Pride, Social Position, and Discontent: How Gilgamesh Killed Enkidu - Essay Example

14 September Pride, Social Position, and Discontent: How Gilgamesh Killed Enkidu “The Epic of Gilgamesh” is an exceptional story about two brothers who have sworn to love and protect each other. Their love is known to be as strong as a man’s love for his woman. What is amazing with this story is that these brothers did not even come from the same flesh, because they became brothers due to their similar godlike abilities. Their friendship is based on respect and admiration for each other. The Tablet 3 of this epic, however, shows that Enkidu dies. Despite being second in power, he disgracefully dies in bed with a dreadful disease. He knows that there is no justice in this kind of death, and only dying in the midst of a battle can be an honorable way for a great man to die. This essay argues that Gilgamesh killed Enkidu, though not in his own hands. Gilgamesh is responsible for Enkidu’s death, because of his pride, social position, and discontent, because there are the factors that fashioned events that would eventually kill Enkidu. Gilgamesh has pride that evokes him to pursue grand missions. He envisions great accomplishments without thinking of its consequences. He wants to enter the Country of the Living, because he believes he has not done anything grand enough: “…I have not established my name stamped on brick as my destiny decreed, I will go to the country where the cedar is cut” (7). Humbaba, a “ferocious giant,” guards the Land of Cedars (7). This giant evokes fear far and wide: “When he roars it is like the torrent of the storm, his breath is like fire, and his jaws are death itself” (7). Gilgamesh does not think about the outcomes of fighting and defeating Humbaba other than reaping self-glory. In addition, he sincerely believes that his triumph will reflect on the gods: “I will set up my name where the names of famous men are written; and where no man’s name is written I will raise a monument to the gods” (7). He will offer his victory to them and make them proud of him. Despite these earnest ambitions, the counselors already warn him that “Humbaba is not like men who die, his weapons are such that none can stand against them; the forest stretches for ten thousand leagues in every direction” (8). They remind him that when someone challenges Humbaba, there will be “no equal struggle” (8). They believe that this fight will not be a fair one, and they recommend Gilgamesh to no longer pursue it. Gilgamesh dismisses these forewarnings, because he has great pride and he knows that he is superior to other men. Others would think twice in battling Humbaba, but not him. He will even search for Humbaba and dare him to a duel. Gilgamesh belittles rationality as cowardice, another sign of his pride. Enkidu, his own brother, admits he cannot fight with him, since he knows that this will be a fight to the death and he knows the limitations of his mortality. Gilgamesh keeps on persuading Enkidu to not be a coward and assures him that together they will win. Gilgamesh tells Enkidu: “Dear friend, do not speak like a coward. Have we got the better of so many dangers and travelled so far, to turn back at last?” (8). Enkidu wants to back out several times, because he is sure that he cannot match Humbaba’s vision and strength. He even believes that Gilgamesh will die too: “I will tell the lady your mother all your glorious’ deeds till she shouts for joy: and then I will tell the death that followed till she weeps for bitterness” (10). Gilgamesh mocks these second thoughts to the point of undermining life itself: “… forget death and follow me, a man resolute in action, but one who is not foolhardy” (9). He promises Enkidu that together, they are unstoppable: “When two go together each will protect himself and shield his companion, and if they fall they leave an enduring name” (8). He reminds Enkidu of the glory that they will reap after killing Humbaba. Enkidu cannot be easily swayed, because he has more realistic apprehensions based on his actual encounter with Humbaba and he tells Gilgamesh: “I who know him, I am terrified” (10). Gilgamesh insists that they will finish this mission with each other: “He who leaves the fight unfinished is not at peace” (10). Gilgamesh convinces Enkidu that they can and they will win. He transfers his own idea of his “grand” self to Enkidu, and so Enkidu drinks into this goblet of pride and forgets reason. Like Gilgamesh, he chooses honor and courage over life and logic. He no longer feels fearful, which he must, and decides to move forward and take all risks. Gilgamesh has a social position that provides him ultimate protection, while this leaves Enkidu, his warrior, vulnerable to death. The harlot and everyone else value Gilgamesh, since for them, he is their hero and King. She tells Enkidu: “His body is perfect in strength and maturity; he never rests by night or day. He is stronger than you, so leave your boasting” (5). They are filled with pride when they speak of him and to lose him would influence how they see themselves too. Before, they were angry at him, because he has abused his powers. He takes all men and boys as his warriors and beds all brides, even those who were wed to warriors and nobles. Once, they called to Uruk: “…O Aruru; now create his equal; let it be as like him as his own reflection, his second self; stormy heart for stormy heart. Let them contend together and leave Uruk in quiet” (4). Since Enkidu came to tame Gilgamesh, there has been peace. From then on, these people love and cherish Gilgamesh. Because of his social position and whether Gilgamesh wants it or not, he puts a large responsibility on Enkidu to protect him, so everyone pressures the latter to protect the former. Mortals and gods alike expect Enkidu to lay down his life for their King. Ninsun asks Enkidu: “I entrust my son to you; bring him back to me safely” (8). This advice already comes from the king’s mother, a personality who cannot be easily dismissed. At the same time, the counselors reinforce that they trust Enkidu to save their king from harm: “We, the counselors of Uruk entrust our king to you, O Enkidu; bring him back safely to us” (9). Enkidu also dreams which can be interpreted as the gods’ way of reminding him to fight with and protect Gilgamesh at all costs. Enkidu will then promise all these people that he will protect and help Gilgamesh, without knowing that such a serious responsibility will cost him his life. In addition, Gilgamesh has so much pride that he does not know how to reject a goddess’ advances properly. Ishtar proposes to Gilgamesh: “…let me be your bride and you shall be my husband” (12). Gilgamesh heaps insults on her by reminding her of how cruelly she treated her former lovers. An example is: “There was Tammuz, the lover of your youth, for him you decreed wailing, year after year” (12). He makes Ishtar feels that no one will be mad enough to wed her or love her. This is not the proper way to treat a goddess; he should have found other ways to turn her down. But because Gilgamesh thinks highly of himself, he does not think twice in insulting her. As a result, he earns her wrath. After scorning a goddess, Ishtar promises to take revenge on Gilgamesh. She asks for the Bull of Heaven from her father Anu and Antum her mother. She threatens to make the dead eat the living, if her request is not granted. She knows that Enkidu and Gilgamesh will be challenged to slay the Bull and when they do, she will curse Enkidu and take him away from Gilgamesh. This plan shows that Ishtar knows how to hurt Gilgamesh- by taking away the man he loves and treats as an equal. Enkidu helps Gilgamesh again to slay the Bull of Heaven. It is his duty to be a courageous warrior of Gilgamesh, and this courage has imprinted his fate to end soon. Gilgamesh has a restless spirit and he will not back out on any mission, no matter how risky and difficult it may be. He blames this restlessness on Shamash: “If this enterprise is not to be accomplished, why did you move me, Shamash, with the restless desire to perform it?” (8). He remains discontent with his life, if he has no great challenges to surmount. When he sets his sights on Humbaba, his thirst for adventure cannot be quenched anymore. His mother agrees with the idea that the gods have moved her son to this difficult quest. She prays to Shamash: “O Shamash, why did you give this restless heart to Gilgamesh, my son; why did you give it?” (8). Gilgamesh will not be content with additional titles on him, so he rouses the wary Enkidu to fight with him and join his battles. He does this with Humbaba and then with the Bull of Heaven. If Gilgamesh has been satisfied with his life, he could not encouraged Enkidu to join him in his battles. These battles resulted eventually to making Ishtar angry and to Enkidu’s early demise. Gilgamesh is known for his ferocious courage and pride. As a great warrior, however, his pride, discontent, and restlessness got the best of him. He persuades Enkidu to fight with him and together they shared and won many battles. Gilgamesh has not actually killed Enkidu, but his personality, actions, and social position paved the way for Enkidu’s death. In the end, Enkidu becomes the target of Ishtar’s vengeance and he dies the most horrible way- with a sickness, instead of in the middle of a fierce battle. Hence, unknowingly, but still guiltily, Gilgamesh killed Enkidu and the latter’s death killed a large part of him too. Work Cited The Epic of Gilgamesh. 12 Sept. 2011.Web. < http://www.aina.org/books/eog/eog.pdf>. Read More