A Literary Appreciation of the First Tablet in the Epic of Gilgamesh
“He who has seen everything, I will make known to the lands” (1). An epic beginning to an epic story. The Epic of Gilgamesh was not composed with subtlety, but to immortalize the actions and myths of one man’s life. It’s extravagant language was designed to grab the attention of listeners and captivate audiences. The first tablet of the epic serves to establish the story, characters, and to grab the reader’s attention. This epic was originally composed to be told aloud by a bard. This style, as well as the juxtaposition of extravagant, lengthy descriptions of Gilgamesh and plain, concise discussion of Enkidu work to impress Gilgamesh’s magnificence upon listeners.
THE USE …show more content…
The phrase “It was he who” (36) is repeated throughout the second stanza of this section followed by his various conquests. By repeating the phrase each time, the speaker draws attention to the amount of Gilgamesh has accomplished. As opposed to the phrase followed by a long list, the repetition refocuses the listener on Gilgamesh so that each accomplishment is directly associated with him.
Enkidu. The first way Enkidu is described is as “the bride of the young man” (75). Enkidu is a task that is given to Gilgamesh by the gods to occupy his time. Just as Gilgamesh has gone out and dug wells in the mountains to bring about civilization there, he will bring about civilization in Enkidu. While Enkidu is “equal to his (Gilgamesh’s) stormy heart” (80), he is not civilized as Gilgamesh is. Gilgamesh is “the shepherd of Uruk-Haven” (71), Enkidu “wore a garment like Sumukan (god of wild animals)” (90). Enkidu is made to be a new, life long challenge for Gilgamesh, the great …show more content…
Gilgamesh was given long, extravagant descriptions of various aspects of his being, his leadership, lineage, and accomplishments. Similarly, the audience is told why and how Enkidu was made, and how he looked and acted. However, all of this was accomplished in significantly fewer lines than were given to Gilgamesh, and much of his description serves to establish that he is for Gilgamesh Though it is never explicitly stated, it is made very apparent that Enkidu is inferior to Gilgamesh. However, Enkidu is still established to be superior to humans through the author’s language. His description is filled with reverences to various deities. His hair “billowed in profusion like Ashnan” (88), and wore “a garment like Sumukan” (90). This establishes him as a powerful, superior being. Despite this, the succinctness of his initial description, and the use of much of the first tablet to describe his being civilized by Gilgamesh, shows that he is beneath Gilgamesh and requires his aid to reach his full potential and be
“He who has seen everything, I will make known to the lands” (1). An epic beginning to an epic story. The Epic of Gilgamesh was not composed with subtlety, but to immortalize the actions and myths of one man’s life. It’s extravagant language was designed to grab the attention of listeners and captivate audiences. The first tablet of the epic serves to establish the story, characters, and to grab the reader’s attention. This epic was originally composed to be told aloud by a bard. This style, as well as the juxtaposition of extravagant, lengthy descriptions of Gilgamesh and plain, concise discussion of Enkidu work to impress Gilgamesh’s magnificence upon listeners.
THE USE …show more content…
The phrase “It was he who” (36) is repeated throughout the second stanza of this section followed by his various conquests. By repeating the phrase each time, the speaker draws attention to the amount of Gilgamesh has accomplished. As opposed to the phrase followed by a long list, the repetition refocuses the listener on Gilgamesh so that each accomplishment is directly associated with him.
Enkidu. The first way Enkidu is described is as “the bride of the young man” (75). Enkidu is a task that is given to Gilgamesh by the gods to occupy his time. Just as Gilgamesh has gone out and dug wells in the mountains to bring about civilization there, he will bring about civilization in Enkidu. While Enkidu is “equal to his (Gilgamesh’s) stormy heart” (80), he is not civilized as Gilgamesh is. Gilgamesh is “the shepherd of Uruk-Haven” (71), Enkidu “wore a garment like Sumukan (god of wild animals)” (90). Enkidu is made to be a new, life long challenge for Gilgamesh, the great …show more content…
Gilgamesh was given long, extravagant descriptions of various aspects of his being, his leadership, lineage, and accomplishments. Similarly, the audience is told why and how Enkidu was made, and how he looked and acted. However, all of this was accomplished in significantly fewer lines than were given to Gilgamesh, and much of his description serves to establish that he is for Gilgamesh Though it is never explicitly stated, it is made very apparent that Enkidu is inferior to Gilgamesh. However, Enkidu is still established to be superior to humans through the author’s language. His description is filled with reverences to various deities. His hair “billowed in profusion like Ashnan” (88), and wore “a garment like Sumukan” (90). This establishes him as a powerful, superior being. Despite this, the succinctness of his initial description, and the use of much of the first tablet to describe his being civilized by Gilgamesh, shows that he is beneath Gilgamesh and requires his aid to reach his full potential and be