The main themes of The Epic of Gilgamesh, one of the oldest extant literary works in the world, are a journey, ambition, and fear of death. The themes of ambition and journey may be found in the 2nd and the 3rd passages, but they end with a revelation that some human dreams may never come true. In the 6th passage, the cunning serpent stole the plant and put an end to the king’s journey and his dream of immortality. Being a fearless warrior, Gilgamesh accepted his mortality and death in the 7th passage. The themes of the epic reflect major concerns of Mesopotamian society. For instance, the theme of a journey illustrates the attempts of Mesopotamians to expand the boundaries of their states through conflict and war.1 Gilgamesh is a typical Sumerian king and glorified military leader whose ambition is to bring order and progress to Mesopotamian civilization by conquering neighbors and accumulating wealth.
The Epic of Gilgamesh is rich in symbols reflecting various aspects of the Mesopotamian worldview. The symbol of a bull might represent destruction and energy, along with Mesopotamian ideas of physical strength and power. For example, Gilgamesh, who rescued the people of Uruk from the bull, is described as “strong as a savage bull” and “terrifying like a great wild bull”.2 Another reoccurring symbol is a gate, which might refer to choices and decisions made by the characters. In Uruk, Enkidu stopped Gilgamesh from entering the bride’s room by standing in the gate and blocking the way. The main motif is the ambiguity of things, which implies that civilization can bring order and progress to society, but it leads to war and death. The animalistic description of Enkidu is a metaphor for the natural order of things, while the pleasures Shamhat offers serve as a metaphor for civilization.
Bibliography
Bentley, Jerry, Herbert Ziegler and Heather Streets-Salter. Traditions & Encounters: A Global Perspective on the Past. 6th ed. New York: Hill Education, 2015.
Sanders, Nancy. “The Epic of Gilgamesh.” Assyrian International News Agency. 2020. Web.
Footnotes
- Jerry Bentley, Herbert Ziegler and Heather Streets-Salter, Traditions & Encounters: A Global Perspective on the Past, 6th ed. (New York: Hill Education, 2015), 30.
- Nancy Sanders, “The Epic of Gilgamesh,” Assyrian International News Agency, Web.