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Ideal Heroic King In Epic Of Gilgamesh

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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. They must be strong because they fight in battles and wars. The next thing it shows is hero kings should take care of the people, protect them and provide for them. During this time, many wars and battles are taking place, the people need to be reassured that the king is capable to protect them and provide for them. The king is expected to be father like to the people he is ruling over. He need to be reasonable and trustworthy. The Epic of Gilgamesh also explains to be a hero king, the king must do something worthy of being remembered, to have a statue built after they die. In the epic it is told that everyone dies and they all go to the same place with all people being equal. So, it is important for a king to be remembered on Earth, so their legacy is not forgotten.
In the Epic of Gilgamesh, Gilgamesh is the hero king and many …show more content…

He built the city of Uruk and there they value music, food, and dancing. He also built the temple and the walls. This shows his connection to the divine and protection he offered the Mesopotamians in Uruk. When Enkidu is created he represents nature. He is illustrated as beastlike and untamed. 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 Gilgamesh, the characters traits of both Gilgamesh and Enkidu help to build a lasting friendship through their differences. For example, Gilgamesh is the king of Uruk, a city of culture, and personifies the highest of human virtues, such as fairness, bravery, and courage. However, Gilgamesh is often unstable. In sharp contrast, Enkidu was raised in the wild and is foreign to civilization. Enkidu is caring and thoughtful and equal to Gilgamesh in strength.

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He is unable to let go of Enkidu, his faithful companion. Consequently, this unhealable wound leads to Gilgamesh’s call to adventure: the search for

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He traveled great distances to help the people of a different city. Gilgamesh is a brave and courageous man who wants all the glory. He provokes the monster that he overcomes. The two of these men differ and combine on many levels. The comparison of these two are very dramatic.

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Gilgamesh was a legendary King from the distant pass. He was looked as a hero because of his travels with Enkidu to the cedar forest to kill its guard, Humbaba. He was famed for his great deeds as a king. He was a anti-hero and a hero in the Mesopotamians eyes. I think that Gilgamesh was a hero because it he has done many epic and risky travels.

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The Rise and Fall of Hubris In essence, many of Mesopotamia’s tales focus on Gilgamesh’s epic. The Epic of Gilgamesh is a poem that portrays Gilgamesh’s journey, and ultimate aspiration for immortality despite the inevitability of death. The poem reveals his quest for a purpose and identity, which in turn can be perceived from many different aspects, ultimately molding his character in the epic. He perceives himself as two-thirds divine and one third man at the start of the tale, and progressively gains wisdom on his quest to conquer his aspirations of immortality, until he comes face to face with reality. His state of mind at the beginning of the epic, along with how it changes and matures, reveals the true heroes and villains of the story.

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The epic poem “Epic of Gilgamesh” is about a hero’s journey. First, one should know that Gilgamesh was once a selfish king that ruled over Uruk. When his best friend Enkidu dies, he realizes that he is mortal, so he goes on a journey to look for immortality (Sandars). In my opinion, heroes should always show loyalty and show respect to all classes of people. If the hero doesn’t show respect in the beginning, he will grow and will later on show much more respect.

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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 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.

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The Epic of Gilgamesh is an ancient Mesopotamian epic poem that tells the story of the legendary king Gilgamesh, who was two-thirds god and one-third human. Throughout the story, the overarching theme of perseverance is evident as Gilgamesh embarks on a journey to find immortality. Through the journey, Gilgamesh faces numerous challenges and obstacles, but he persists in his quest, later on, he also learns that the pursuit of eternal life is futile and instead, discovers the true meaning of perseverance and the importance of living a virtuous life. A significant event where Gilgamesh highlights the importance of the virtue of perseverance is when he says, "For six days and seven nights I battled with death, but with the dawn of the seventh

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A modern hero is someone of supernatural ability's of someone with great intelligence. In this epic Gilgamesh shows more of what it takes to be a epic hero. A epic hero is of nobility, integrity, strength, wisdom and many other great quality's. One of the great quality's that make Gilgamesh a epic hero is his willingness to put others before himself. He care more about others then himself and this made him a true warrior and not only bond but at mind.

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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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