Gilgamesh; a Verse Narrative
Gilgamesh: A Verse Narrative
Gilgamesh crucially abused his power as King of Uruk and ruled as a “tyrant to his people” (15), much like many leaders have before, but after meeting Enkidu, he grew as a person, saw things differently, and adjusted his concepts of holding the responsibility of leadership. He grew to come to terms with his struggles and accept them, which is what leaders are looked up to for. The idea that one can make mistakes and repent for them, being mortal and vulnerable, is what connects leaders to those whom are supposed to be led. The struggle of mortality, the fact that one could only attain power for so long, is greatly expressed within the story. “The life of man is short,” Siduri attempts to persuade Gilgamesh to abandon his quest and enjoy life while he is still alive (57). The understanding of questions regarding life and death, humans and gods, and what to truly believe in is very prominent to the people of Uruk, for they had no control of what Gilgamesh did, and all they could do was pray to the gods to fix any corruption that existed. Without true faith in their leader, “Uruk’s gentle people fear for their king.” (24) In 2012, we are still referring back to stories such as this. Considering Gilgamesh could not live forever, his actions and legacy left behind still do. For every action, there is a reaction. All has forged together to form the ultimate realization that even though humans are not immortal, previous acts and legends of humankind are. It took friendship, time, experience, bravery, and humanity, but in the end, Gilgamesh proved himself to be a hero.
Works Cited:
Mason, Herbert. Gilgamesh: A Verse Narrative. Boston: Houghton Mifflin,
Gilgamesh crucially abused his power as King of Uruk and ruled as a “tyrant to his people” (15), much like many leaders have before, but after meeting Enkidu, he grew as a person, saw things differently, and adjusted his concepts of holding the responsibility of leadership. He grew to come to terms with his struggles and accept them, which is what leaders are looked up to for. The idea that one can make mistakes and repent for them, being mortal and vulnerable, is what connects leaders to those whom are supposed to be led. The struggle of mortality, the fact that one could only attain power for so long, is greatly expressed within the story. “The life of man is short,” Siduri attempts to persuade Gilgamesh to abandon his quest and enjoy life while he is still alive (57). The understanding of questions regarding life and death, humans and gods, and what to truly believe in is very prominent to the people of Uruk, for they had no control of what Gilgamesh did, and all they could do was pray to the gods to fix any corruption that existed. Without true faith in their leader, “Uruk’s gentle people fear for their king.” (24) In 2012, we are still referring back to stories such as this. Considering Gilgamesh could not live forever, his actions and legacy left behind still do. For every action, there is a reaction. All has forged together to form the ultimate realization that even though humans are not immortal, previous acts and legends of humankind are. It took friendship, time, experience, bravery, and humanity, but in the end, Gilgamesh proved himself to be a hero.
Works Cited:
Mason, Herbert. Gilgamesh: A Verse Narrative. Boston: Houghton Mifflin,
Cited: Mason, Herbert. Gilgamesh: A Verse Narrative. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1971.