamesh Discussion Questions

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Recommended: The friendship of Enkidu and Gilgamesh

Discussion Questions #4
1.) What is the deal with Gilgamesh and Enkidu? What kind of relationship do they have? How does this add to your knowledge of Mesopotamian culture?
Gilgamesh and Enkidu were enemies and were put to challenge each other by the Gods. Gilgamesh was abusive to the people and Enkidu, who was also made by the Gods, was the one to put him in his place. Though, when they were in battle against each other they were surprised by each other’s strength. Instead of being enemies, they became friends. They were very good friends and had a very strong bond. Their friendship made Gilgamesh to become a better person and Gilgamesh pulls Enkidu out of his self-centeredness. This adds to my knowledge of Mesopotamian culture by that we …show more content…

After Enkidu was killed Gilgamesh started to realize that even though Enkidu was strong and powerful he was still killed and the same thing could happen to him. So, Gilgamesh’s quest is to find everlasting life. He justify it by that he goes in the search for Utnapishtim, the Mesopotamian Noah who received eternal life from the gods, in the hope that he will tell him how he too can avoid death. Though, the Mesopotamian only gives Gilgamesh an insight of the afterlight-which gives little hope for Gilgamesh. Utnapishtim reveals that death is part of the human life and even though someone dies, humanity lives on. In the end, Gilgamesh accepts this and continues on with his life. Some symbolic functions that this quest has are that bulls represent explosive, destructive natural power, and the ability to wrestle a bull suggests humanity’s ability to harness nature’s power. Another symbolic function is that walls of Uruk symbolize the greatest accomplishments of which mortals are capable of completing. Lastly, doorways. Throughout the story the characters are faced with doorways and these represents the character’s choice. They can either keep the door shut and stay safe or they can boldly venture through them. Gilgamesh learns that death is an inevitable and inescapable fact of human life. Though, he also learns about life, how precious and special it

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When he died, Gilgamesh started changing for the superior. Just as the article says, Gilgamesh, Enkidu, and the Heroic Life, “The most a man

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Ninsun is a goddess whose role in the epic is to serve her son which is basically taking care of her son. The position that she takes is giving advice for Gilgamesh and, he was listening for her guidance. She was practicing her motherhood by giving care and showing love for her son. Ninsun have a smart character she was wise and clever, to clarify that when Gilgamesh has two dreams that he told his mother the two dreams about an axe and a meteor. His mother Indicate the two dreams that Gilgamesh will meet a new friend.

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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.

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He wants to oppress the people of Urk. The gods decided to create Enkidu to prevent Gilgamesh from doing so. Enkidu and Gilgamesh eventually become really close friends until Enkidu is killed by Gods. The Gods punish him because he killed Humbaba Gilgamesh sets out to learn the secret of life so that he can bring back his friend who has died, Enkidu. Enkidu was the man who would go into all the battles with Gilgamesh to bring Enkidu he has to find the secret of life from Utnapishtim, which involves him passing through the gates between the Mashu Mountains into the Road of the Sun, past the valley, and across the lake.

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One way that it fits into the book is how the journey that Gilgamesh takes and how it contributes to his wisdom and longevity. Many of the characters take journeys to different places that help them discover new things about themselves. The beauty of the journey in this book is when Gilgamesh sets out to look for the plant that will allow him to retain his youth. Gilgamesh insist on staying young and avoiding death but fails to do so every time. The reader is faced with seeing the beauty in the persistence and the will to live forever.

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His intentions are to change the order of things. (6) When Ninsun (Gilgamesh’s mother) interprets Gilgamesh’s dream for him, she tells him the significance of the rock that falls from the sky. What or who do you think the rock symbolizes and how will Gilgamesh relate to this rock? I think the rock symbolizes Enkidu because, earlier in the tablet, Enkidu is said to be as strong and mighty as a rock from the sky. Gilgamesh will relate to this rock by treating it kindly and lovingly like a family member or wife.

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Together, they balance out the tamed and untamed worlds and with Enkidu ’s help Gilgamesh becomes a hero king. Together they go on to defeat Huwawa, the monster in the cedar forest, they defeat the bull of heaven sent from Ishtar, and at the end Gilgamesh is shown to represent a real hero king due to the friendship of

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In the epic, within which many episodes are interlinked, depicts an image of a kind who underwent development and tends to understand the world where he was living. Within the version of the Babylonian, hero Gilgamesh 's character is best compared to Achilles. While comparing the characters of Achilles and Gilgamesh, he (Gilgamesh) changed and his nature was affected duet the presence and absence (loss) of Enid his comrade, thus the nature of Enkidu was static. Achilles ' nature and character followed the same pattern as that of Gilgamesh as he was also influenced by the presence and loss of Patroclus his comrade.

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Gilgamesh is a lonely, evil, self-centered ruler who has no humility for man-kind. The people, being fed-up with Gilgamesh and his harsh treatments asked the Gods for help. Enkidu was created and sent down by the Gods to put Gilgamesh in his place and that's what he did, but not in the way the Gods had intended it to happen. Enkidu and Gilgamesh had an altercation during their first meeting, but later bonding becoming inseparable friends recognizing each other as brothers. Through Enkidu's nurturing, Gilgamesh became a good ruler and hero.

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He spends the whole book in search of something that will make him live on forever, he wants a life that is examined by generations to come. Which is in fact ironic because he already had something that he will be remembered for, the walls of Uruk. After Gilgamesh fails his last test for immortality he ventures back to his city of Uruk in a boat with Uta-napishtis boatman. On his way back, he sobs and then he beings to examine the beautiful walls of Uruk that he created. He realizes that he had wasted his time all along, he says “what thing would I find that served as my landmark?

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Gilgamesh and Enkidu from the start were bound to each other from their creation by the gods. To understand more you must learn of their similarity, difference and their experiences that take you to Enkidu’s death. From our reading assignments, I would like to have explored more past Enkidu’s death to learn more of how Gilgamesh had reacted. Each of our heroes brings much ado to the reality of friendship, love, and expression of men during their time.

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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.

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Once Gilgamesh knew of Enkidu, his dreams brought him knowledge that they’d love each other, they’d be great friends, and share many journeys together. Gilgamesh’s mother explained his dreams to him, telling him of the love they’d share, but none of his dreams would show him that fate had another plan for these two brother/friends. No matter how much Gilgamesh worked to keep Enkidu alive and close, it wasn’t meant to be, he was created from a ball of clay, his fate was not to have a human soul forever. In the loss of Enkidu, Gilgamesh traveled to find immortality, and his preoccupation of small silly matters took away his opportunities at immortality and proved his fate in life.

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A Hero’s Quest for Immortality Gilgamesh, just like any other heroes, receives a vision from the gods pertaining to his fate, “The father of the gods has given you kingship, such is your destiny, everlasting life is not your destiny.” It makes no sense at first but as the story progress, we found out that Gilgamesh was never meant to live eternal life. The quest for immortality is a common theme in mythologies. Heroes undergo challenges against gods and supernatural creatures in order to get the desired item that would restore one’s youth.

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