The Epic of Gilgamesh Essays

11th Grade

The Epic of Gilgamesh

The Epic of Gilgamesh took place in ancient Mesopotamia, during a time where people were transitioning from a nomadic lifestyle to one where people were settled. Although this was a huge leap in the development of civilizations, women’s roles in...

The Epic of Gilgamesh

Enkidu's Deathbed Realization

The heartbreaking scenes in the seventh tablet of The Epic of Gilgamesh describe Enkidu's deathbed realization that his friendship with Gilgamesh was a one-sided affair. In this scene, Enkidu lies dying and feeling...

College

The Epic of Gilgamesh

As human beings, we are inclined to crave human interaction and acceptance. These two concepts eventually lead to friendship—a token cherished by all of us, including the main characters of The Epic of Gilgamesh, Enkidu and Gilgamesh. Throughout...

9th Grade

The Epic of Gilgamesh

The Mesopotamian epic, Gilgamesh, translated by David Ferry tells the tale of loss that has been so prominent to even stand around until this day and time. This concept of loss has especially been nurtured in the Mesopotamian time period because...

College

The Epic of Gilgamesh

The story of the flood in Genesis 6-9 in the Old Testament is familiar to the readers of the Bible, but the record of such a flood first appears much earlier in ca. 2,500 B.C. on the eleventh tablet of the Mesopotamian epic of Gilgamesh. Although...

College

The Epic of Gilgamesh

The Epic of Gilgamesh focuses on the inevitability of death and the ways mortals can come to terms with their mortality. In the classical Babylonian epic, He Who Saw the Deep, Gilgamesh is a mighty king who longs to achieve fame and glory,...

College

The Epic of Gilgamesh

Despite the passage of time, core values have prevailed as timeless and defining characteristics of human beings. Among them, friendship plays a pivotal part in the development of a person, making it stand out as one of the most valued. Friendship...

College

The Epic of Gilgamesh

In The Epic of Gilgamesh, characters are driven by a desire to immortalize their legacies through a noble monument or deed. The epic highlights the Mesopotamian belief that death is inevitable, but beyond this surface fear of death itself, there...