Essay Sample on The Epic of Gilgamesh: Power, Friendship & Justice

The epic talks about power, the strength of friendship, limits of ambition and lessons to people. The tale explains that from friendship and humanity, justice gets obtained as the final product. It talks about human curiosity and the exceptional king of the people of Uruk. Gilgamesh is the antagonist characterized with human and godly attributes being a dreamer, a believer and a builder. At first, he has untamed powers which he oppresses his citizens causing them to seek an exceptional natural individual in Enkidu to tame his powers. He is notorious and arrogant oppressing the civilians until the formation of the friendship between him and Enkidu after they have fought. Gilgamesh won the fight but it developed mutual respect and collaboration with valour. Enkidu transforms Gilgamesh into a wise, caring, and just king from honest advice, strength, and support.

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The ambitious nature of Gilgamesh directs his desire for fame being guided with the Sun-god Shamash. In collaboration with Enkidu, they slew the giant Humbaba who protected the forests gaining resources to develop a massive city. Later on, Enkidu dies from a decree from the goddess Ishtar where he gets faced with sickness after slaying a sacred bull. Enkidu languishes in pain for a week and later succumbs to death which brings grief, frustration and fragility to Gilgamesh. He mourns his dearest friend with despair in his heart and concludes he will visit Utnapishtim who is referred to as Faraway to gain more knowledge on the mysteries of the world (Sanders 16). After a rough journey filled with difficulty and disappointment, he reaches Utnapishtim gets insights on the magic of the world on an underwater plant. The plant is said to bring back the youth to the man but is taken from him by a serpent causing him more anguish. He made it back to his kingdom but later faced the inevitable death he was trying to cheat but was his destiny.

Metaphorically, Gilgamesh and Enkidu get characterized as demigods having exceptional capabilities and a connection with other gods. The individuality of Gilgamesh gets used to symbolize humanity demerits and merits which develops the complete individual. Gilgamesh is a character with a capability of making his citizens guess his thoughts representing physical heroism, just like the gods represented. He contains abilities that are supernatural with a different kind of anger that brings wrath on anything he comes into contact with. Also, he passed through the waters of death successfully to find out the mystery of life, information only a god can have. Gilgamesh posed several virtues that are conscious which he abides by developing his character of ambition and as a dreamer.

The attributes associated with king Gilgamesh indicate the mystery of life with difficulty of genuinely understanding him as an individual. He has a complicated nature demonstrating the depths and limit s of experience with its low and high points. An individual at the highest point of his dreams with the desire of achieving them. In the case, the idea demonstrates humanity and values humankind; it provides justification of life being tremendous and elevated. Gilgamesh even from his limitations, he proves the extents people suffer after losing a loved one. At the pinnacle of his life ambitions, he conquered the most significant obstacles in life. As a part god, he faces diverse challenges which he faces head-on and comes out a better individual. As a human, he demonstrates how life is short with lots of sorrow and nothing can satisfy the need of ambitions with lack of success in the quest for eternal life.

Work Cited

Sanders, N. K. "The Epic Of Gilgamesh. pdf, Assyrian International News Agency, 1987."