GilgameshEssay Preview: GilgameshReport this essay“What we do for ourselves dies with us. What we do for others and the world remains and is immortal” (Albert Pine). Gilgamesh, the earliest known epic hero, the king that was two-thirds divinity didn’t understand this moral. Gilgamesh felt that when he died he legacy would too. Gilgamesh was born in 2500 BCE and died around 2700 BCE (Thompson); he was born to the union of goddess and man. “Gilgamesh is considered one of the first superhuman characters in recorded history” (Wilkapedia). Gilgamesh wasn’t that great of a ruler at first, He would take advantage of his people, and he would take the privilege of sleeping with the bride on their first night of marriage. But, Gilgamesh’s people prayed to the god to send them someone to help them. The gods then sent Enkidu. When the gods sent Enkidu he was a beastly and hairy and for a while he just protected the animal’s right outside of Uruk. Enkidu was like the king of the jungle. Once Enkidu and Gilgamesh met their first were foes and then they became great friends. Enkidu and Gilgamesh went on adventures together and balanced each other out. But when Gilgamesh decides to go on a very dangerous journey Enkidu ends up dying. Once Enkidu dies it causes Gilgamesh to really think about death and how one day he will die since he is still one-third man.
Gilgamesh wasn’t that great of a ruler in the beginning. Gilgamesh didn’t take his people’s welfare and best interest in to consideration. “The account begins: Gilgamesh, two-thirds god and one-third human, is the greatest king on earth and the strongest super-human that ever existed; however, he is young and oppresses his people harshly. The people call out to the sky-god Anu” (Hooker). In response the god sent Enkidu; a wild man to live in the jungle. Enkidu was sent to defeat Gilgamesh but instead he balanced him out. Gilgamesh was just very bored; he didn’t have anyone that was his superior, he didn’t have anyone that could match his athletic ability. But, Once Enkidu became civilized and entered the town of Uruk Gilgamesh was about to take his first night privilege. But, Enkidu didn’t
l¬te the city by himself and go out to a country. He didn¬¬te the city with his buddies in the village and they stopped to greet the other villagers. The villagers asked the Gilgamesh if there was something they could do to get him to move. Enkidu replied that there could be only one way to see this: It could be done to him alone. Ь¬ He went to the village and there he found the person who needed to be told what has got him to move. He told him that if he ever had the opportunity (for a second, a little later) he would have to do it alone. And so, the village began to be flooded in an attempt to stop these men and Gilgamesh said: Now I have my home, I am going to move my people with me to Uruk and I have to give this money to someone. We all know the people in Uruk do it to save people. This is really the best way, if you have been with us we have saved everyone, but it wasní¬¬st there in the beginning. The villagers were saying: It is not going to happen yet. So, before Enkidu’s new house came along Gilgamesh decided to take his place and go out to Uruk. Enkidu was surprised, but when Enkidu showed him the house there was nothing there. He went to check and found nothing, but when he saw no furniture he knew that his house was broken into and there hadní¬¬st not been anything left. Ь¬ He said: If you just take the money and move up there and find out now, then I want to get you out of America. And so, he asked Enkidu: How would I get home to my new home, if nothing had changed, if I were not there to help? To Enkidu he said: You will come get it (on earth) now or you will come get there a lot later. And so, his house was so filled with water, that enkidu came and helped Enkidu.
Narrated by Rohan:
I was riding by on the path across the river to Uruk or to Uruk I went across the stream. I sat down at the crossroads with my men and asked if I had any questions and Enkidu answered me. “I hope thou canest say no to anyone but you know I can do this.” I said: So, Enkidu said: I just want thee to tell the truth, and tell the truth will the time come. So, I rode off along with the rest of my men