Enkidu: Gilgamesh’s Double
Who was Gilgamesh, really? While he may have been known to build Uruk and knew the most of all men know, his real character was not always like that. This is where Enkidu comes in. Enkidu, made to be Gilgamesh’s “double” (Gilg., p.5), pulls out the hero in Gilgamesh and leads him on the path to becoming a hero. Enkidu was the example of the hero Gilgamesh was to become and therefore acted as Gilgamesh’s double in that he represents Gilgamesh’s final state.
To get Gilgamesh to where he needs to be, the gods created Enkidu. In the beginning of the poem, Gilgamesh is not seen as a hero, not even by his people. They were afraid of him, asking the gods for someone that would be able to “withstand the desire of the Wild Ox” (Gilg., p.4). The elders of Uruk also questioned his ability to protect and lead them. These traits render Gilgamesh as the opposite of what a hero should be and spurred the creation of Enkidu, a man resembling Gilgamesh in size and strength, yet more like who Gilgamesh is supposed to be than Gilgamesh was. This allows Enkidu to be an example to Gilgamesh as it also means Gilgamesh possessed what it took to become a hero. With Enkidu as his companion, …show more content…
While incorporating Enkidu into the poem tells of how Gilgamesh came to be who he was, having Enkidu there to pull out those traits in Gilgamesh also allows for the comparison of the two characters. Gilgamesh’s developments to becoming a hero was clearer to see because of Enkidu’s character. For example, as Gilgamesh develops, Enkidu remained constant as his double, implying the actions of Gilgamesh were on the right path if Enkidu had acted the same. Enkidu, throughout the poem, was an essence of Gilgamesh, acting as his double and being an example of what Gilgamesh was to
Who was Gilgamesh, really? While he may have been known to build Uruk and knew the most of all men know, his real character was not always like that. This is where Enkidu comes in. Enkidu, made to be Gilgamesh’s “double” (Gilg., p.5), pulls out the hero in Gilgamesh and leads him on the path to becoming a hero. Enkidu was the example of the hero Gilgamesh was to become and therefore acted as Gilgamesh’s double in that he represents Gilgamesh’s final state.
To get Gilgamesh to where he needs to be, the gods created Enkidu. In the beginning of the poem, Gilgamesh is not seen as a hero, not even by his people. They were afraid of him, asking the gods for someone that would be able to “withstand the desire of the Wild Ox” (Gilg., p.4). The elders of Uruk also questioned his ability to protect and lead them. These traits render Gilgamesh as the opposite of what a hero should be and spurred the creation of Enkidu, a man resembling Gilgamesh in size and strength, yet more like who Gilgamesh is supposed to be than Gilgamesh was. This allows Enkidu to be an example to Gilgamesh as it also means Gilgamesh possessed what it took to become a hero. With Enkidu as his companion, …show more content…
While incorporating Enkidu into the poem tells of how Gilgamesh came to be who he was, having Enkidu there to pull out those traits in Gilgamesh also allows for the comparison of the two characters. Gilgamesh’s developments to becoming a hero was clearer to see because of Enkidu’s character. For example, as Gilgamesh develops, Enkidu remained constant as his double, implying the actions of Gilgamesh were on the right path if Enkidu had acted the same. Enkidu, throughout the poem, was an essence of Gilgamesh, acting as his double and being an example of what Gilgamesh was to