The Epic of Gilgamesh

Zachary Schlouch

9/11/12

       In The Epic of Gilgamesh, I have played close attention to the pervasive influence that friendship and camaraderie have had upon Gilgamesh and Enkidu, and I have observed how their relationship led them to find strength in each other.  From early on in the text when they battled and slayed Humbaba it was evident that the union of these two strong individuals would at the very least have a strong physical impact upon the people of Uruk that Gilgamesh reigned.  It was surprising to see how their partnership grew from similarities in physical brawn to a strong social and mental connection that soon turned to a relationship of reliance and love after Ninsun adopted Enkidu as her son and Gilgamesh’s brother.  Enkidu’s presence clearly changed Gilgamesh’s thoughts of his power and the way he approached his life in general, and I think this is because Gilgamesh continued to gain respect for Enkidu’s strength and determination that paralleled his own.  Gilgamesh had finally found an individual that he could view as an equal and not automatically inferior to himself, and even though this shocked and worried him initially it is evident that he gained an appreciation for the value of companionship in life.  It was interesting to see how Enkidu was able to change Gilgamesh from a tyrannical ruler into a valiant hero all while he was being transformed from a wild beast in to a cultured and more selfless man. I think one of the best examples of this transformation within Gilgamesh occurred when he defiantly denied the sexual advances of Ishtar.  Earlier in the story he would have openly accepted such desires from a woman as his life was characterized by forced sex and rape of married women, and this refusal represents a monumental change in his attitudes towards women and his ability to enact self-control. Despite their individual character development, Gilgamesh and Enkidu even dream about the lives and fates of each other.  This directly demonstrates the presence of a love interest between the two while also foreshadowing the death of Enkidu and the fate of Gilgamesh.  The god’s decision to kill Enkidu marks a substantial moment in the text and one that clearly marks a change in Gilgamesh’s strength and his thoughts concerning mortality.  He clearly had a hard time dealing with the loss of his friend and love, Enkidu, and the moments of mourning and sorrow that follow his death demonstrate to the reader the depth of Gilgamesh’s feelings towards him.  The pride and strength that he had displayed for so long succumbed to the tumult of his emotions over the loss of his friend, and this revelation explicitly shows the human traits that Gilgamesh possesses.  Without his friend and companion Gilgamesh felt lost and alone, and it seemed as if he did not possess the same confidence and strength that characterized the personal dominance he had early in the text. These questions clearly caused Gilgamesh to re-evaluate his own life and its fate, and this renewed awareness shows how the relationship he shared with Enkidu caused him to value life and love on a greater scale even though he had a hard time finding peace in his own heart to deal with questions concerning his own morality.