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. David’s and Gilgamesh’s failures are results of their misuse of power and their incapability to manage political and personal affairs, while their successes are a reflection of their ability to learn from the mistakes …show more content…
People of Uruk complain about the nature of Gilgamesh’ tyranny to gods as they can no longer tolerate the king’s unjust behaviors: “His companions are kept on their feet by his contests, [the young men of Uruk] he harries without warrant. Gilgamesh lets no son go free to his father, by day and by [night his tyranny grows] harsher. (Gilgamesh, I.166-170)” People rely on the king to protect their rights and the country, but Gilgamesh does the opposite by taking away their sons and daughters for his personal needs. The people of Uruk feel oppressed under Gilgamesh’s rule as Gilgamesh gives himself the right to sleep with women on the first night of marriage and to take away sons from the household to appease his appetite for war games. Instead of feeling safe under a divine ruler, people feel threatened and pray to gods to protect them. Gilgamesh oversteps the family boundaries, and this constant violation causes Gilgamesh to lose favor and love from his own subjects. A good king can lose the favor of his people because without them, the glory of being a monarch diminishes, losing the respect and loyalty from his subjects. As a result, Gilgamesh’s corruption prohibits him from calling himself a great king among other