The poem The Epic of Gilgamesh was composed in honor of Gilgamesh, a real-life ruler. The Gilgamesh Epic was a highly revered and worshipped poem in Mesopotamia. The poem was set in the Mesopotamian city of Uruk, now known as Iraq. Gilgamesh, who ruled as a hero king in the poetry known as the Epic of Gilgamesh, overcame numerous obstacles. Essential roles and themes such as friendship, the importance of being a king, male and female companionship, the contrast between the country and the city, and even death were eye-openers throughout the poem.
Gilgamesh is acknowledged as the world’s first epic hero in the Epic of Gilgamesh, which was also the world’s first epic poem. Epic is a term that can refer to a song or a speech. Gilgamesh was described as having money, power, and beauty at the beginning of the Epic of Gilgamesh (Pryke, 2019). Gilgamesh battled monsters, ran with the sun’s path, met a mystery woman, passed a garden of jeweled trees, and crossed the stream of death to reach the house where Utnapishtim and his wife dwelt. This part of the poem was most admired for Gilgamesh’s bravery. The narrative of Utnapishtim favors the biblical account of Noah and the Ark.
Gilgamesh also must be selfless. After losing his friend Enkidu, Gilgamesh experiences intense grief and develops a fear of dying. He departs from his community to learn how death might be prevented and sets out on a perilous trek through the woods. If he does not locate Utnapishtim, the only person whom the gods gave immortality, he threatens to renounce his responsibilities as king and wander in the unknown. In addition to his other duties as king, Gilgamesh is also responsible for Uruk’s military might. The city has never been attacked while Gilgamesh has been in charge, and with him missing in the woods and unsure of when he will return to his people, Uruk will be vulnerable to attack from its enemies. Therefore, Gilgamesh is self-centered in putting his demands ahead of his people. Gilgamesh subsequently reveals a different reason for his perilous trek into the wilderness. When he enters Utnapishtim’s kingdom, Utnapishtim tells him of a plant that can make a man younger. The fact that Gilgamesh wants the elders to consume the plant before him so they can regenerate implies that he is concerned about the welfare of his people.
One of the aspects that make the Epic of Gilgamesh and Mesopotamian life easy to compare is culture. This is based on the knowledge that the two environments share several cultural aspects, such as a political system, a leadership structure, gender roles, sex, violence, and methods of resolving disputes. The setting in the Epic of Gilgamesh depicts different difficulties that were prominent in Mesopotamian society and culture. There are many parallels between the two tale settings, from political structure to gender roles in society. The poetry known as The Epic of Gilgamesh tells the story of Gilgamesh, king of Mesopotamia, and the region around the Euphrates and Tigris rivers, and the challenges he overcame. Gilgamesh left an impression on modern literature and served as an inspiration to the people he controlled. Many leaders who lead by inspiration in today’s society have used courage and confidence as examples of Gilgamesh’s traits (De Faria, 2022). He was heavily accounted for, which made him the leader who was ultimately adored.
Women were men’s closest subordinates in Mesopotamian society. There were strong biases in gender roles, especially towards women, in Mesopotamia’s cities. Women’s societal obligations to give birth, rear children, make wine and prepare food were their only roles. Additionally, women were utilized as sexual objects. For instance, in the Epic of Gilgamesh, Enkidu is lured to the village by Sharmhat for him to leave the wilderness and come to the community (Hashemipour, 2019). Enkidu realized his mistake after sleeping with Sharmhat and returned to the hamlet from the forest. Using women as sex objects at the temple is another incident in the epic that depicts women as sexual objects. According to the Epic of Gilgamesh, women made wine for men in Mesopotamian civilization. On many occasions in the empire, Siduri is portrayed as the only winemaker.
Women, as opposed to men, were the closest aides to men in society. They had virtually little influence in positions of leadership. In leadership roles, men predominated. In Mesopotamian civilization, women may take on leadership positions through marriage or family status if they were wed to the king or emperors. Contrary to men, who held the highest echelons of governmental authority, women were only permitted to take leadership roles in the realms of the priesthood and prophesy. Their participation in societal decision-making was restricted to matters affecting their families. Men participated in decision-making over leadership, trade, farming, and war. Men always made the final decision.
Men were solely responsible for exercising political and familial leadership in Mesopotamian civilization. Men followed belligerent occupations, including farming, commerce, hunting, and construction. They kept their family and the kingdom safe. For instance, the author of the Epic of Gilgamesh depicts Gilgamesh as a leader who coerced young men into joining the defense of the community against outside assault. The same situation may be seen in Mesopotamia, where teenage warriors were tasked with defending the empire. The differences in gender roles between men and women in Mesopotamia show how important gender roles are. While the girls attentively observed their moms to learn their responsibilities, the males were to imitate their dads’ roles and responsibilities. This practice maintained the differences in gender roles between men and women. The sons of soldiers and warriors were expected to join their fathers in the military, and the sons of temple officials were expected to continue their fathers’ work. On the other hand, girls were taught how to prepare food, nurture infants, and tend to gardens.
Gilgamesh features representations of ancient Mesopotamian kings and deities. Gilgamesh’s objectives as a king included running the empire and keeping it safe from outside invasion. He fought Humbaba, for instance, to protect the forest’s resources. Mesopotamian monarchs also staged wars against their neighbors to protect their geographical borders. The element of authoritarianism provides a solid foundation for comparisons between Gilgamesh and the rulers and deities of Mesopotamia. All the virgin daughters in the area were kidnapped, and he forced the sons of other men to join his army. Like the kings of Mesopotamia, Gilgamesh ensured the independence and sovereignty of his domain. Additionally, it was claimed that Gilgamesh possessed superhuman skills akin to those of the Mesopotamian gods. For instance, his story’s virtues have been compared to those of the sun gods.
In conclusion, the central theme of The Epic of Gilgamesh is the harmony of honor and power. Although Gilgamesh is the most powerful man in his realm, he lacks self-control. He engages in combat and destruction solely to demonstrate his dominance; he lacks proper direction. Gilgamesh’s realization of his mortality compared to human society marks the epic’s finale. The city and its enduring structures and tales were the closest Gilgamesh could get to immortality, yet they will also eventually disappear. Mesopotamian civilization was founded on principles of homosocial bonding and just and non-oppressive authority, according to the Epic of Gilgamesh. Gilgamesh mistreats men and women in his domain when he first assumes the throne.
Works Cited
De Faria, Gentil. “The Role of Translations in the Study of Literature of Ancient Times: Gilgamesh, The Iliad, and the Bible.” Abstract Book of the XXIII Congress of the ICLA, Vol. 23, 2022. Web.
Hashemipour, Saman. “Archetypal Heroes of The Epic of Kings and The Epic of Gilgamesh: Rostam and Gilgamesh are Mirroring Myths.” International Journal of Linguistics, Literature, and Translation, 2019. Web.
Pryke, Louise M. Gilgamesh. Routledge, 2019.