Monday, September 9, 2019

Gilgamesh

Image result for gilgamesh and enkiduGilgamesh was a brave character who wanted his destiny to above and beyond. Only to realize it is not how great the length and the task but the meaning of the length and the task. Everyone hears that actions speak louder than words and people hear about how one small thing can make everything better. After Gilgamesh returned from his search of eternal life, he realized it was the small things too. Gilgamesh is a fantastic story and has many great lessons to it that are kind of hidden but not. Not only does it show someone it’s not about the greatness of a task, it also shows an important friendship. Gilgamesh would have never done what he did without Enkidu. Enkidu was his best friend and in today’s society not many friendships like theirs exist. In my eyes Gilgamesh is a great read and something everyone should read. However, it is also a read that someone could take something from despite some of the parts.

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10 comments:

  1. Nate HornerSeptember 9, 2019 at 2:19 PM

    Hayle,

    I really like what you had to say about Gilgamesh. Most people would lie the main focus on his fatal flaw, but here, you focus more on his redeeming qualities/characteristics. Additionally, I like how you infer that Gilgamesh is just as much a tale about friendship as it is about being heroic or brave. Though his arrogance does get in the way at times, Enkidu did help to shape who Gilgamesh was, and I am glad you made that the focus of your post.

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  2. Morgan ErnstSeptember 9, 2019 at 9:22 PM

    I really like what you had to say about Gilgasmesh. I think many of your points people can relate to today in many ways. I also like how you bring up the friendship part, you really summarized Gilgamesh in a good way!

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  3. James ThompsonSeptember 11, 2019 at 12:55 PM

    I agree that many friendships are not as strong as Gilgamesh and Enkidu but I felt they were more than friends. Several times they reference each other as brothers making their bond even stronger. Which adds to how much Gilgamesh grieves when Enkidu dies.

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  4. PierreSeptember 11, 2019 at 4:53 PM

    I completely agree with this. The Epic of Gilgamesh is full of hidden gems. If one takes the time to uncover all of the subliminal messages and themes, I feel it would match the Illiad in its richness and substance.

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  5. Katherine MervoshSeptember 11, 2019 at 10:50 PM

    I honestly think Gilgamesh never truly got the point and died almost in a kind of ignorance. Think about when he retrieves "The Old Men Are Young Again." He is thrilled to have a way to restore his youth, again failing to realize that aging is his reality and death is his lot. Then, when the plant is stolen by the serpent, Gilgamesh sits and weeps. He is clinging to a youth that vanished long before, likely because it reminds him of a time he felt invulnerable, as if nothing could touch him and he was going to live forever. A pleasing fantasy to one in denial of his own fate! I got the impression that Gilgamesh died a mournful, reluctant death.

    The friendship between Enkidu and Gilgamesh is definitely crucial to the story. They seemed to fill in each other's faults -- when the one was weak, the other was strong, and vice-versa. Each of them challenging and motivating the other was what allowed them to accomplish all that they did. I think a relationship of dependency developed, to the point where one could not successfully function without the other, which may be why Gilgamesh died not too long after Enkidu.

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    Replies
    1. hwliiiSeptember 17, 2019 at 11:22 PM

      Nicely expressed, Kate. I'm not totally convinced Gilgamesh doesn't ultimately come to accept his fate, to die. Certainly you are right that he returns feeling despair that he failed to capture the key to immortality (or at least the key to not aging while alive).

      But he does ultimately come to realize that the greatest gift he returned with was knowledge itself (the story of the Flood, the description of Paradise). The fact that the story tells us how he then settled down to a long, productive, well-loved kingship suggests to me that Gilgamesh DID grow up and learn to value his life...

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  6. cambutler125September 12, 2019 at 8:55 PM

    I agree that this was a good read. Something I'd like to add about the friendship of Enkidu and Gilgamesh is that they seemed to bring out the best in each other. The arrival of Enkidu especially seemed to have an impact on Gilgamesh. It seemed as though he dialed him down a bit and gave him a challenge. They also worked together to conquer epic quests.

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  7. hwliiiSeptember 17, 2019 at 11:23 PM

    Thanks for your post, Haley!

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