Gilgamesh Synopsis

The Epic of Gilgamesh is an ancient poem/literature from Mesopotamia (present day Iraq). The Epic of Gilgamesh is amongst the early work of literature known to man. This Literature was originally inscribed on 12 clay tablets in cuneiform script. This literature explores the adventures of Gilgamesh, the historical part-god and part-human might of Uruk ( wiz of the many cities in ancient Mesopotamia). This literature in any case explores the boundaries of love, friendship, death, im soulfulnessity, and life as we might relate to it today.Gilgamesh was two-thirds god and one-third human/mortal. He was envisioned in the literature a human king of his sight of Uruk and also a supernatural god. Gilgamesh was the strongest of all men, the bravest of the bravest, and a magnificent builder. One of Gilgameshs greatest accomplishments was that he was able to build synagogue towers (ziggurats) and walls that protected his Uruk people from invasions. The Epic of Gilgamesh described a catast rophic flood similar to that go through by Noah in the Christian bible.This Noah like character was known as Utnapishtim in this literature. He was a king and priest who was granted immortality from the gods afterwardward his great boat carried him, his wife, and e truly living creature to safety after the flood. Utnapishtim was the keeper of the secrets of immortality. Despite some of Gilgameshs great accomplishments he was very arrogant as a king and as a mortal who had some godlike features. The people of Uruk were fearful of Gilgamesh, and they prayed to their gods to liberate them from Gilgameshs arrogance.Relief came in the form of Enkidu, the beastly man who sought to be Gilgameshs impact but instead became his good companion, after being seduced by Shamhat (the temple prostitute). Gilgamesh lived a life of supremacy and adventures. Gilgamesh and his companion Enkidu achieved numerous victories over their adversaries, one of which was the demon Humbada. The gods had later punished Gilgamesh and Enkidu for their forms of tyranny by giving Enkidu a slow and painful death. After the death of companion and friend Enkidu, a grief-stricken Gilgamesh became fearful of his own mortality and went in pursuit of Utnapishtims secrets of immortality.Gilgamesh traveled the ends of the earth searching for Utnapishtim, the one man whom the Gods saved from the flood, and who was so-called to be able to give Gilgamesh immortality. Gilgameshs pursuit for immortality was futile, despite that item that he was giving an alternative for attaining immortality in the form of a botany which was located at the bottom of the ocean. Gilgamesh went back to Uruk not only commonplace and weary but, as a changed man with a more clear attitude about life. Gilgamesh seemingly became more appreciative of mortality and sanguine about still achieving greatness and a legacy as a mortal versus an immortal.