Cedar Forest

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…

Story telling has been around for as long as man has, but there is a common pattern in stories that existed as far back as writing goes, and is still used to this day. Joseph Campbell created the structure of the monomyth, or the Hero’s Journey, to show that epics and myths all follow somewhat of a similar pattern. He designed this template to follow stories such as the Odyssey, Jesus and the New Testament, and classic myths. In fact, it turns out that this monomyth was a template for the oldest…

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…

Death is feared by many people because of the simple fact that is it unavoidable, well unless you are granted immortality like a god. Throughout “The epic of Gilgamesh” we are shown that Gilgamesh and Enkidu fear dying without being remembered. The pair of friends go on various journeys for the simple pleasure of having fame and being seen as heroes throughout Uruk. Gilgamesh and Enkidu face great despair that completely change their perspective about what life and death really means. At the…

“The Epic of Gilgamesh” is an epic poem written by Morris Jastrow, Jr. that is centered around the character Gilgamesh and his many endeavors. He is best described as a great leader who is powerful, strong, and determined. Although there is something very different about Gilgamesh that we see in no other character throughout our readings, he is two-thirds god and one third man. Gilgamesh is on the edge of being a god, but his lineage causes him to be part human. Therefore, by being human, he is…

The two cultures I chose to compare heroic values for are the ancient stories of Gilgamesh and Beowulf. Although they possess many similar heroic characteristics they also differ greatly. Beowulf is often referred to as the first important work of literature in English, even though it was written in Old English. The world that Beowulf depicts and the heroic code of honor that defines much of the story is a relic of pre–Anglo-Saxon culture. The hero of The Epic of Gilgamesh was an actual…

The Epic of Gilgamesh was a changing story that had a changing image of its main character after it was first recorded in 2100 BCE in Mesopotamia. As time went on the language changed from Sumerian to Akkadian. The change of language brought new versions of the story which led to the image of Gilgamesh varying. In some he was known as being a great kind that had done many good deeds and in others according to abc-clio.com, "He is also described as abusing his powers and oppressing his people."…

Nandanie George WLIT 201 Professor Ghelli October 29, 2016 Fearing Death: Gilgamesh's Search for Immortality in the Epic of Gilgamesh. From since the earlier years, people fear dying and many search for ways to carry on their lives forever. We have seen this theme of immortality appeared in some of the earliest written texts, especially in the Epic of Gilgamesh which was written in Sumerian cuneiform during the 2000 BC. This text has since influenced many works that is present today. Gilgamesh…

to Gilgamesh. Gilgamesh and Enkidu become close friends and set out on an adventure together. The first part of the adventure involved Gilgamesh and Enkidu stealing trees from a cedar forest that mortals were forbidden to enter. A demon named Humbaba, a slave to the god of earth, wind, and air, Enlil, guarded this forest. Gilgamesh and Enkidu defeated Humbaba with the help of the…

The Epic of Gilgamesh is one of the oldest pieces of literature that chronicles the journey of a young king of ancient Uruk, which was a city-state in Mesopotamia between the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers, and is presently known today as Iraq. In 2700 B.C.E., the ancient story “The Epic of Gilgamesh” was written in the Sumerian language (the earliest Mesopotamian language) on twelve clay tablets (Puchner33). Gilgamesh, who was created by the gods, was two-thirds god and one-third man. This…