Benjamin Wu
Humanities 9
3/13/16
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The story of them becoming “human together” means that Gilgamesh and Enkidu bonded as
men, having a relationship between men rather than between that of a god and an animal.
The hunter’s son thought that Enkidu was slightly bizarre, looking like an animal yet moving like
a man, yet he shared a unique bond with the animals.
The purpose of the prostitute, Shamhat, was to cause Enkidu to become a man through contact
with another human being, and to bring him back to Uruk to meet Gilgamesh, who would hail
him as his equal.
The essence and purpose of the quarrel between Gilgamesh and Enkidu in the marketplace was
to determine each other as equals, evenly matched in everything.
Gilgamesh is an insightful man, as demonstrated when he mentioned that in his fight against
Humbaba he has nothing to lose; if he wins, he gains glory. If he loses, he will at least have the
reward of people saying that he died an honorable death in war.
Enkidu was afraid of Humbaba because when he lived with the animals of the wild, they taught
him never to go into the cedar forest where Humbaba lived, because “there is death in
Humbaba.”
Gilgamesh persuaded Enkidu to fight Humbaba by telling him of the rewards he would gain:
honor and glory as a warrior in victory, and renown as a warrior in defeat and death
The importance of reputation to Gilgamesh is to uphold his status of a living god on the earth
The purpose and role of Ninsun to Gilgamesh is to advise him and help protect him in his fight
against Humbaba. She also appealed to Enkidu to help keep Gilgamesh safe.
I believe that the conversation between Enkidu and Gilgamesh during the trip to Humbaba’s
forest was mostly about the fear of death and how to master it.
Enkidu dreamed of monstrous creatures different from any creature he had seen or met before
he had “become human” with the arrival of the prostitute
Humbaba was characterized as clumsy and angry, permanently bent under the burden of the job
as a slave for the gods.
Ishtar wishes to marry Gilgamesh, claiming that the death of Humbaba was not Gilgamesh’s
fault, but in fact the gods’, as they had neglected Humbaba for so long that he had become
angry.
Enkidu was a teacher to Gilgamesh in that even though Gilgamesh was a king, he had never
looked at death before. He was unable to help his friend in this grave situation
Gilgamesh is left to wander alone after Enkidu’s death because he now has no one to confide in;
Enkidu was his only true friend, and Gilgamesh now has to seek another friend
Gilgamesh in his quest searches for a conversation with Utnapishtim, the god of death (?) in
order to attempt to bring Enkidu back to life. This is selfish because Gilgamesh never thought of
what Enkidu and the gods would have thought if Enkidu was brought back to life. He only
thought of what could be done for his own sake.
Literally, the purpose of the Scorpion man was to open the gate to the mountains of death for
Gilgamesh, and to warn him of the dangers ahead. Figuratively, it was to send Gilgamesh to his
death.
The story works to constantly reinforce the human characteristics of Gilgamesh by showing that,
although he is part god, he is still afraid of death. This shows that he also is afraid, which is a
human quality.
The essence of friendship as described is the willingness to endure dangers beside each other.
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Siduri’s advice to Gilgamesh is not to continue to strive to return Enkidu to the land of the living;
instead, she tells him to enjoy life, and cherish it, and do the things which humans and mortals
do.
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Siduri says that the lot of man is to feed himself well, be merry, feast and rejoice, and to take
care of his wife and his children.
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Gilgamesh exhausts Urshanabi because he destroyed the sacred stones, thus disabling his ability
to go across the waters of death.
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The meaning of the flood story as told by Utnapishtim was that even gods can act foolhardy at
times.
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Utnapishtim envy’s Gilgamesh’s freedom because Gilgamesh is able to roam anywhere on earth,
while he and his wife can only reside at the mouth of the river in the underworld.
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Utnapishtim is frustrated by Gilgamesh because he keeps asking him so many questions, even
after he is told that Utnapishtim has nothing to give him. Also, while Gilgamesh is striving so
much for life for Enkidu, he falls asleep quickly, unable to keep grasping onto that desire. As a
test, Utnapishtim tells his wife to bake loaves of bread and set them next to his head for every
day that he sleeps; Gilgamesh sleeps for seven days. Utnapishtim, because of this result, tells
Gilgamesh that he would treat godhood very badly.
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Utnapishtim softens toward Gilgamesh because his wife reminded him of a time when he was
like Gilgamesh; desperate for one thing so much that he would go to any lengths, even to
challenge the gods, to achieve it.
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The symbolism of the snake shedding its skin is that of new life; the plant renews the
consumer’s life; when the snake at the plant, it gained a new life and a new beginning, so it shed
its skin to signify that.
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Not a single person remembers Enkidu except Gilgamesh; this confirms for Gilgamesh that after
death, without a reputation, they are no longer remembered.
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Gilgamesh gains hope when he sees how high the walls of the city of Uruk have grown; this
symbolizes that humanity and civilization are climbing to ever greater heights, where people are
able to make a reputation for themselves and live forever in the minds and hearts of the people.