11
edits
Epic of Gilgamesh: Difference between revisions
→Bonds of Friendship
| Line 26: | Line 26: | ||
His first lesson is one of friendship through the wild man Enkidu, more of an animal than man. Like all good, lasting friendships, Gilgamesh and Enkidu first attempt to kill each other when the latter comes to Uruk. Fortunately, they do not, yet Gilgamesh does get the slight upper-hand, and they become great friends. Indeed, while there is an implicit suggestion of Gilgamesh’s superiority over Enkidu, something akin most friendships, there is one who is dominant, choosing adventures, making decisions, and directing the ultimate course of the friendship. Gilgamesh, since he is the [[heroic ideal | epic hero]], seems to take this role, perhaps also suggesting the superiority of the cultured and civilized to the animal, or natural. This motif becomes even more apparent in their first adventure. | His first lesson is one of friendship through the wild man Enkidu, more of an animal than man. Like all good, lasting friendships, Gilgamesh and Enkidu first attempt to kill each other when the latter comes to Uruk. Fortunately, they do not, yet Gilgamesh does get the slight upper-hand, and they become great friends. Indeed, while there is an implicit suggestion of Gilgamesh’s superiority over Enkidu, something akin most friendships, there is one who is dominant, choosing adventures, making decisions, and directing the ultimate course of the friendship. Gilgamesh, since he is the [[heroic ideal | epic hero]], seems to take this role, perhaps also suggesting the superiority of the cultured and civilized to the animal, or natural. This motif becomes even more apparent in their first adventure. | ||
Strong bonds are usually formed when two people have a common goal, ideal, or interest. The gods created Enkidu to try to soften Gilgamesh—make him kinder and gentler, if you will. Even now, people come in and out of life for a purpose—some to be there for a long time and some for just a moment. Their time in one's life may or may not accomplish its purpose because some are sometimes blinded by their own desires. For Enkidu, his time with Gilgamesh was relatively short, but it was a relationship that Gilgamesh would never forget. Even though their first meeting was distressing, they became best friends. Early in his existence, Enkidu had lost his physical strength (due to his encounter with the harlot), but had gained knowledge and insight (1). When Endiku first came into the city, Gilgamesh was about to go in a ravish a new bride. Enkidu knew this was wrong and tried to block him at the door. They had a tremendous fight, but that fight was the beginning of their friendship. Many friendships that start off on the wrong foot, wind up being the closest. Their friendship seems genuine, but only Gilgamesh seemed to gain anything from it. This also occurs in our friendships. One person seems to get all the glory and the other may be just along for the ride or be the one who gets things done behind the scenes—not everyone wants to be king! | |||
Cited Works | |||
(1) http://www.wsu.edu/~dee/MESO/GILG.HTM page 2, Tablet 1 | |||
=== Quest for Worldly Renown === | === Quest for Worldly Renown === | ||