Gilgamesh Essay - 962 Words

Topical Essay 1 The story of â€Å"Gilgamesh† depicts all of the heroic triumphs and heart-breaking pitfalls a heroic narrative should depict to be able to relate to today’s audience. However, â€Å"Gilgamesh† was once considered a lost and forgotten piece of literature for thousands of years, so there is a tremendous gap between the time it was created and the time it was translated into language that today’s audience can understand. That gap in history makes several aspects of the story of â€Å"Gilgamesh† strange and unfamiliar because what we now know about ancient Middle Eastern cultures and languages is a lot less than what we know about the cultures that prospered after ancient Middle Eastern cultures. Much of the content in the story of†¦show more content†¦However, the prostitute was depicted as a nurturer and a symbol of pleasure. The prostitute seduced Enkidu and taught him how to function properly in human society. The prostitute also played a major role in Enkidu and Gilgamesh becoming friends because she led Enkidu to Uruk, which was the place Gilgamesh ruled. The way the story of â€Å"Gilgamesh† ended was a bit strange to me as well because typical heroic narratives end in heroism and triumph. In the story of â€Å"Gilgamesh† Gilgamesh doesn’t reach his goal of attaining eternal life at the end, instead he fails miserably and meets the inevitable fate of death. I expected him to overcome the tremendous odds that were stacked against him and victoriously become immortal. Today’s audience is used to the hero overcoming what most consider impossible at the end of a story. Although I found the story of â€Å"Gilgamesh† to be somewhat strange it contained several familiar elements that are prevalent in many heroic tales from the past and present. One familiar element was what some people refer to as the â€Å"under-dog† factor. Gilgamesh and Enkidu embarked upon the most grueling and epic journey of their lives just to find the vicious giant named Humbaba. The way that Humbaba was described in the story made you feel like there is no way possible he can be defeated. This makes the audience want to side with the lesser opponents because you can relateShow MoreRelatedThe Epic Of Gilgamesh Essay1721 Words   |  7 PagesMany texts, both ancient and modern, explore the possibilities of living forever. The Epic of Gilgamesh is just one of the stories examining this theory. The Gilgamesh tablets discuss many such issues pertinent to much of today’s population: what is the meaning of life? How will I be remembered? This age old topic is explored through many popular mediums today such as graphic novels and in the film industry. 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