Film Analysis: The Epic Of Gilgamesh
In the documentary The Epic of Gilgamesh, whether they were in Japan or New York, 16 or older, all of the professors and teachers that spoke fell in love with The Epic of Gilgamesh upon their first encounter, drawn in by its mystical pull. A literary concept/point that was highly discussed was the humanization of Enkidu by Shamhat. Azar Nafisi an author, says, “Enkidu is the natural man, like Adam, he is innocent and he has to bite the apple through the divine harlot”. Enkidu starts out as a very hairy, dirty being, like an animal, and the basic goal of Shamhat was to draw him out of the animal world into the human. Assyriologist Ben Foster states, “The idea is that sexual contact with a woman will remove him from the animal world
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Ben Foster mentions, “Enkidu is the classic number 2, you know Sherlock Holmes, Dr. Watson kind of pairing.” As soon as Gilgamesh and Enkidu meet, they fight like bulls for forty days, but when they stop, they come to a moment where they decide they are equally strong. After they stop fighting, they become friends, and then Gilgamesh is no longer a tyrant. This transformation occurs when Gilgamesh is forced to face his own mortality. The fight between them is practically Gilgamesh coming to terms with himself. There is something about not only being yourself, but having someone there to put you in place when you drift. Enkidu was originally sent down to teach Gilgamesh a lesson, but ends up his friend. Another way Enkidu is a mirror of Gilgamesh is after he is created, he is described as “equal to Gilgamesh’s stormy heart”. From the start of his creation, Enkidu was compared to Gilgamesh. When Gilgamesh and Enkidu had Humbaba as a captive, Enkidu tells Gilgamesh, “Slay him, do away with his power!”, and the reader is reminded of something the tyrant Gilgamesh would have said. However, they still kill him. Enkidu and Gilgamesh had a strong relationship that was unbreakable. The decision made by Enkidu and Gilgamesh came with a price that the gods chose Enkidu to
Ben Foster mentions, “Enkidu is the classic number 2, you know Sherlock Holmes, Dr. Watson kind of pairing.” As soon as Gilgamesh and Enkidu meet, they fight like bulls for forty days, but when they stop, they come to a moment where they decide they are equally strong. After they stop fighting, they become friends, and then Gilgamesh is no longer a tyrant. This transformation occurs when Gilgamesh is forced to face his own mortality. The fight between them is practically Gilgamesh coming to terms with himself. There is something about not only being yourself, but having someone there to put you in place when you drift. Enkidu was originally sent down to teach Gilgamesh a lesson, but ends up his friend. Another way Enkidu is a mirror of Gilgamesh is after he is created, he is described as “equal to Gilgamesh’s stormy heart”. From the start of his creation, Enkidu was compared to Gilgamesh. When Gilgamesh and Enkidu had Humbaba as a captive, Enkidu tells Gilgamesh, “Slay him, do away with his power!”, and the reader is reminded of something the tyrant Gilgamesh would have said. However, they still kill him. Enkidu and Gilgamesh had a strong relationship that was unbreakable. The decision made by Enkidu and Gilgamesh came with a price that the gods chose Enkidu to