Notesale: Turn your study into money

Document Preview

Extracts from the notes are below, to see the PDF you'll receive please use the links above

---

THEMES IN THE GILGAMESH EPIC

1

Themes In The Gilgamesh Epic
Name of Student
Name of Institution
Date

THEMES IN THE GILGAMESH EPIC

2
History

The Epic of Gilgamesh is a piece of Sumerian text, originating from the ancient lands
of Mesopotamia, detailing the life and actions of the demi-god Bilgamesh (the Sumerian
word for Gilgamesh) and his companion Enkidu
...
The text is one of the earliest pieces of surviving literature ever found,
outdating Homer's Odyssey by almost one and a half thousand years (Sanders 1985, pp
...

Synopsis
Gilgamesh is one third man and two thirds god; he was made by the gods to be a
perfect individual
...
The two form a great friendship and seek to
overcome many great troubles in the land, such as defeating Humbaba, the guardian of Cedar
Mountain
...
Stricken by grief, Gilgamesh searches for a method
to grant eternal life; his search ends up fruitless, but instead finds the immortality he seeks in
the everlasting legend of his deeds in life (Sanders 1985)
...
Gilgamesh and Enkidu's
relationship is the catalyst for both of their character development; Enkidu humbles
Gilgamesh from his tyrannical nature and is equally made more noble and conscientious
himself
...
Erotic love also plays a part
within the story; not only is it the denial of Ishtar's advances that causes Enkidu's death but it
is also recognised that this love is linked with the human condition and is part of it's
development and continuation, as Sanders (1985, 64-64) states:
as he lay on her murmuring love she taught him the woman's art
...

Enkidu was not wise in the ways of man before he involved himself in love with another; the
beasts he once associated with now run from him as a metaphor for his wild nature leaving
him
...

Theme #2: Life and Death
Life and death, as well as the thought processes and ideas on the topics, are a pivotal
part of the Gilgamesh Epic
...
Initially he and Enkidu fight in spite of this inevitability; they go on to
engage in risky battles against the giant Humbaba and slay the Bull of Heaven in defiance of
the odds
...
As a result Gilgamesh begins to fear death and
goes on a search for immortality by travelling to meet the immortal man Utnapishtim in hope
of finding answers
...
102):
fill your belly with good things; day and night, night and day, dance and be merry,
feast and rejoice
...
Often, even if they are in the wrong, the gods will use their power for their own
devices, such as when Gilgamesh denies Ishtar's advances and, as a result, she asks her father
Anu and her mother Antum to release the Bull of Heaven in revenge
...
In the end, no good comes
from defying the way of the gods as it either brings bad consequences from the gods
themselves or simply serves to highlight their dominance over the way of the world; all
efforts to overcome their will are ultimately fruitless
...


References
Sandars, N
...
(1985)
...
Viking Penguin Inc: New York



---