The Epic Of Gilgamesh Analysis

The Epic of Gilgamesh: Transformation of Gilgamesh Rewrite
Gilgamesh is a dynamic hero who transforms throughout the epic in four phases. The epic simply begins with Gilgamesh ruling the city of Uruk as an egotistical, self-centered tyrant. The gods observe Gilgamesh’s arrogance and send Enkidu to mentor him and teach him the value of people. After Enkidu and Gilgamesh prevail through the trials the gods sent them, they become too conceited and are punished for the transgressions. Due to his friend dying, Gilgamesh becomes extremely paranoid of death. He seeks immortality and after failing to gain immortality he learns his lesson. Finally, on his return he reconciles with his people and recognizes his contributions. This pilgrimage is meant
“When the gods created Gilgamesh they gave him a perfect body. Shamash the glorious sun endowed him with beauty, Adad the god of all the storm endowed him with courage, the great gods made his beauty perfect, surpassing all others terrifying like a great wild bull. Two thirds they made him god and one third man.”(Prologue 7-11) While his demigod qualities increase his strengths so that he is fiercest warrior and also the greatest builder of his time, it also causes him to have fatal flaws. Due to being unmatched on both the battlefield and in his city he no longer thinks his subjects are worthy of respect and mistreats them. “Gilgamesh sounds the tocsin for his amusement, his arrogance has no bounds by day or night. No son is left with his father, for Gilgamesh takes them all, even the children; yet the king should be a shepherd to his people. His lust leaves no virgin to her lover, neither the warrior’s daughter nor the wife of the noble; yet this is the shepherd of the city, wise, comely, and resolution.” This shows that he would ring the attack alarm bell, massacre his own warriors and rape all the women of his subjects simply for his own
Despite Gilgamesh defeating Enkidu, he recognizes that he is not the only person in the world that matters and stops abusing his people. Despite this improvement, Gilgamesh is still very vain and Gilgamesh proposes that they steal timber from a forbidden forest rumored to be protected by the monster Humbaba so that the whole world will know how strong he is. Enkidu agrees to accompany Gilgamesh and together they set off to the forest. As they are traveling to the forest, Gilgamesh is plagued by terrifying dreams and is for once in his life unsure that his strength will be enough to best the monster Humbaba. Enkidu reassures Gilgamesh that these dreams are a good sign and that they will defeat the monster. After a long struggle Enkidu and Gilgamesh are granted victory by the gods. Despite briefly having experienced fear and humility, the two heroes let their success go to their heads and reject the advances of Ishtar, the goddess of love. Despite rejecting her, Gilgamesh still maintains some humility and does not insult the goddess as gravely as Enkidu does. For these affronts Ishtar convinces the other gods to send down the Bull of Heaven with seven years of famine to punish the two. Through a struggle the two heroes are able to kill the