essay on the epic of gilgamesh
Jonathan Wiles History 1017 10/21/02 Mid-Term Paper Struggles for Life From the east comes the Old Babylonian account of the life and death of Gilgamesh. There was a real Gilgamesh, a king who ruled some 2700 years before Christ lived and the Romans consolidated their vast empire. ... Some of these tales -- more than 600 years after Gilgameshs rule -- were collected by a storyteller and were put down in the form of an epic poem. This poem is what we know today as “The Epic of Gilgamesh.” Gilgamesh is initially portrayed as a mediocre king. ... “Gilgamesh sounds the tocsin for his amusement, his arrogance has no bounds by day or night. No son is left with his father, for Gilgamesh takes them all, even the children; yet the king should be a shepherd to his people. ... ” Nevertheless, “The Epic of Gilgamesh” depicts a great journey and adventure of a man, culminating in the search for immortality. ... “The Epic of Gilgamesh” follows along this path, with the main character (Gilgamesh) going on a quest for immortality only to realize the harsh realities of life. ... Mesopotamian religion went through several major phases of development the final two with greatest impact upon the Epic of Gilgamesh being the projection of gods as rulers of the cosmos, and the idea of the gods as personal deities, with concern for individuals. ... In the era of Gilgamesh, religion had evolved to the point of people worshipping specific gods relating to these different forces. ... ‘The Mesopotamians conceived of civilization as separate from nature, set in an artificial environment of man’s creation, which could insulate human society from the threats of primal nature (a contrast for example which lies at the heart of the Epic of Gilgamesh). ... 202) “The Epic of Gilgamesh” portrays this very well. When Gilgamesh and Enkidu meet and take a journey together, the youthful atmosphere contributes to thoughts of immortality shown before. Only when Enkidu dies does Gilgamesh see the harsh realities of death and the finality in even his life.