Epic of Gilgamesh
The Epic of Gilgamesh shows the struggle of an individual who is not fully god, and not fully man. With such a drastic difference between these two groups, he doesn't quite fit in with either. Throughout his life, he is tested mentally and physically, and through his responses, he begins to understand himself. Gilgamesh is the struggle between humans and gods, all wrapped up into one person. In his quest for immortality, he not only learns what it means to be human, but also rises above the pettiness of the gods.The introduction of Enkidu seems to be a bit off topic at first, as it goes into great detail about how he lived in union with the animals, and his extensive love affair with Shamhat. Linda Cassleman explains this in her article "Decoding the Epic of Gilgamesh". In it, she explains that sex for pleasure was quite sacred, being a civilizing force that set humans apart from animals. Likewise, this relates to immortality, which is what set the gods apart from humans. After his affair with Shamhat, the animals reject Enkidu, just as the gods have rejected Gilgamesh.It seems to be a bit hypocritical that the same gods that would flood a city for no reason other than a bit of an annoyance, would disapprove of th
Casselman draws an interesting parallel between the snake stealing Gilgamesh's immortality, and the snake in the Garden of Eden leading to the loss of Adam and Eve's immortality. This is more than he can bear, and he goes into a serious state of denial, even going so far as to not bury Enkidu for a full week. Now do as I demand and punish all who insult me (Epic 6:125). In her article "Gilgamesh and Parallels to the Bible", Ms. After he refuses her, Ishtar throws a tantrum and insists her father, Anu, send down a bull to devour him. Gilgamesh faces this concern by accepting the lot he was given in life - that of a mortal man. As Casselman explains, they represent the two sides of humankind, with Enkidu being the instinct, and Gilgamesh representing the intellect. He gains enterance, and meets Siduri, a divine wine-maker. In losing his opportunity to defeat death, he is forced to accept that his life is left to chance, and come to terms with his mortality. It is what separates him from the gods that dominate his heritage.
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Acceptance Essays
