The Importance Of Justice In The Epic Of Gilgamesh

Superior Essays
Justice is a term that people use to describe as an act or behavior that represents the good people present to others and themselves. It serves as a moral high ground that people strive to be, although sometimes these thoughts can be twisted into its opposite and cause pain, anger, and other negative emotions and acts arise within people. This pain erupts into what is known as injustice and is the epitome of what people should not strive for due it bringing so much negativity. It is a moral choice that no one what’s to make due to the label that it puts on them making them into monsters in the eyes of others due to what they believe could have been done. Although, in some cases, injustice is sometimes the best choice in the matter if one is …show more content…
As the readers go with the 10 tablets about the epic they can see just how an unruly Just there can be in the story. Also, while reading the epic readers can very much see how Gilgamesh actually can be seen as an unjust king of Uruk. Granted, the epic does show some of Gilgamesh’s feats of justice when he and Enkidu faced the beast of the Mesopotamian woods, Humbaba, to gain fame and glory. Unfortunately for the Epic, it has a lot more moments that are considered unjust. There are a few cases where the epic begins its reign of injustice towards the relationships that Gilgamesh has with his kingdom, Ishtar and Enkidu, and with …show more content…
Now, this injustice can go both ways towards being good and bad at the same time. The reason why it’s good is that he did insult the God princess and angered the Gods, which are liable to punish those that harm them in any way; but the bad reason feels more deserved for this slot because it affects his image of himself and his psyche. It makes him feel like he does not deserve anything and instills a trait that he has never known before,

Related Documents

  • Improved Essays

    In many novels and plays the protagonist faces the greatest injustices cases they have dealt with. Oedipus Rex is a play where the protagonist, Oedipus, is clearly affected by the injustice he plays himself. Oedipus’ justice beliefs are what sets him off to create a bunch of injustice around the actions he takes. Oedipus searches for justice all along the play but does not realize all the injustice he had created and had been affected. Oedipus believes that people should feel justice and that it should be enforced.…

    • 489 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    As human beings we are very ethical and opinionated. Based upon the views that we have, because of the culture that we grew up in, determines what we view as right or wrong; good and bad. For most people, they do not have to have a reason or rhyme of liking an object, idea or even person. They take what they want and go to extreme measures to get their way.…

    • 374 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Altruistic, Considerate, Humble! These are just a few characteristics of an individual in society that should be admired or deemed honorable. The selflessness of an individual is such a beautiful aspect and is shown throughout history dating back from the very beginning of time. However, when reading “The Epic of Gilgamesh” those characteristics are not present in the ancient king throughout the entire epic. In fact, based on Gilgamesh’s behavior in the epic, he is the complete opposite of those three words stated at the beginning.…

    • 1183 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    In book II of the Republic, Socrates, Glaucon, and Adeimantus explore the question "What is good about living a just life?". They start by analyzing goodness and then they move onto categorizing what kind of good is justice. When I was first asked the question "what is good about living a just life?" the first thought that came to my mind was that when an individual is living a just life he/she does not go to jail. Up until I started reading The Republic, the picture of justice that I had in my head was the one of a judge, court, police officers, etc.…

    • 813 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Great Essays

    Power is the defining force in The Epic of Gilgamesh, but power comes in varying forms. In this essay, I will discuss the emphasis of power, how power is obtained, and the distinction of power in male and female characters and through this, it’s evident male power dominates due to Gilgamesh’s power as a king and his ability to defeat a god. The importance of power is what drives the tale of Gilgamesh. His desire for control over the people outside and within his country leads Gilgamesh on his heroic journey. Along the way, Gilgamesh meets others who rival Gilgamesh’s power.…

    • 1403 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Great Essays
  • Superior Essays

    The Definition Of Justice In Plato's Republic

    • 954 Words
    • 4 Pages
    • 1 Works Cited

    Justice can be described as “minding your own business.” The state and the ruler is just when its three classes or parts execute its own duties and do not interfere with each other. Therefore, injustice must be the opposite or as Socrates says, “…it must be a kind of civil war between the three parts, a meddling and doing of another ’s work, a rebellion by some part against the whole soul in order to rule it inappropriately (Plato…

    • 954 Words
    • 4 Pages
    • 1 Works Cited
    Superior Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Over history various accounts of heroes and their conquests have been conveyed through way of novels, epics and poems. Each story had placed a foundation of qualities for the heroes they depicted. One of the oldest accounts is The Epic of Gilgamesh. This Epic does a good job of setting standards for qualities of heroes.…

    • 837 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Everyone has their own definition of justice, and it can be affected by many factors: surroundings, how one was raised, religious beliefs, social media, and society. Someone who lived during the seventeen-hundreds could have a different definition of justice compared to someone alive today. How one finds justice could also depend on the current issues during their lifetime. In the biblical times, people sought justice against unfair rulers and for religious freedom. Instead of turning towards violence, they usually turned towards God.…

    • 475 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    The value, Justice can be seen in the Norse creation myth when Ymir is killed. Ymir was the first of the frost giant, but not a god. He over time turned to evil, causing a long struggle between the new gods. They, in time killed him, and by doing so, they created the earth.…

    • 448 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Decent Essays

    Have you ever thought of life in Mesopotamia? What did the civilizations value? Civilizations included the Sumerians, Akkadians, Babylonians and Hebrews. Many features and ideas of these civilizations influenced how people live and behave nowadays. The Mesopotamians put a great emphasis on literature, religion and laws/morals.…

    • 443 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Decent Essays
  • Superior Essays

    What everyone defines as justice is very different. What one person may see as justice another may not see it as justice. We as people make these choices everyday without knowing that we had made them. A prime example of what one person sees as justice and others do not is from Antigone. After Antigone’s brothers fought and Kreon kills Polyneices, Kreon says that his brother Polyneices is not to be buried, since Polyneices wanted the crown for himself.…

    • 1354 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Justice Everyone holds their own definition of what justice is, though the Merriam-Webster dictionary defines it, as the process or result of using laws to fairly judge and punish crimes and criminals (Merriam Webster). Although the idea of justice is connotative to good intention, Marcus Tullus Cicero author of The Defense of Injustice, shares a different perspective to the notion of justice. In a persuasive dialogue, Laelius gives Philus the challenge to defend the idea of injustice, in which Philius successfully accomplishes, establishing a powerful argument. Cicero insists that the idea of doing the right thing and having a good intention comes from human weakness and not from the idea of justice. He believes that the idea of justice…

    • 811 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Decent Essays

    Galaucon believe, “to do injustice is, by nature, good; to suffer injustice, evil; but that the evil is greater than the good.” I believe he means that the act of injustice itself is naturally good , however the act of injustice has become evil, because of the consequence of injustice is punishment, and the punishment is an undesired, bad consequences, therefore to avoid of injustice is the better choice, than to suffered from the consequences by committed of injustices. Galaucon said “To be the origin and nature of justice; it is a mean or compromise, between the best of all, which is to do injustice and not be punished, and the worst of all, which is to suffer injustice without the power of retaliation.” I believe he meant, the origin…

    • 177 Words
    • 1 Pages
    Decent Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Thomas Jefferson, the author of our great Declaration of Independence once said, “It is reasonable that everyone who asks justice should do justice.” As a progressive founding father, Jefferson sought this justice by means of freedom. Today, American society has grown from this freedom, and justice is usually sought from means other than an oppressive British Empire. We now consider justice synonymous to law; a duty and symbol of our courts. Justice serves the individual and the society as a guardian of life, liberty, and property.…

    • 931 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Decent Essays

    A lot of individuals tend to have different ideas of what the abstract word “justice” means to them. Justice is one of those words that doesn’t have a solid definition. One way of looking at the “definition” of justice is that justice is a way of having control over society and some of the things pertaining to justice such as making sure the majority remains safe in a situation. Of course this meaning of justice…

    • 310 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Decent Essays