Shamash

From the start, Ninsun presents in the story as Gilgamesh’s mother, and she is a very supportive mom who reveals in the way she watches out for and takes care of her son. She is incredibly devoted to Gilgamesh and always encourages and supports him through his journeys. We can clearly see this when she tried to put in a good word for her son in front of Shamash before Gilgamesh and Endiku’s quest to slay Humbaba in Tablet III. Then there is Shamat who is used to change Enkidu completely. She is a prostitute whose primary job is to pleasure noble men. Shamat uses her “job” to seduce Enkidu by “stripping off her clothing, laying bare her charms.” (pg.103) To transform him from his home with nature and wild animals into a human being. Shamat uses her sexuality to over power Enkidu for a week to bring him back to society. She is not only a sexual figure to Enkidu, but also is a maternal figure for him when introducing him to civilization. She cleans him up, teaches him how to eat, drink, and dress. Another woman in The Epic of Gilgamesh is Ishtar, who tries to use her sexuality and power to seek to…

The Epic of Gilgamesh is a story that originates from Mesopotamia. Through out the epic we learn of several gods, the sun-god Shamash that helps Enkidu and Gilgamesh defeat Humbaba, Aruru who creates Enkidu as Gilgamesh’s equal because the people complained about how badly they were being treated by Gilgamesh, Ishtar the god of love, Anu the sky-god etc. There were numerous gods responsible for all areas of life. The gods were an intricate part of human life and affected daily events.…

Before entering the forest Enkidu encourages Gilgamesh to cry out to Shamash for help in defeating Humbaba for they face possible eradication from the monster whose “roar [it] is like the torrent of the storm, his breath is like fire, and his jaws are death itself” (Sandars, 71). Gilgamesh then goes into the presence of the sun and stands before the god beginning for his help. Shamash hears Gilgamesh’s cries and shows him mercy by appointing allies for the them both. These supernatural allies…

Women for ages have been seen to be beneath men. They believe women do not have the capability to handle men positions and make rules. They see women as marriage material and mothers. In The Epic of Gilgamesh and in Persepolis women status are clear. They are considered less important and powerful compared to men. However, in both stories women are a great value in the world. They are powerful, nurturing, and temptation. In the stories these feminine qualities are displayed and the overall…

to the cultures that produced the epic. In the beginning, Enkidu’s constant destruction of the hunter’s traps hinders the hunter on a personal level but also hinders the economy of Uruk. Enkidu’s first taste of civilized food consists of beer and bread. This scene shows just how important beer and bread are to the kingdom of Uruk and to real ancient civilizations. By having this wild man-beast’s first taste of civilization be that of beer and bread it drives home the import of these foods. The…

In the Epic of Gilgamesh, the God plays a powerful indirect role and interfere with the lives of human. Mesopotamian deities required human to worship and praise them. In return, God is supposed to stabilize their surrounding and to provide them a good fortune. There are many examples throughout the epic text of God trying to control life in a certain way. Gilgamesh is two-thirds god and one-third human and plays the role of being king of the city Uruk. Gilgamesh is very powerful and is not…

Humans looks upon heroes, and heroes represent his people ideology. Epics have introduced a numerous amount of characters, but only a few are considered heroes. Gilgamesh from “Epic of Gilgamesh” stands out as one. Gilgamesh carries a perfect body gifted by the gods, as he is two-third god and one-third man. He is also the king of Uruk, a shepherd to his people. Comparable to Gilgamesh are son of Zeus, Achilles and son of Atreus, Agamemnon. Achilles possesses superhuman strength and is marked as…

It is often said that life is short, so make it count. The brevity of life is enough to drive makes life itself one of the most precious gifts there is. Therefore, how one spends his life is of the utmost importance. Both the Epic of Gilgamesh and the Bible recognize the concision of life. While death looms, the principles regarding life and death shine forth in both narratives. In this paper, an exploration of what each has to say about life and death will be handled, including a…

dangerous and volatile. While they are beings that are irrational at times, they still demand piety, obedience, and flattery. It is their emotional behavior that can either grant blessings due to compassion or a damned death if angered. Ishtar proceeds to ask her father, Anu, for help. Despite Anu’s reasoning that Ishtar’s behavior caused such response, Ishtar is intent on revenge and threatens her father that she would “raise up the dead to devour the living” if something is not done (85).…

to give her the Bull of Heaven so that she can punish Gilgamesh for his insulting remarks and wounding her pride. Ishtar released the Bull of Heaven in Uruk and caused havoc and destruction to bestow upon the city of Uruk. Despite the turbulence and power of the Bull of Heaven, Gilgamesh and Enkidu managed to catch it. Enkidu attacked the bull and grabbed it by the tail, while Gilgamesh killed it by stabbed his sword in between the bull’s shoulders. Their murder infuriated Ishtar even more. At…