Billy R. Nordyke
Professor Hill
Humanities I
9 May 1996
Essay over The
Epic of Gilgamesh
The main character in the book The Epic of
Gilgamesh, is Gilgamesh himself. In the
beginning of the book one realizes that Gilgamesh is an arrogant person. Gilgamesh is full of himself and abuses his
rights as king. He has sexual
intercourse with the virgins of his town and acts as though he is a god. Although some readers of this classic book
may say that Gilgamesh does not change from the beginning of the book, it can
easily be interpreted the other way.
Throughout the book, many things cause Gilgamesh to change. He gains a friend, he makes a name for
himself by killing Humbaba, and he tries
to become immortal because of the death of Enkidu. Through these main actions his personality
changes and he becomes a better person.
First, the quest for immortality after the
death of Enkidu shows that Gilgamesh has changed. Gilgamesh becomes frightened when he realizes
that he isn't immortal. After the death
of Enkidu, Gilgamesh tries to find immortality by trying to cross the ocean to
find it. He sounds pathetic as he
rambles of his reason for trying to find everlasting life. His state of being at this part in the book,
which is the end, is completely different from his arrogant beginning of this
epic. Gilgamesh has gone from arrogant
to scared.
Second, the death of Humbaba changes
Gilgamesh. Humbaba is evil. Many people who live in the city of Uruk fear
Gilgamesh. Most would say that Gilgamesh
himself is, in fact, evil. He has sex
with the virgins, he does what he wants, and he tends to offend the gods. He has lots of problems with Ishtar. By going into the forest and facing Humbaba,
Gilgamesh makes a name for himself and changes the views of the people in his
city. This is a very arguable
point. Yes, the past of Gilgamesh does
not change, but the great deed of killing Humbaba, makes him a better person
because he protects his city. This is
another arguable point. Most would say
he does this only to make a name for himself, but that is not the case. Gilgamesh does this because of his love for
Enkidu and his people, he has changed from the beginning of the epic.
Finally and most importantly, the main reason
that Gilgamesh changes from the beginning of the book is the friendship that he
has with Enkidu. Enkidu is made to make
Gilgamesh more human. In the first
paragraph of the book the gods are angry with Gilgamesh and send down an equal
of himself, they send down Enkidu. After
becoming friends, Gilgamesh changes because he has an equal to be with. Enkidu and Gilgamesh become as close as
brothers. Because of this, a very
arguable point comes up. Was Enkidu and
Gilgamesh lovers? The answer is
obviously yes. What points in the book show this? They go to sleep holding hands, Gilgamesh
loves Enkidu like a women, and Gilgamesh goes almost insane after the death of
Enkidu. The point of Enkidu being a
lover of Gilgamesh is very important. It
allows the reader to understand the reasoning of Gilgamesh changing. There are no changes in Gilgamesh as a person
until Enkidu enters the picture.
Obviously he is the reason for all eventual changes in the personality
and ma
nhood of
Gilgamesh. If the belief and
understanding of Gilgamesh and Enkidu being much more than "good"
friends is present, then the understanding of why Gilgamesh changes in the book
is also present. If Gilgamesh is just
friends with Enkidu some change is possible, but not almost total recall as
Gilgamesh does in the book. People
change more if there is sex involved and there is a deep relationship. In order to make Enkidu happy, Gilgamesh has
to change, and he does, throughout thier relationship.
In reflection, although some people would say
that Gilgamesh does not change from the beginning of the book The Epic of
Gilgamesh, the better understanding of the book reveals that, in fact,
Gilgamesh does change from the beginning of the book to the end. The personality of Gilgamesh changes for
three distinct reasons. First, Gilgamesh
changes in the book because of his insatiable desire for immortality after the
death of Enkidu. Gilgamesh wants
immortality after the death of Enkidu.
Second, Gilgamesh changes in the book because of the death of
Humbaba. The death of Humbaba show
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