Symbols In Maya Angelou's The Epic Of Gilgamesh

According to Maya Angelou, a hero is any person with the intent to make the world a better place for all people. In addition, The Epic of Gilgamesh is a story based on Sumerian culture, and it was the first well-known piece of literature in the world. To explain, this story was told thousands of years ago, but it still remains in the twentieth century; because it was written in a set of symbols on cuneiform tablets. Similarly, The Epic of Gilgamesh is an example of oral tradition, and it thoroughly summarizes integral aspects of life such as, death and friendship. Gilgamesh was uniquely created because he was two-thirds God and one-third man, and he was often compared to a bull because he never lost a battle. The ancient Epic of Gilgamesh guides …show more content…
Most of them represented wisdom as well as power, such as, the Goddess of Aruru and Ishtar. The Goddess of Aruru created Enkidu, thus is called the Goddess of Creation. In contrast, the Goddess of Ishtar is the Goddess of war, sex, and love, and she is sexually attracted to Gilgamesh, but he shows no interest in her. However, like Eve, the women in the epic could also stand for temptation and ruin. Another example of women with power was referred to as nin or ninsun. The word nin describes a woman that belongs to a Lord. Therefore, she could prepare strategies just as her Lord could. In like manner, women and men were seen equal to each other, although physically men have more strength, which is one integral characteristic of power. With this in mind, the women throughout the tale mentally and spiritually have power over the men, and Gilgamesh was not ambiguous of this …show more content…
It began as oral tradition, recorded, and then it was written down in a set of symbols on cuneiform tablets. It has been passed down from century to century and it will continue to be told generation after generation. Although Gilgamesh was not the typical king, he still managed to accomplish goals for his people and for himself. To elaborate, Gilgamesh was not a righteous king, and through all of his quests he grew into an even more powerful king. For example, Gilgamesh became wiser and stronger when he lost his friend, Enkidu and defeated Humbaba. In like manner, this is why nature and wilderness held an important role in human identity because Enkidu was born into the wilderness, and Gilgamesh wanted to tame nature while protecting his people. Although women are not physically as strong as men, the wise and powerful women throughout the tale guided Gilgamesh, and this transformed the tyrant into a