The Character Of Enkidu In The Epic Of Gilgamesh

“"Come now, Harlot, I am going to decree your fate, a fate that will never come to an end for eternity! I will curse you with a Great Curse… may a crossroad be your home, may a wasteland be your sleeping place…” In the Epic of Gilgamesh, having crossed paths with Gilgamesh and his harlot, the life of our character, Enkidu, was turned to a wasteland. Enkidu lived freely. He ate with gazelles and drank with lions in a manner uncomplicated by pursuit or expectation. Unbeknownst to Enkidu, however, his life was never his own. He was created as a parallel to Gilgamesh, imparted with power meant to foil the rule exercised by the king without parry, “Let him be equal to [Gilgamesh’s] stormy heart, let them be a match for each other so that Uruk may find peace!”.
In order to fully utilize his utility and power opposite that of Gilgamesh, he had to be lured into civilization with the sexuality of a woman, “Spread out your robe so he can lie upon you, and perform for this primitive the task of womankind!”. Following Enkidu’s transition, there are two important signals reflecting the nature of his change: the reaction of animals to him and the depletion of his body, “But when he turned his attention to his animals, the gazelles saw Enkidu and darted off, the wild animals distanced themselves from his body. Enkidu ... his utterly depleted