Paper Example on The Epic of Gilgamesh

Introduction

Jean Bottero's publication, The Epic of Gilgamesh, is a narrative about Gilgamesh, a chief of the people of Uruk, that uses his leadership position to oppress and cause great suffering to his subjects. This leaves most of the citizens of Uruk dissatisfied with the leadership style used by their leader. The gods, who are the overseers of the community, are also unhappy with the way the king treats his subjects and devise a solution of dealing with the social problem. They make Enkidu, who is supposed to put an end to the oppression that Gilgamesh has been subjecting his community (Bottero 230). Gilgamesh is more of a god than a man, meaning that he possesses some power that natural man did not have. Using his knowledge and power, Gilgamesh had managed to develop the city although he forced his subjects to work in the projects. The author of the poem is Bottero, although it is not his original work. The story of Gilgamesh has been written by different authors although the scripts were done in Babylon, with Shin-Leqi-Unninni writing it in the 13th Century. It has also been edited and translated into many languages so that it can reach a wider audience. The purpose of the study is analyzing the cultural pattern of civilization, by illustrating how The Epic of Gilgamesh relates to modern day cultural, artistic, philosophical, and historical themes (Bottero 237). The significance of the study is The Epic of Gilgamesh is allowing the readers to understand the different themes used, with an aim of creating awareness of the issues facing the society at large, as well as the impact of their choices in their lives. The themes of abuse of office, disobedience, death, sins, wisdom, lust, sex, amongst others are rampant in the story; and leadership in the community is an important issue as it affects the quality of life that subjects live.

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Background of the Study

The main character of the poem is Gilgamesh, who has the mandate to lead the locals as he possesses the quality of a good leader. The fact that he is half-human and half-god makes him have a competitive advantage over other leaders that have led the locals in the past. This is because he has more strength than a human being and is able to strategize with an aim of improving the interests of the entire society (Bottero 239). The main character represents a number of lessons intended to make the reader gain knowledge and wisdom that they can use in their lives. In work, Gilgamesh comes out as a hardworking individual that does not shy away from letting others engage in nation building activities (Lambert and Jeffrey 116). This is because he understands the value of input which has more output both in the short-term and in the long-term. Even though he uses the labor of the citizens to engage in building the community, he does an excellent job as al inhabitants of the place end up feeling the positive effect of the change brought by their leader. The role played in delivering the message is that even leaders should be actively involved in building the nation and not leave the work to their subjects.

As earlier noted that the original poem was written in Babylon and most probably having been written in Greek or Hebrew, many artists have had interest in the poem and have translated it so that it can reach a wide audience. The interpretation has interfered with the original message of the poem as writers come from different backgrounds and target diverse audiences (Lambert and Jeffrey 137). The modern translation has however aimed at maintaining the originality so that it can project the message composed by the author. Irrespective of the translation adopted by a writer, each piece is unique and appeals to the audiences, making it become one of the widely read poems in academic institutions. It is worth noting that with every translation to an original text, there are variations that may affect the message written, as a translator may fail to understand the first language used. In addition, some words used in the first language may not be available in the second language being used in the translation process.

Reflection on the Information

A personal reflection on the poem is that The Epic of Gilgamesh is intriguing and captures the attention of the reader. The flow of the poem from the beginning to the end makes it easy to create a mental picture of the activities that were taking place in the life of the main character, Gilgamesh as well as those that were close to him. Gilgamesh is one of the characters and despite his inner desire to remain immortal, he realizes that he must enjoy his life despite the assurance that he will eventually die in the long-term. This also sends a message to the reader on the need to enjoy life as it is as, in the long-term, they will perish. Another important aspect learned from the poem is on the repercussions of disobedience which results in death. For instance, Enkidu had been sent to earth by the gods to ensure that Gilgamesh does not mistreat his subjects and failed to fulfill the desire of his masters (Bottero 238). He was punished with a disease that leads to his death. Gilgamesh is given another chance which he must maximize so that he may not lose his life too, as he has a large responsibility in being the custodian of the interests of all the citizens.

Synopses of the Story in the Book

The synopsis of the story presents other gods apart from Gilgamesh and Enkidu. For instance, the god of earth, air, and the winds, known as Enlil engage in a violent physical fight with Gilgamesh and Enkidu when they try stealing trees in a cedar forest. The god gives his servant power and enables him to fight the two mortals who had broken the law, as they not supposed to access the trees. another god mentioned in The Epic of Gilgamesh is Shamash, who is considered to be in charge of the sun. he is mentioned when he assists Gilgamesh and Enkidu to overpower Enlil. Ishtar is a goddess of love and provokes people to feel attracted towards each other. however, she has fallen for Gilgamesh by developing lustful feelings towards him, even though her subject of interest does not respond positively (Pielke and Harry p509). She wants to have a relationship with Gilgamesh since she understands that he is more of a god than a human being. Ishtar revenges the rejection by Gilgamesh by engaging her father, Anu, who is a god of the sky. All gods have power and have an influence in the life of the main character, Gilgamesh.

The people of Uruk are not happy with the leadership of Gilgamesh and cry out to their god for redemption from the king who does not add value to their lives (Lambert and Jeffrey 123). Gilgamesh is cruel and forced the youths to work on his projects and did not give them rewards for their labor. He was also a rapist that took advantage of any woman he desired sexually. For instance, at one time, Gilgamesh was after a bride that was about to get married and wanted to have his way with her. His inability to respect the marriage vows between two people was wrong as he also had interest in his warriors' wives (Bottero 235). The ill-treatment that Gilgamesh subjects his followers leads him to complain about his harsh approach in dealing with the citizens under him.

Other Characters in The Epic of Gilgamesh

Humbaba in The Epic of Gilgamesh is a demon. The demon works under Enlil, the god of earth, air, and wind. He helped in guarding the earth and wind by keeping off unwanted people from the property. For instance, Humbaba was actively involved in the fight between Gilgamesh, Enkidu, and Enlil, as they sought to steal trees from the forbidden forest. Every character mentioned in the story has a supporting role in Gilgamesh's life. For instance, Enkidu helps Gilgamesh realize the importance of life after he dies prematurely. Gilgamesh had grown close to him since they had done different things together like fighting against the god of earth, Enlil and his servant Humbaba, and defeated them. This had the two, Enkidu and Gilgamesh to cut down the trees and make a gate and a canoe (Bottero 232). Siduri is another character in the story that interacts with Gilgamesh as she gives him advice against pursuing his conquest of wanting to be immortal. For instance, she lets Gilgamesh know that his efforts are futile, and despite his ignorance, she assists Gilgamesh to go to Urshanabi, who controls that sail across the sea.

The central theme in The Epic of Gilgamesh is death and mortality. Gilgamesh is on the lookout for ways in which he can find a solution or a cure that will help prevent him from dying (Pielke and Harry p500). He takes a journey that takes him far and wide and despite the discouragement, he gets from other people like Siduri that his quest will be futile in the long-term, Gilgamesh remains committed. He comes to understand that every human being must die and only the Supernatural One is immortal, as He is the Creator (Lambert and Jeffrey 117). Enkidu loses his life an illustration of one of the central themes in the story. Subjects in Gilgamesh's kingdom also lose their lives because of the ill-treatment from their leader who pushes them to engage in hard tasks.

N. K. Sandar's landmark translation of one of the first and most significant works of Western literature is prefaced by a detailed introduction that examines the narrative and historical context of the work (Bottero 2001). It connects the story to the Cultural Pattern of Western Civilization by the similarities in characters of the leaders and historical kings that have lead people in the West. In addition, the changes taking place in the society like the adoption of a king is evidence that people relied on a physical king than being led by the gods who helped control the surroundings. The study of human culture is an interest for historians since it helps understand the developments that have taken place in the lives of human beings. It also makes it possible to understand the heritage of people as well as the relationships that exist between people from different backgrounds (Lambert and Jeffrey 123). Cultural beliefs and practices differ from one community to another. For instance, the culture described in the story of the people of Uruk is different from the modern way of doing things.

Conclusion

The Epic of Gilgamesh is an interesting read and it captures the attention of the readers. It uses simple language that is easy to understand making one follow the insights from the beginning to the end. In addition, the characters used in the story also play their part with dedication ensuring that they derive entertainment for the audience. The information will help the Humanities Cultural Pattern Western Civilization by educating the learners on the historical figures, as well as the different styles of leadership that ensure subjects feel part of a big team. The text connects to the philosophical, historical, and cultural themes of first and classical civilizations by letting readers understand the origin of human beings as well as the developments that have taken place in the lives of individuals to the modern situation. The ideas presented in the study of disobedience, abuse of office, sex, lust, and leadership have been articulately demonstrated in the story.

Works Cited

Bottero, Jean. "The Epic of Gilgamesh." Everyday Life in Ancient Mesopotamia, Oct. 2001, pp. 230-245., doi:10.3366/edinburgh/9780748613878.003.0014.

Lambert, W. G., and Jeffrey H. Tigay. "The Evolution of the Gilgamesh Epic." Journal of Biblical Literature, vol. 104, no. 1, 1985, p. 115., doi:10.2307/3260599.

Pielke, Janet V., and Harry R. Garvin. "New Dimensions in the Humanities and Social Sciences." Contemporary Sociology, vol. 7, no. 4, 1978, p. 501., doi:10.2307/2064401.