Gilgamesh and Enkidu in the Epic Poem of Gilgamesh Essay -- Gilgamesh

Gilgamesh and Enkidu in the Epic Poem of Gilgamesh In this paper, I seek to look for the identities and relationships between Gilgamesh and Enkidu in the epic poem of Gilgamesh, up finished Enkidus death. I will explore the gender identity of distributively respectively and then in relation to each other, and how their gender identity influences that relationship. I will overly explore other aspects of their identity and how they came to their identities as well, through theories such as social conditioning. I will investigate the casualty that Gilgamesh and Enkidu enjoy a homosexual relationship, since modern times allow such investigations which only 20 years ago were considered extemporaneous to ancient texts by traditions western conventions. Conversely, I will also consider the possibility of a heterosexual male-male relationship in the terms of Platonic love. In gain to this, I will touch briefly at times on the unique relationship each has to a world that is caught up in a form from nature and natural things to what we call a fine-tune life, or an urban life. In the beginning of the epic poem Gilgamesh, the master(prenominal) character Gilgamesh is conveyed as a generally immoral human, his genesis mythically glide slope from the gods. Two thirds they made him god and one third man. (19, Norton Gilgamesh). He also is said to fuck off a perfect body, which is a trait of faith in many ancient cultures. When the gods created Gilgamesh they gave him a perfect body. (18, Norton Gilgamesh). Here again it is obvious that the myth says Gilgamesh is from the akin stuff as the gods. He is know for taking whatever he desires His lust leaves no virgin to her lover, neither the warriors daughter or the wifes noble. (19, Norton Gilgamesh). He has the arrogance and impudence to simply take anything that he considers in his kingdom. Cl archaeozoic, at least early on in the story, the actions of Gilgamesh mirror that of his mythical genealogy from the go ds, who live by a different moral code than that of civilized humans. At the same time however, Gilgamesh is certainly portrayed in the story as royal and capable of incredible things, such as the building of the walls and Rampart in Uruk. Climb upon the wall of Uruk walk along it, I say estimate the foundation terrace and examine the masonry is it not burnt brick and good? (19, Norton Gilgamesh). So at the ... ...ith the fact that it seems death simply can not be escaped. This helps to change Gilgamesh a great deal, and in fact it is after this that Gilgamesh begins to change his way and is truly a shepherd of the people. In the end, Gilgamesh veils Enkidu care a woman (35, Norton Gilgamesh). In fact, the text describes this as being veiled like a bride in this translation. So once again, even in death, it seems that Enkidu and Gilgamesh have moved to a very close and personal relationship with each other, which is certainly Platonic in nature, and even possibly sexually lie i n some way or another. In the end, it is unavoidable that in some way each is affected by the other, either to coiffe or remember the other and to be the fulfillment of each other. workings CitedUknown Author. Gilgamesh. In The Norton Anthology of World Masterpieces, the Western Tradition, Seventh Edition, Volume 1. Ed. Sarah Lawall and Maynard Mack. new-fashioned York W.W. Norton and Company, Inc., 1999. 18-35.Doty, William G. Myths of Masculinity. New York The Crossroad Publishing Company, 1993. 73-78.Sayers, Janet. Sexual Contradictions. New York Tavistock Publications Ltd., 1986. 23-34.