Final Exam Review

Gilgamesh

Summary

Introducing Gilgamesh king of Uruk, descriptions of the city, his regime of oppression/forced labor/rampant self-indulgence 

Enkidu introduced, wildman living with animals, tamed by Shamat through sex and animals reject him, brings Enkidu into the civilized world and teaches him how to be human

Enraged at Gilgamesh’ rule, travels to Uruk to challenge him, they wrestle, Gilgamesh prevails and Enkidu bows to his kingship/rule, they become friends 

Attack and kill Humbaba with Shamash’ (sun god) help, Ishtar (goddess of love) makes move on Gilgamesh and is rejected, asks Anu (god of sky) to send Bull of Heaven to punish him, Enkidu and Gilgamesh kill the bull

Gods decide in council to punish them, Enkidu cursed to die through illness, Gilgamesh heartbroken and flees into the wilderness terrified to die 

Hunts down Utnapishtim (Mesopotamian Noah) in search of eternal life, end up at mountain, scorpion monsters let him through the dark tunnel, meets Siduri (tavern keeper) in beautiful garden who tells him seeking immortality is futile/be satisfied with the mortal world, directs him to Urshanabi (ferryman) 

Taken to Utnapishtim, story of the flood, issues challenge of staying awake for a week and Gilgamesh immediately fails, Utnapishtim cleans Gilgamesh up and sends him back to Uruk

Utnapishtim’s wife tells Gilgamesh about plant that restores youth, Gilgamesh finds plant and takes it back to Uruk, snake steals it, Gilgamesh returns to Uruk reconciled with his mortality, sees Uruk as his legacy

Possible readings: 

Reconciliation with mortality: search/hunt for divine/unattainable things like immortal life, fails, returns to the human world and learns to be happy with what he has

  • Human immortality/fame in the legacy they leave → achievement based

Themes

Wild vs Civilized: 3 7-day transformations marked by movement in and out of Uruk 

  • Page 8 Enkidu wild-man to civilization w/ Shamat: knowledge of physical love/intimacy = loss of brute speed (animalistic characteristics), acquires speech, clothing; otw to Uruk: food & drink, bathing, grooming, weapons 

    • Note external vs internal signs: italic = external

    • Wrestling w/ Gilgamesh: acknowledge Giglamesh's kingship = acquiescence to social hierarchy 

  • Gilgamesh civilized-man to wild-animal man

  • Gilgamesh: wild-animal man back to civilized man 

Divine/Mortal hierarchy: Violations, power of gods, mortal vs divine worlds; death 

Violations: punishment/divine retribution

  • Gilgamesh & Enkidu’s killing of bull = disrespect = insult to ishtar: unprecedented challenge to godly hierarchy and gods can’t let that stand and kill him as punishment for their both 

  • disobedience/insult to a god/gods results in punishment → the Flood

Power of Gods: gods can really do anything they want 

  • morality/justice doesn’t particularly matter, just don’t piss the gods off 

Death: inevitability of death, mortal quest to avoid death, mortal version of immortality

  • Gilgamesh’s search for immortality, eventual return to Uruk w/ new POV   

Love as motivating force, erotic and platonic 

  • Enkidu into nobleman via friendship with Gilgamesh, Gilgamesh from bully/tyrant into an exemplary king/hero 

  • Enkidu-Shamat thing = civilized man/brought him back to his humanity 

Cyclical Life: natural and unnatural transitions, life and death, mortal and immortal 

Circular/cyclical composition kinda closes the circle of Gilgamesh’s development: lines @ end acho lines at the beginning 

  • identical in original translation, varies in english translations

Enkidu’s death as a turning point,poem moves beyond Uruk, marks beginning of narrative of mourning, kinda a half-way point where Gilgamesh traces Enkidu’s development to civilzation but backward, then returns to civilization at the very end , highlighting the profound impact of loss on Gilgamesh's character and his quest for immortality.