Comparing The Epic Of Gilphash And The Epic Of Gilgamesh

The Epic of Gilgamesh has many similarities to the Bible, especially in Genesis and it’s not just that the both begin with the letter “g”’! One major similarity being the flood story that is told in both works. The two stories are very similar but also very different. Another being the use of serpents in both works and how they represent the same thing. A third similarity being the power of God or gods and the influence they have on the people of the stories. Within these similarities there are also differences that need to be pointed out as well.

The Hebrew Flood story of Noah and his obligation to preserve man kind after God had punished all living creatures for their inequities parallels The Epic of Gilgamesh in several ways. Even though these two compilations are passed on orally at different times in history the similarities and differences invoke deliberation when these stories are compared. Numerous underlining themes are illustrated throughout each story. Humans are guilty of transgressions and must be punished, God or Gods send a flood as punishment to destroy this evil race, a person is selected by the gods to build a craft that will withstand the flood and allow this person to create a new race. An

The Epic of Gilgamesh: story of the flood is a story telling of the time when the Sumerian gods flood the Earth hoping to get rid of the annoying humans. Throughout the story, Utnapishtim would be the preserver of life; by building a ship that would carry two of every animal. In Genesis 6-9, the Hebrew God chose to cleanse humanity by flooding the Earth, and in this story Noah would be instructed by the Lord to build an ark and put two of every animal with this ark. These stories of the flood have many differences, one major difference being that The Epic of Gilgamesh is a fictional story of Sumerian gods, while Genesis is a religious book with in the Bible. Although there are many differences between Genesis’ and Gilgamesh’s story of the flood, there are significantly more similarities linking the two stories.

These opinionated acts of the gods causes them to appear subject to bias and irrationality; both of which instill harsh traits which cause the gods to be beings worthy of fear in the eyes of mankind.

The Epic of Gilgamesh is designed to show that the gods’ pride is often a result of their uncontrollable power, and that a powerful being must have counsel in order to suppress the

“Two-thirds divine and one-third human, surpassing all kings, powerful and tall beyond all others, violent, splendid, a wild bull of a man, unvanquished leader, hero on the front lines, beloved by his soldier's fortress they called him, protector of the people, raging flood that destroys all defenses.” (Mitchell, 71) This is how the author describes Gilgamesh. He was a man different from all others except for his friend Enkidu, who was a man formed from clay and the saliva of Aruru, Goddess of creation. Enkidu was initially made to rid Gilgamesh of his arrogance and restore the city. He was raised by wild animals and very ignorant of human society until he was introduced to Shamhat, a sacred prostitute, who humanized Enkidu. Upon meeting the first time, Gilgamesh and Enkidu were far from friends. They were destined to fight, and that is what they did. It was not until after the fight that they realized they connected with each other and because of this, they became the best of friends. Gilgamesh did not realize that his selfishness and need to make an eternal name for himself would eventually become a problem with the gods. Because he was so successful with Enkidu, the gods punished Gilgamesh by taking away his partner. They killed Enkidu by infecting him with an illness. The death of his best friend shattered Gilgamesh’s, heart.

In The Epic of Gilgamesh, Gilgamesh begins as an inconsiderate ruler who does not respect his people or the community. It becomes clear from early on in the novel that Gilgamesh has caused an upset in society, and for the population to function smoothly he has to

In The Epic of Gilgamesh, Gilgamesh begins as an inconsiderate ruler who does not respect his people or the community. It becomes clear from early on in the novel that Gilgamesh has caused an upset in society, and for the population to function smoothly he has to change his ways. The text reads, “Neither the father’s son nor the wife of the noble is safe in Uruk; neither the mother’s daughter nor the warrior’s bride is safe” (Gilgamesh, I:i). This excerpt shows how the subjects under Gilgamesh’s rule were scared of him. Not a soul in the town was safe because of the king, and this caused a great upset to the ways of society. Gilgamesh did not see the wrong in his doings and did not take into account the consideration the feelings of his pupils. In order for the community to obtain peace, their ruler will have to learn that he is the change that needs to occur.

The Epic of Gilgamesh is one of the oldest recorded stories in the world. The epic is a story about a king of the city of Uruk and his quest for the powerful and amazing immortality. Gilgamesh faces many challenges throughout his journey. This epic teaches about religion, sex, women and cultural values. Within the story you will see one mighty man evolve and grow to become a better person for himself and his city. Gilgamesh is an epic that is still looked at and reviewed today. It’s important to see how this epic still equates to things in today’s societies.

The fact that the gods in The Epic of Gilgamesh act a lot like humans, their power is minimal. For example, Ishtar, the goddess of live and war, falls in love with Gilgamesh and longs for him sexually. The craving for sex is a very human-like trait. Gilgamesh later denies Ishtar, which shows how degraded the gods really are.

Mesopotamian literature was often pessimistic and doubtful of the Gods. In The Epic of Gilgamesh the society is in search of a religious basis for human action, but the main focus of the story is the negligence of eternal life and the defeat of the hero in search of immortality. Lastly, the Sumerians could not get a grasp on nature. With their dependence upon irrigation from the Tigris and Euphrates that constantly faced flash floods and the Euphrates changed course rapidly causing salty soil, not to mention the droughts. There animosity towards the Gods was the basis of their cruelty. Through the Enuma Elish, the Mesopotamian creation account, we see that humans are slaves to the Gods, in every regard.

Many people believe that everything happens for a reason. Some people believe there is a God out there deciding their fate, and others believe it’s their actions that create the path they will take. No matter the idea, everyone has a different relationship with what they believe in. In Gilgamesh, edited by Steven Mitchell, demigod Gilgamesh struggles with his relationship to the gods. When the council of gods kill his best friend, Enkidu, Gilgamesh goes on a difficult journey aiming to become immortal and truly equal to them. His relationship with the gods is complicated because without them, Gilgamesh cannot succeed. Yet somehow, they are also the only thing in his way. In this epic, the relationship between gods and men is filled with tension because the gods have immense power over the humans, including the ability to decide the fate of their entire world.

People anticipate that the divine beings will watch over them and guard them. Now and again it isn't that the people hope to be protected but, guided somehow. They see the gods as flawless creatures that are all powerful and all knowing. The interaction between the gods and the humans in The Epic of Gilgamesh isn’t hard to identify, “Your appearance is no different from mine; there is nothing strange in your features (Gilgamesh 538)”. There is trust and a mutual dependency between the humans and the gods in The epic of Gilgamesh. Regardless of the undeniable power difference between the two

The epic portrays the gods and their relationship to humankind as a bad one. For example, the gods sent the flood to kill all humans except Gilgamesh.

Initially, Gilgamesh was known as the tortuous, superb, accomplished, and fierce king of Uruk who drove people out of their sanity and sought trouble. He was an arrogant, overconfident being who loved to prove to himself that he’s undefeatable even though he knew it from the core of his heart. In fact, the whole kingdom of Uruk knew it. He frequently held competitions to determine the mightiest of all in the kingdom which required the presence of every single victim. Unfortunately, no man was spared to be the opponent of the man who had the vitality of a wild bull. It was said that “ He was harrying the young men of Uruk beyond reason, Gilgamesh leaves no son to his father!” (101, line 59-60).The intense thirst for competing that Gilgamesh had, conveys how it’s the human nature to have a big an ego, and prove to themselves that they are the finest of all. Humans have the instinct to be competitive and thrive for victory. There’s always a part