Essays on Epic of Gilgamesh

The famous Italian priest Thomas Aquinas once said: “There is nothing on this earth more to be prized than true friendship.” How does the loss of a friend affect a human being? In Herbert Mason’s retelling book Gilgamesh: A verse narrative, the concept of friendship...

The Epic of Gilgamesh and the Ramayana are two of the oldest epics and examples of heroisms to date. While both Rama and Gilgamesh have many key similarities, there are some distinctive differences between the two. Both of these heroes exhibit the “prototype” characteristics of...

As human beings, we are inclined to crave human interaction and acceptance. These two concepts eventually lead to friendship—a token cherished by all of us, including the main characters of The Epic of Gilgamesh, Enkidu and Gilgamesh. Throughout the epic, the theme of friendship is...

Death is something most all people have experienced. Whether it be someone you were close to, or someone you hardly knew, strange emotions evoke. Being the diverse species we are as humans and knowing that death is a part of life, everyone has contrasting views...

The epic poem of Gilgamesh is recognized as one of the earliest works in literature, originating back to the existence of ancient Mesopotamia. Since then, numerous versions of the story have been published, including one by David Ferry, called Gilgamesh. Regardless of the version, they...

In the Epic of Gilgamesh, Gilgamesh goes between his conscious and unconscious in order to uncover and solve his problems and figure out his own fear of death. Gilgamesh is a king who has negative impact on his kingdom. He forces people to build walls...

The most dreaded lesson in the eyes of a child is the concept of “no.” While most children eventually realize that not everything in the world is available for their taking, the select few who neglect to recognize their limitations inevitably grow up to be...

In The Epic of Gilgamesh, the female characters hold small roles, but they are in no way secondary to the male characters, as their roles are pivotal to the story. Through their roles as mothers, harlots, and goddesses, they manipulate the story according to their...

The Mesopotamian epic, Gilgamesh, translated by David Ferry tells the tale of loss that has been so prominent to even stand around until this day and time. This concept of loss has especially been nurtured in the Mesopotamian time period because of the almost regular...

Questions like these that baffle the human mind, and have done so for centuries: what happens after we die? Is there truly life after death? Such riddles can never be known to those who have not crossed over “to the other side”, so to speak,...

One of the earliest pieces of literature which has lived on into the modern era is the Epic of Gilgamesh from ancient Mesopotamia. It was written as a poem on 12 tablets in the Akkadian language in 2750 B.C.E. after years of being conveyed through...

Are humans inherently flawed? Is there something fundamentally imperfect with human nature? These questions have been asked by philosophers from as early as 2000 BCE when the first book ever was written, Gilgamesh, was transcribed. Gilgamesh is an epic poem written by the Sumerians and...

In the Epic of Gilgamesh, it depends on the lord of Uruk in early Mesopotamia which is Gilgamesh and what he experiences all through his adventure in the tablet. Gilgamesh is referred to his kin as the miscreant. He assaults the ladies of his city...

The story of Gilgamesh is very complex and as stated by Kenneth Rexroth a psychological one as well. It displays and encapsulates the mental processes and ways of thinking for the audience to understand and enjoy throughout their reading. In this essay I will attempt...

Mythology is full of individuals who are believed to have had superhuman powers. While some of these people have used their powers for the good of humanity, others have misused them for their own selfish gains. Others, however, are documented as having shown characteristics that...

Comparing and contrasting two stories can actually be quite interesting. It shows how characters are similar and different from one another, and it can show how the plots are similar and different. When it comes to comparing and contrasting two stories, it is usually easier...

The Epic of Gilgamesh and The Odyssey both deals with characters that question their mortality due to death. Gilgamesh and Odysseus are motivated by attaining glory and honor. Both of these stories show how fame can interact with how your life turns out in the...

Mortality can be defined as ‘the state of being subject or opposed to death.’ Most people find immortality as a prized possession. It is considered an honor to live a healthy life and die of old age. But for others, the main objective is to...

A quest is a search or longing for something, it is a journey that has to be taken in order to find what you are yearning/looking for, it is a goal; it is something in which you pursue. In this story Gilgamesh goes on many...