Why he Story of Gilgamesh is Considered an Epic: Essay

From communicating on clay tablets to typing on computers or other technological devices, our history has come a long way. To this day, fortunately enough we still have one of the oldest pieces of literature in history. Throughout time and civilization, people have found a way to continue telling stories in order to communicate the roles and purpose of society during that time. History shows that the environment is continuing to evolve and influence people in many ways. The role of the environment in the lives of ancient people plays a very crucial role; as it demonstrates the impact nature can attain on people such as the wild forests, strong winds, or even the steep slopes of various mountains. All of these different examples have a significant impact on the daily challenges people encounter in their environment. The book “The Epic of Gilgamesh” portrays many different circumstances that can affect one's life such as the environment or the natural world and this demonstrates how the origin of someone can then dictate their path in life.

It is important to recognize that the natural world and environment have always been huge factors when it comes to the lives of people back then and even now. As demonstrated in the story, many of these characters confront the environment in various ways throughout their lives. Some of these natural forces or habitats can either benefit people or obstruct their regular routine. Feeling safe and superior is very important because the world can oftentimes be a hard place to live in. This is shown when Enkidu mentions “My friend, how can we (go to the home of Humbaba?), So to keep safe the cedars, Enlil made it his lot to terrify men” (Gilgamesh, l. 216, p.19). This quote is significant as it illustrates how the environment can bring a sense of belonging and security to one’s life. Having a safe home is very important because one gets to be at peace and feel protected from the outside world every single day. People believe a home should be one’s own territory and division from the outsiders; it is a barrier and one’s own niche that only some can endure.

Realizing all the benefits that the natural world can bring to people is truly a gift; if you are dominant. Although, for other people, it may be a challenge to come across natural forces that are very difficult to overcome. Such as the strong winds that Humbaba had to confront because of the powers that the god, Shamash, had given to Gilgamesh and Enkidu. These powers were very crucial as they helped their journey through the forest. However, without these supernatural forces, Gilgamesh would have had a really hard time getting past the wild forest. Whether people appreciated the environment or not, it certainly played a strong role which shaped the way people connected with their surroundings in life. Finding and adapting to a way of living life was a challenge that needed to be solved through interactions with the natural world.

The conditions in which ancient people lived displayed that the environment is more than just your surroundings, it is also your awareness of the environment. Some people were more comfortable under certain conditions because of what nature had to offer. However, the natural world is more than just a place to live. It is a place made up of many components that can manufacture a way of living from a physical, social, or even mental aspect. It was evident that protection and feeling safe were big factors in this story. However, keeping mother nature out of your home is even more important. The book mentions that “(Enkidu) made for (Gilgamesh a) House of the Dream God, (he fixed) a door in its doorway to keep out the weather” (Gilgamesh. l. 88, p. 33). This shows how people rely on the security and having shelter because it brings a lot of value to both the mental and physical state of being. People may even try to control the way nature behaves by trying to overpower it.

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The reality is that nature is very challenging to overcome because it can make people feel powerless in a way that they do not get a chance to feel protected. As a result, people such as Gilgamesh may have felt the need to conquer the way of immortality because it offered a lot of benefits and he wants to feel powerful. This may lead to the differences between humans and nature, essentially Enkidu and Gilgamesh because they both come from particular backgrounds. With this being said, people have to embrace their origin and determine another way to seize success in life with the help of the world.

There are many factors that distinguish the differences between Enkidu’s origin and Gilgamesh’s, but most importantly it is that Enkidu comes from the wild. It is valid to say that where people come from can influence the way one interacts with nature, as one may be more familiar with their surroundings. Having the innate power of being comfortable with the natural world or the wild is a strong advantage. It is critical to recognize that the environment and the people have a very close relationship which strongly impacts the way lives were lived back then. A prime example of this is shown when the goddess Aruru created Enkidu; as stated in the book, “In the wild, she created Enkidu, the hero, offspring of silence, knit strong by Ninurta” (Gilgamesh.l.103, p.5). This quote is necessary because it illustrates how the descent of someone can interfere with or contribute to succeeding in life. This is one major advantage Enkidu obtains over Gilgamesh as he says to Enkidu that he was made and grew up in the wild. Essentially speaking that he has meant for the wild and is very familiar with the life of the natural world.

Towards the end of the journey, Gilgamesh realizes his dedication to becoming immortal and more powerful is a necessity for his life. Gilgamesh worried so much about finding the specific plant that would rejuvenate him and then, therefore, make him immortal. He was very determined and willing to face every challenge the natural world would force him to defeat in order to conquer success. Gilgamesh quoted that “If it may be done, I will cross the ocean, if it may not be done, I will wander the wild!” (Gilgamesh, l.76, p.78). To further emphasize, humans were sometimes overpowered by the natural world in many aspects. However, Gilgamesh was willing to sacrifice whatever it took to feel protected and worthy. Ancient people genuinely respected the roles and strengths of the environment which is why people thought interactions and understanding the natural world were imperative. There is a lot to say about the environment, ancient people, and both of their roles but more importantly, the way in which the natural world affected success in the lives of ancient people.

Humanity and the natural world go hand in hand because of the strong relationship they obtain with each other. It is crucial to note that this piece of literature is not just any piece of literature. It is a piece of history that is worth understanding because of the many values it may teach people today or in the future. Recognizing the true meaning of this story indicates knowing about the way in which people connected with their surroundings; this being the natural world. On Gilgamesh’s epic journey of discovering the meaning of life, he embraced and fought through every challenge he came upon in order to reach a more rewarding gift, which was immortality. Although he did not quite accomplish his goal, soon enough he realized that he cannot escape death, and appreciating the value that life brings is imperative because there are still other ways to succeed in life.

Ultimately the book “The Epic of Gilgamesh” interprets a very profound meaning of life. There are many different ways ancient people behaved in the interactions between the environment and humanity. Without the natural world, people would not really succeed in life because of the aid it can provide to them. Ancient people genuinely admired the capacity in which the natural world was able to function because of it being so vigorous. The environment has so much to offer but that is why people may envy it, because of it being dominant and authoritative over them. These natural forces and life taught them that nature is something to not mess with because it can defeat life, from a physical standpoint and mental as well. Each individual comes from a different origin and that is what one has to embrace instead of dwelling on what cannot be done but rather on what could be done. There will be success and there will be failure, but as long as one realizes how to overcome failure, then one will conquer the natural world and the environment.