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The art of storytelling is depicted cleverly in “The Epic of Gilgamesh”. The author takes us on a journey of transformation seen in the life of Gilgamesh. The epic starts by describing who Gilgamesh is and how he came into being. He was the son of Lugalbanda and son of the august cow Rimat-Ninsun and was described as extremely strong. He is also described as two-thirds god and one-third man and the goddess Aruru designed his body. He built the foundations and walls of Uruk-Haven and did all these good things for the people. The people were longing for a leader and a savior and they found one in Gilgamesh. However, Gilgamesh began abusing his power and authority over the people. He took any woman for himself whether she was the daughter of a poor man or someone else’s wife. He did as he pleased, and the people had grown tired of it. So, they called out to the gods for help. Gilgamesh starts out as the hero and protagonist in the epic, hailed by his people for his beauty, his godlikeness, and the good things he did for the people. But he quickly becomes the antagonist and villain in this part of the epic due to his ruthlessness and cruelty to the people of Uruk. Even though this story is considered one of the oldest in the world, we can draw parallels in our modern day. We are wowed by politicians today, promising to fulfill all our desires and needs. Yet when they are voted into power, most of them tend to fulfill only their selfish needs like Gilgamesh. The author reveals an innate part of all of us; we long after power and when we get it we abuse it.
As a result of this abuse of power, the people cry out for another savior who could fight off the cruelty of Gilgamesh, Enkidu. He was as strong as Gilgamesh but did not match him in likeness. Enkidu’s body was covered in hair and he knew only animals. He lived with them, ate with them, and even drank from the same water holes as he did. Like any good story, the protagonist and antagonist face off. It is in our nature to expect good to triumph over evil but in this case, the author took a turn when the antagonist Gilgamesh wins and becomes friends with Enkidu who is supposed to rival him. After becoming friends, they decided to embark on an adventure to the cedar forest to kill the great spirit Humbaba, who also like Gilgamesh, terrorized the humans. In this section of the epic, the plot of the Quest is used. Gilgamesh and Enkidu set out on their journey but along the way, Gilgamesh has a series of terrifying dreams which left him shaken and worried. But Enkidu his friend assured him they were in fact good dreams. The dream sequence is used precisely by the author from the beginning of the epic where Gilgamesh dreams of Enkidu his opposer who would become his brother in arms. Also, in this case, predicting what would happen to them. This shows how the people of that time valued the importance of their dreams and were convinced their dreams were premonitions.
Gilgamesh also saw wisdom as the principal thing, hence his journey to obtain knowledge and wisdom of immortality. Although he was not able to attain the immortality he set out for, he gained a lot of knowledge and experience which translated into wisdom for him. The author sends a message that wisdom can sometimes be acquired only through experiences since experience is the best teacher. The role of love is also essential in this epic and the message it conveys. The most significant love in ‘The Epic of Gilgamesh’ is certainly between Gilgamesh and Enkidu. The author explores how this friendship grows from the beginning, and how it transforms both men for the better in the end. Through his friendship with Enkidu Gilgamesh came to recognize his misgivings against his own people and also his mortality because his relationship with Enkidu ended when Enkidu died. This began to reveal his flaw of mortality, and he finally accepted it. The author wanted to convey the message that, the love in friendship can sometimes be stronger than romantic love.
The Epic also depicts a hierarchy where gods ruled, and men were beneath them. By doing this, the author engages the supernatural and the natural. It speaks volumes about the beliefs of the people who lived in the time of the author. They seem to have attributed a lot of unexplained things to the gods. Some elements of magic can also be seen in the introduction of the bull of heaven. It is depicted as this magical creature sent to punish Gilgamesh and Enkidu who end up killed.
Storytelling has been a part of our nature since the beginning. We have drawn inspiration from stories told over the years and they have been a very effective tool for teaching both children and adults life lessons, morals, and values. As a result, our view of the world and everything in it has been shaped by it. Think of the many life lessons and values you have; you will realize they stemmed from childhood stories passed down from generation to generation either orally or literary. We cannot afford to stop telling stories, for our stories are a reflection of us.
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