Characteristics Of Gilgamesh - 712 Words

The Epic of Gilgamesh narrates the life of Gilgamesh which demonstrates a clear idea of who he was and how his character evolved throughout his journey, depending on who he met. Gilgamesh was known as the King of the city of Uruk who was not very well liked by many people. Despite there have been many versions of Gilgamesh that has been passed down for years, Gilgamesh was always portrayed as a strong and mighty ruler who had and got what he wanted, undeterred by how his people felt. Like most modern heroes, Gilgamesh can be seen with the characteristics such as intelligence, physical strength, and bravery. The main characteristic that describes Gilgamesh is his intelligence. Gilgamesh may not seem intelligent to most readers because of†¦show more content†¦With the blessing of the sun god Shamash [Enkidu and Gilgamesh] succeed, and they cut down some magnificent trees that float down the Euphrates River to Mesopotamia† (The Epic of Gilgamesh 96-97). Gilgamesh and Enki du, his equal, kills Humbaba successfully not only because they were blessed by Shamash, but most importantly because of Gilgamesh’s pure strength. Even without the blessing of Shamash, there isn’t a doubt that Gilgamesh and Enkidu could have successfully finished off the giant, Humbaba. Not only is Gilgamesh physically strong, but he is certainly brave. Bravery is also an important depiction of Gilgamesh throughout The Epic of Gilgamesh. Gilgamesh was brave in most of the events in the epic, but the main component was after Enkidu died and he went out of his way to try to find immortality (The Epic of Gilgamesh 97). Throughout the epic, Gilgamesh’s character seems to evolve after the death of Enkidu and this is the turning point for him. â€Å"He braves monsters, runs along the sun’s path under the earth at night, encounters a mysterious woman who keeps a tavern at the edge of the world, passes a garden of jeweled trees, crosses the waters of death, and finally arrives at the doorstep of Utanapishtim and his wife† (The Epic of Gilgamesh 97). When Gilgamesh encountered Utanapishtim, he was doubted at first, but he did not give up. Gilgamesh did what he was told even if he failed at certain tasks and ended up withShow MoreRelatedCharacteristics Of Gilgamesh1021 Words   |  5 Pagesancient literature, we see many characters play the role of a hero. In Gilgamesh, he plays the role of a tragic hero. Gilgamesh was created by the gods. Gilgamesh was feared for his god-like strength and aggression, but later, the audience pities him when we see his sorrow spirit from his friends death. Gilgamesh was perceived as being extremely strong. What made Gilgamesh a hero, is the battles he fought to become strong. Gilgamesh defeated monsters through his physical strength and endurance. He createdRead More Characteristics of Gilgamesh and Enkidu in Fosters The Epic of Gilgamesh835 Words   |  4 Pagesones. In the book, The Epic of Gilgamesh, by Benjamin Foster, both Gilgamesh and Enkidu had positive and negative characteristics that affected the outcome of their journey and their adventures they experienced throughout their lives. Gilgamesh was considered a hero because he had many great qualities, such as loyalty, perseverance, and heroism. Although these are heroic traits, he also had his flaws and was self-righteous, selfish, and prideful. Gilgamesh was a great man and was seen asRead MoreThe Characteristics Of A Hero Journey In The Epic Of Gilgamesh1035 Words   |  5 Pageshero story is present in a variety of the arts ranging from the earliest surviving work of literature, to children’s books, to modern day motion picture masterpieces. The characteristics of a hero have withstood the test of time, and remained remarkably similar. Traits of a modern day hero can be traced back to â€Å"The Epic of Gilgamesh† which dates back to two-thousand BC. This reflects the power of a hero and its message that it portrays to audiences of all ages and backgrounds. The ability to captureRead More The Epic of Gilgamesh is Truely an Epic Essay1690 Words   |  7 PagesThe Epic of Gilgamesh is Truel y an Epic An epic is an extended narrative poem in elevated or dignified language, celebrating the feats of a legendary or traditional hero.  Ã‚   The main characteristics of an epic as a literary genre is that it is a long poem that tells a story, it contains an epic hero, its hero searches for immortality (but doesnt find it physically, only through fame), gods or other supernatural beings are interested and involved, and it delivers an historical message.  Read MoreGilgamesh704 Words   |  3 Pagessupernatural enemies, quests, war, or adversity. The Epic of Gilgamesh depicts most of these characteristics of epic heroism. The description about his birth to the journey and adventures in his life meets the characteristics of an epic hero. Although, at some points, Gilgamesh engages in acts of selfishness and arrogance, I believe he achieves the characteristics of an epic hero and portrays those characteristics throughout the epic. Gilgamesh is described as a son of a mortal man and a goddess, whichRead MoreBeowulf And The Epic Of Gilgamesh1667 Words   |  7 Pagessociety, a hero is viewed as someone who embodies the characteristics of selflessness, courage, honesty, and integrity. The same characteristics were essential to be thought of as a hero 3,000 years ago as well. Two of the most widely known epic poems of their time were Beowulf and The Epic of Gilgamesh. Both Beowulf and Gilgamesh embody traits known exclusively of a hero. The poem of Beowulf and The Epic Gilgamesh both showcase the characteristics required of being an epic, in that they include a heroRead MoreSimilarities Of Mythical Heroes781 Words   |  4 PagesMythical heroes have more similarities than differences. They are all heroes that should carry the same characteristics and have more similarities than differences. In all of the myths, the heroes have shown characteristics, which helped them in different ways. Similar to Isis and Gilgamesh Determination. The young girl’s preparation to escape the house and Finn McCool’s Wife (Oonagh) preparation to take the massive giant back. Gilgamesh’s bravery to fight the big giant Humbaba and Oonagh’s BraveryRead MoreAnalysis Of The Epic Of Gilgamesh 975 Words   |  4 Pagesof Gilgamesh, a book written millenniums ago, is the story of a two-thirds god and one third man named Gilgamesh who is devoted to the self-improvement of full god. Even though Gilgamesh knows immortality is impossible he continues to seek the self- improvement eternal life because the god within him conflicts with his humanity. Since Gilgamesh has two-thirds god in him, he gets everything he desires except immortality. Due to the fact that it was the one thing he couldn t have, Gilgamesh setsRead MoreThe Role of Enkidu Essay1064 Words   |  5 PagesHerbert Mason’s interpretation of an extract of the Epic of Gilgamesh lacks a large amount of text and the legendary hero so common in later epics such as Odyssey and Beowulf. Because the later epics are considered to be based on the Epic of Gilgamesh it is important to consider why, in Mason’s translation, is there a lack of an impressive amount of text and of a legendary hero. While it is effortless to attribute the missing characteristics of the story to the translation, the events of the story suggestRead MoreEpic Passages of The Epic of Gilgamesh and Homers Odyssey921 Words   |  4 Pagesdefinition of a hero has evolved over time through both written word and human experiences, so what is a hero? In the two epic passages The Epic of Gilgam esh and Homers Odyssey, heroism appears to be a clear distinction with the literature, and has the same basic framework as today’s definition of a hero. Historically, in the texts, heroes such as Gilgamesh and Odysseus are protagonists viewed and credited with great bravery and most certainly heroism. Nearly all of the heroic figures throughout time