The Epic of Gilgamesh

A detailed Summary of The Epic of Gilgamesh

Gilgamesh and His Quest for Salvation

The relationship that exists between literature and religion is one that often leaves its followers/readers wondering how one could exist without the other. The symbiotic connection is often times so deep-seeded that it can easily be taken for granted. The common themes in the writing of both the Common Era, and throughout history are riddled with religious symbolism, religious values, and even religious characters. Ancient texts like The Odyssey, The Epic of Gilgamesh, and Beowulf center on humanity's relationships with gods and the consequences of existence. As time passed, authors like Thomas Mallory and Marion Zimmer Bradley enchanted readers by incorporating magic and religion. In the worlds of religion, oral tradition was slowly phased out, as written texts became the basis for story telling. Moral codes and religious teachings could never have been accurately passed down from generation to generation without the use of the written word. The fact that the Christian Bible is the best selling book of all time is a perfect example of the power of writing in regards to religion. The intertwining of literature and religion continues to show its prevalence in the use of parable-like s

The basis of every quest is that the "hero" of the story embarks on a journey that may, or may not change him/her in the end. For both The Forest Journey and The Search for Everlasting Life, Gilgamesh is set up ideally for his up incoming quest. His arrogance, pride, and ambition make him the perfect hero. Joseph Campbell's first phase of the quest is the call to make a change to a somewhat limited situation. This call traditionally gives the hero the opportunity to change an unhappy situation. The superiority that Gilgamesh receives by being two-thirds god leaves him extremely unsatisfied with life. "No son is left with his father....His lust leaves no virgin to her lover" (The Epic of Gilgamesh, page 62). Despite his pleasure with the creation of Enkidu, his equal, he still feels a void in his life. This void, along with his drive for power, forces Gilgamesh to journey into the forest so that he might, "set up [his] name in the place where the names of famous men are written" (Gilgamesh, p.70). His call for The Search for Everlasting Life is not one of pride, but one of fear. He has seen Enkidu's suffering and believes that because of his own divinity, he may be able to avoid, "the common lot of man" (Gilgamesh, p.98).

tories that can be found in virtually every major faith. These life lessons not only help the followers understand the basic principles of their faith, but do so in a fashion so that they can in turn apply those principles to their every day lives.

The people that assist Gilgamesh on his journeys are known within the quest terminology as helpers and guides. They are considered the fourth phase of the quest, and are readily present in both of his expeditions. In addition to being his other, Enkidu also helps Gilgamesh to defeat Humbaba-or the embodiment of evil, as Gilgamesh would have us believe. Much more important is the assistance given by the sun god Shamash. It is this interplay that not only displays Gilgamesh's dependence on the gods and lack of confidence in the face of danger, but also again helps to show how the people of Uruk interacted with their deities. In the Everlasting Life quest the helpers are again both human and god (Urshanabi and Siduri) and reflect the value that was put on the advice and assistance of the gods.

The final, and in many cases, the most important phase of the quest is the transformation. The transformation, often times, represents the final casting off of an old and outworn mode of existence-if a transformation is actually made. In a sense, the transformation can repres

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Approximate Word count = 1731
Approximate Pages = 7 (250 words per page double spaced)

Category: English