Epic Of Gilgamesh Analysis

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The Epic of Gilgamesh revolves around two characters, Gilgamesh and Enkidu, and their adventure throughout the story. Gilgamesh, the king of Uruk, comes from a civilized background while Enkidu comes from the wilderness. One major event that takes place in the story is when Enkidu is introduced to civilization by a Harlot, who stripped naked and aroused Enkidu. Eventually, the wilderness rejected Enkidu after being with the Harlot, forcing Enkidu to join civilization. Another key event is when the goddess of love, Ishtar, tries many times to win Gilgamesh as her lover, but Gilgamesh rejects Ishtar. Gilgamesh chooses to be with a man and continues his journey in the wilderness even after killing the mighty Humbaba. It is as if Gilgamesh…show more content…
The trapper ran back to tell his father. The trapper’s father explained to his son that he needed to go to Uruk and ask Gilgamesh for a Harlot. The Harlot will strip naked which will arouse the wild Enkidu. “...Let him see you naked, let him possess your body. When he comes near uncover yourself and lie with him; teach him, the savage man, your woman’s art” (Gilgamesh 15). She will seduce Enkidu away from his animal like state, his natural state. Once Enkidu was satisfied and return back, the wilderness rejected him. Animals such as gazelles he used to be around with bolted away once they laid their eyes on Enkidu. At this moment, Enkidu loses all his animal instinct, but instead he gains self-consciousness by realizing that he no longer has a place in the wild. Realizing this, he returns back to the Harlot. The Harlot clothed Enkidu since clothing is essential to civilization since nudity is deem inappropriate, improper and wild like. “She divided her clothing in two and with the one-half, she clothed him and with the other herself.”(16). The Harlot makes sure that Enkidu is ready to face civilization, so she teaches him and gives him bread and wine, as it is the main meal and drink of civilization. “Enkidu, eat bread, it is the staff of life; drink the wine, it is the custom of the land” (16). After the Harlot clothed Enkidu, gave him the bread and wine of the land, she tells Enkidu about…show more content…
Gilgamesh decides that he wants to be immortal, so he set forth to the garden of the Gods to find what he needs. He encountered the Lady of the Wine, Siduri, who told him that looking for immortality is pointless and that he should return to civilization. She tells him all the good things civilization provides and that he is missing out on life. “As for you, Gilgamesh, fill your belly with good things; day and night, night and day, dance and be merry, feast and rejoice. Let your clothes be fresh; bathe yourself in water, cherish the little child that holds your hand, and make your wife happy in your embrace; for this too is the lot of man” (34). Siduri wants Gilgamesh to go back to civilization, to stop his selfish quest of finding immortality and to focus on what life has to offer. Now that Enkidu is gone there is no one that holds Gilgamesh back, so she suggest that Gilgamesh should return to Uruk and embrace what women have to offer, food, alcohol, clothing, culture and a
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