Gilgamesh The Epic Hero Essay, Research Paper

Three Step

“Notice the strong wall of our city of Uruk,” Despite Gilgameshe’s arrogance and selfishness the people of Uruk know just how much he has helped by building such a great city. Is Gilgamesh a true hero despite his flaws? The answer is yes according to the hero cycle. The hero cycle first starts out as an unusual birth, then a journey and finally ending with fulfillment. In the epic story Gilgamesh, Gilgamesh proves all of these hero characteristics to be true.

Gilgamesh had a very unusual birth. His mother was a godess named Ninsun. His father was Lugabanda, a full mortal who had once been the king of Uruk. He was born one-third man and two-third god. This made Gilgamesh believe that he was better then anyone else. He had it all except one thing, lasting life or immortality. From then on his journey was about to begin, but little did he know what lied ahead.

Gilgamesh set out to find lasting life. However he did not know that the gods above were watching him every step of the way. Gilgamesh would have many obstacles and challenges to overcome. One of these challenges was to defeat the evil giant Humbaba.Gilgamesh took this challenge head on and won. He and his new found friend Enkidu traveled to the cedar forest to find and conquer the protector of the land. Defeating Humbaba did not give Gilgamesh immortality but got him one step closer. Instead, each challenge made Gilgamesh more wise. This was a strategy the gods had planned all along.

The final step of the hero cycle is fulfillment. Gilgamesh achieves this in many ways. After his adventures Gilgamesh comes away with the best gift ever. Along the way he gained a best friend who would help him in every challenge. Although the fate of Enkidu was sealed by the gods he later becomes very sick with a strange illness. Enkidu was slowly dying, but Gilgamesh stood by his side. When Enkidu gave up his finnal fight Gilgamesh became very scared for his own. He takes one last journey to Utanpishtim to visit a very wise man, he gives Gilgamesh a plant called “The-Old -Man-Will-Be -Made-Young”.Gilgamesh fail this challenge, resulting in him going home. Gilgamesh returns home knowing that every man must someday be taken from the natural world, and experience the spirits of the afterlife.

As he traveled throughout the hero cycle birth, journey, and fullfilment he in return became a better man.Gilgamesh became a great king that everyone wanted him to be and was created to be. He had a better respect for the life and wanted to make the best of what little time he had left. Although he did not find lasting life his epic did. Gilgamesh will be remembered for years to come as the great king who had once built the strong-walls of Uruk.