Tablet VI Of Homer's The Epic Of Gilgamesh

Tablet VI of The Epic of Gilgamesh helps to give insight into Gilgamesh’s state of mind. His refusal to marry Ishtar comes after he and Enkidu have just slayed Humbaba, and he is feeling as powerful as his figurative immortality allows. His resolve that marrying would be bad for him can be seen as him trying not to lose his childish sense of adventure. In a sense he would be forced to group up through marriage, and would have to care for some other than just himself. The promises Ishtar gives Gilgamesh for marriage show her trying to please him through material needs that would help to further his apparent vanity. Gilgamesh only refuses out of fear that he shall lose his freedom, which is seen in the way he talks about trapped creatures created by Ishtar. Now we will examine how his pride is the leading factor which keeps him from hearing the

218-19),” who’s place is ruling over the people. Putting this and his pride together would show that if he is not ruling over something Gilgamesh feels useless. Gilgamesh ruled over his people and over Enkidu during their adventures, feeding his since of power. Strength given to Gilgamesh allows him to complete great feats in the wild such as kill Hambaba the godlike monster, “Gilgamesh smote him in the neck… He fell, the ravines did run with his blood (Ish. 24-25).” Yet, when he is confronted with the proposal given by Ishtar, Gilgamesh speech expresses a feeling of contempt toward the offer. He states in lines 77 and 78 “You sat him down and in the midst of his labours, he cannot go up…, he cannot go down (VI. 78-79),” in reference to one of Ishtars former lovers. Again we are able to see Gilgamesh indirectly comparing himself to Ishtar’s former love interest as a way to show his idea of what their marriage would entail. In his mind this marriage is a trap which will end any plans he has of continuing on in “his labours” of