Gilgamesh Dialectical Journal

1. During the translator’s notes, I thought it was interesting when it states that, “…translators frequently disagree among themselves as to what a given word or phrase could mean.” When I think about it, words in different languages can translate into different meanings and/or other words entirely. For example, in English when calling someone an ass, the animal representing that word is a donkey. While in Spanish, when calling someone an ass, it translates to an ox. It is interesting saying one word in one language and it meaning something else in another.
2. In lines 49-52 says, “Gilgamesh was singled out from the day of his birth,
Two-thirds of him was divine, one-third of him was human!
The Lady of Birth drew his body’s image,
The God
From the beginning we can come to the conclusion that he important, however, that passage really shows the uniqueness of him. Since the day of his birth, Gilgamesh, has been held at a higher standard than everyone else. Personally, I could not even imagine being held at such a high standard.
3. After line 60, it states that “Gilgamesh, in his arrogance and superior strength, abuses his subjects…” surprised me. Up until that moment, I thought Gilgamesh was perfect. I believed that he made no mistakes, never messed anything up. However, that statement completely threw me off. It was interesting to go back and read it all over again with understanding that Gilgamesh was not as perfect as I thought he was.
Questions:
1) When Gilgamesh was having dreams about the different objects, his mother kept saying that a companion will come a rescue a friend (rescue Gilgamesh?) and that Gilgamesh will fall in love with him and caress him like a women. Do you believe that those objects symbolize Enkidu? Also, do you believe that even though Enkidu was meant to be Gilgamesh’s rival, instead somehow they will become companions?
2) In Tablet 1, there is little information about Gilgamesh father. Why is that? Do you believe there is a certain reason for