The Qualities Of Heroism In The Epic Of Gilgamesh

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. Other tales or novels have derived their storyline from The Epic of Gilgamesh. From Gilgamesh the qualities that can be derived are bravery, strength, compassion, and versatility. These qualities are the foundation for defining a hero. Gilgamesh did not however portray heroism initially, but after embracing these qualities he was able to become a true hero. Bravery is an essential quality for a hero because he needs to set an example for his people. Heroes usually carry a sense of authority in their community, just as Gilgamesh was the king of Uruk. Also, he needed to show his bravery to lead his people. In this quote, “Surpassing all other kings, heroic in stature, brave scion of Uruk, wild bull on the rampage! Going at the fore he was the vanguard, going at the rear, one his comrades could trust!” (George 63 line 30-34). This quote perfectly demonstrated the importance of bravery for a leaders and how bravery allows people to create a positive perception of the hero through trust and …show more content…
The qualities that are essential are bravery, compassion and versatility. Although Gilgamesh did not present all of these initially he developed them throughout his endeavors. From The Epic of Gilgamesh the foundation of heroism was set and it created a ripple effect of an infinite amount of stories and novels to create their heroes with the same qualities as Gilgamesh. That being said in order to gain these qualities hardships will have to be faced and if one is able to overcome his own pride and think for all he will truly be a