The Epic of Gilgamesh is a riveting tale of friendship, strife, and heroism. It follows Gilgamesh, along with his comrade Enkidu, on his journey to becoming immortal. While there are many things about this tale that would classify it as an epic, there are also quite a few elements in the storytelling that are more than often used in the dramatic genre of tragedy.
There are many qualities to Gilgamesh that immediately establishes him as an arrogant and egomaniacal king in the mind of the reader. He is describes as being a fierce warrior, brave and strong. He is ambitious, selfish and prideful. He forces himself upon women and treats lower-class people as “beneath” him. Nothing about these attributed really establish him as any so-called hero. …show more content…
Flawed protagonists are usually the basis of tragedy, in which a character’s fatal flaw leads to their downfall. His characterization alone is very strikingly similar to that of a tragic hero in comparison to other epic heroes who believe in nobility and justice from the start of their narratives. A character learning from their flaws and changing is a technique very unique to the genre of tragedy.
What changes Gilgamesh, however, is the arrival of Enkidu. Gilgamesh 's mother, Ninsun, has a dream foretelling that Gilgamesh will get a friend, and that friend was Enkidu. Gilgamesh’s bond with Enkidu calms him down and gives him focus. Despite the battle that occurs upon their first meeting, their friendship slowly helps to mold Gilgamesh into a hero worthy of respect and …show more content…
This is a fatal flaw most commonly attributed to protagonists of tragedies. Once again, Gilgamesh is shown to share similarities with that of a tragic character, in that his own pride and arrogance hinder him from true enlightenment. Enkidu’s death devastated Gilgamesh, leading him to ponder about how he could defeat it. Thus, Gilgamesh sets out on a quest for immortality.
During the beginning of his journey, Gilgamesh acts the way he did before meeting Enkidu. He is arrogant, rude, and disgraceful once again. He is clearly broken up about the death of his friend and resorts back to his childish, violent behavior. Not only this, his heart is so set on discovering the secret of immortality that it blinds him and hinders him from doing any sort of growing and maturing.
This is where the tragic irony sets in. The reader knows that Gilgamesh’s desire for eternal life will prove unsuccessful, but Gilgamesh is hopeful. HE truly believes there is a way to escape such a horrible fate that we as humanity are doomed to; but, as in many tragedies, there is no way to truly escape one’s fate, especially if that fate is
There are many qualities to Gilgamesh that immediately establishes him as an arrogant and egomaniacal king in the mind of the reader. He is describes as being a fierce warrior, brave and strong. He is ambitious, selfish and prideful. He forces himself upon women and treats lower-class people as “beneath” him. Nothing about these attributed really establish him as any so-called hero. …show more content…
Flawed protagonists are usually the basis of tragedy, in which a character’s fatal flaw leads to their downfall. His characterization alone is very strikingly similar to that of a tragic hero in comparison to other epic heroes who believe in nobility and justice from the start of their narratives. A character learning from their flaws and changing is a technique very unique to the genre of tragedy.
What changes Gilgamesh, however, is the arrival of Enkidu. Gilgamesh 's mother, Ninsun, has a dream foretelling that Gilgamesh will get a friend, and that friend was Enkidu. Gilgamesh’s bond with Enkidu calms him down and gives him focus. Despite the battle that occurs upon their first meeting, their friendship slowly helps to mold Gilgamesh into a hero worthy of respect and …show more content…
This is a fatal flaw most commonly attributed to protagonists of tragedies. Once again, Gilgamesh is shown to share similarities with that of a tragic character, in that his own pride and arrogance hinder him from true enlightenment. Enkidu’s death devastated Gilgamesh, leading him to ponder about how he could defeat it. Thus, Gilgamesh sets out on a quest for immortality.
During the beginning of his journey, Gilgamesh acts the way he did before meeting Enkidu. He is arrogant, rude, and disgraceful once again. He is clearly broken up about the death of his friend and resorts back to his childish, violent behavior. Not only this, his heart is so set on discovering the secret of immortality that it blinds him and hinders him from doing any sort of growing and maturing.
This is where the tragic irony sets in. The reader knows that Gilgamesh’s desire for eternal life will prove unsuccessful, but Gilgamesh is hopeful. HE truly believes there is a way to escape such a horrible fate that we as humanity are doomed to; but, as in many tragedies, there is no way to truly escape one’s fate, especially if that fate is