The Epic of Gilgamesh of ancient Mesopotamia introduces to the reader two outstanding characters. The protagonists of the epic are Gilgamesh himself and his best friend and companion, Enkidu. The latter is one-third human and two-thirds beast, which explains his lack of caution in tablets three through eight.
By nature, Enkidu has animal instincts that are evident before his entering civilization. When the trapper first saw him, “his expression froze” (Sandars 1. 115). Thus, when he and Gilgamesh went to the Cedar Forest to fight the monster, Humbaba, Enkidu might have shown his animal instincts for blood and the monster’s death, forgetting his fears and precautions. Additionally, his lack of caution might have also been caused by his human instincts to have a genuine connection with a friend. Thus, Enkidu encouraged Gilgamesh to fight his fear of Humbaba throughout the journey (Sandars 1. 200).
To sum up, Enkidu was quite optimistic and brave on the Cedar Forest journey due to his dual nature. His human side encouraged him to support his friend, and his animal side craved battle and defeat of the enemy.
Work Cited
Sandars, Nancy, editor. The Epic of Gilgamesh. Penguin Adult, 1972.