The Epic of Gilgamesh : Summary & Characters Analysis

The Epic of Gilgamesh is an ancient poem from the Babylonian and Mesopotamian civilizations. Comprising five poems in Sumerian, the language spoken by ancient Mesopotamians, it is a royal epic of Gilgamesh, the Sumerian name of Gilgamesh, a king of Uruk (one of the earliest human settlements in human history), and was engraved on clay tablets. The earliest surviving versions of the epic date back to 2100 BC and were written in the Old Babylonian. Later versions of this ancient epic date back to the 10^th and 12^th century BC were written in Standard Babylonian, and two-thirds of which were uncovered in the ruins of a library belonging to the 7^th century BC Assyrian king, Ashurbanipal.

The Epic of Gilgamesh are nearly 4000 years old and the earliest examples of literature. The Old Bab Ionian version hail from the settlement of Uruk (present-day Samawah, Iraq), considered one of the first settlements around the world that ushered in the Neolithic Revolution, as human society & culture became agrarian from hunter-gatherers.  

This write-up takes a deep dive into the Epic of Gilgamesh, presenting a concise summary and an in-depth analysis of the most important characters in the epic.

A Summary of The Epic of Gilgamesh

Like any other historic epic literature, Gilgamesh’s epic details a legendary tale of Bilgamesh/Gilgamesh, a king of Uruk, one of the earliest Sumerian settlements in Mesopotamia. Historians are certain that these epic poems have, in all probability, been handed down through the years by word of mouth before finally being collated and recorded in clay tablets.

Below is our Epic of Gilgamesh summary crafted by our native literary experts.

The story of Gilgamesh occurred approximately five thousand years ago. Gilgamesh was the ruler of Uruk, the earliest and contemporarily richest city in ancient Sumer. A strong and handsome king, Gilgamesh was proud, egotistic, and cruel. The people of Uruk lived in abject fear of King Gilgamesh, who forced them to construct great palaces. Gilgamesh was a tyrannical ruler who instilled absolute fear in the heart of his subjects.

The inhabitants of Uruk prayed to the Gods for a reprieve from the tyrannical rule of Gilgamesh. Salvation c me in the form of Enkidu, a fearless, idealistic, and well-built warrior who hailed from uncivilized parts and was sent forth by Ishtar, the Goddess of Love & War, the Sun-God Shamash, and the rest of the pantheon. Enkidu was accustomed to and completely ignorant of the ways of civilization, being raised in the effort among animals. When Enkid learned of the tyranny of Gilgamesh, he was enraged and looked forward to challenging Gilgamesh in single combat.

Enkidu became versed in civilization through his interactions with a cultic prostitute named Shamhat, who Gilgamesh sent forth. Shamhat accompanied Enkidu, teaching and acquainting him with the ways of the urban civilization.

Once the epic battle between Gilgamesh and Enkidu began, as time went on, both combatants realized the strengths and qualities of each other. The much more experienced Gilgamesh defeated Enkidu, but both men developed a profound admiration for one another. They became close friends and began to travel & explore together.

Gilgamesh and Enkidu embarked on many adventures together. Among such adventures, one of the most notable is their venture into the forbidden Cedar Forest, the abode of the Sumerian Gods. There the p ir faced the grotesque God-like monster called Humbaba, the guardian of the Cedar Forest.

Gilgamesh is initially afraid of fighting Humbaba, a frightening monstrous deity who threatens to disembowel Gilgamesh and feed him to the birds. Enkidu enco rages Gilgamesh to fight Humbaba, and the Gods aid Gilgamesh by binding Humbaba, enabling Gilgamesh to defeat & capture the forest guardian. Humbaba ple ds for forgiveness and offers to make Gilgamesh the king of the mystical forest and become his slave.  

Enkidu, however, urges Gilgamesh to kill Humbaba, who curses them both, before Gilgamesh kills him and all his sons. The two cut down many Cedar trees, including the largest tree in the forest, as a sign of their achievement and dominance. Later, they returned to Uruk with a raft fashioned from the Cedar Trees along the Euphrates River.

The slaying of Humbaba caused his power to spread all across the land. Perhaps this slaying displeased the Gods as they became fearful of the power of Gilgamesh and Enkidu. The goddess Ishtar tried to seduce Gilgamesh, who spurned her advances and brought her ire upon the land of Uruk. She sent f th the Bull of Heaven that brought drought and famine upon the land.

Gilgamesh and Enkidu joined forces to defeat the Bull of Heaven. This again enraged the Gods, who cursed Enkidu to fall seriously ill. Enkidu even usually succumbed to the affliction. Enkidu's death devastated Gilgamesh, who became fearful for his own life. Thus, began the second part of the Epic of Gilgamesh, where accounts of his search for the secret of eternal life began.  

Enkidu dies in Tablet Seven of the Epic. From Tablet Eight begins Gilgamesh's lament and his search for eternal life. There is a mention of a Great Flood that covered the entirety of Earth for many years, long before the time of Gilgamesh, which he learns about during his journeys. He learns about the flood from Utnapishtim, who survived the flood thanks to heavenly portents.

In one of the most memorable sections of the epic, Uthnapistim reflects upon the conjugal & inseparable nature of life and death, saying:

"The life that you are seeking you will never find. When the Go s created man, they allotted him death, but the life they retained in their keeping."

Gilgamesh concludes his journey after failing to find the elixir of eternal life. He returned a changed man, as his adventures with Enkidu and Uthnapishtim made him wiser than ever. He became a gentle ruler, stopped mistreating his people, and realized the ultimate truth – that no one can escape death. Instead, Gilgamesh decided to live on in the memories of his people long after his death.

Key Insights

• Any summary of this ancient epic should highlight its discourse's philosophical nature and the similarity with later epics such as the Bible's Old Testament, the Iliad, and the Odyssey.  
• Gilgamesh's adventures, trials & tribulations, and revelations are strikingly similar to the character archetype and journeys of the characters in the epics of subsequent historical periods.  
• The protagonist, Gilgamesh, and his transition from a vain & tyrannical ruler to a benevolent king of his people, the friend Enkidu & the philosopher Uthnapishtim, encounters with Gods & battles with God-like entities, the Cedar Forest as the Garden of Eden, the Great Flood, Gilgamesh’s journey towards enlightenment – the similarities are too many and too prominent to ignore.
• This ancient Royal Epic inspired later historical epics such as the Iliad, Odyssey, the Old Testament, and many more. The study of these ancient texts is not just a study of the development of the written word & society, beliefs, religion, and events that shaped the earliest human civilizations.

Now, let’s move on and take a closer look at the character archetypes in the Epic of Gilgamesh, their development, and what they represent.

Critical Analysis of the Characters in The Epic of Gilgamesh

There are quite a few characters throughout the entire poem. But only so e of them can be considered major importance to the poem's subject. The most prominent of those characters are:

• Gilgamesh
• Enkidu
• Uthnapishtim
• Ishtar
• Shamhat

Let’s engage in an in-depth Epic of Gilgamesh character analysis, where we closely examine the major characters in the epic.

Gilgamesh

The tyrannical ruler of Uruk, Gilgamesh, was born two-thirds human and one-third God. His people acknowledge his immense skills and capabilities but constantly fear his highhandedness, cruelty, oppression, and misuse of power & authority.

The epic portrays Gilgamesh as a brave warrior and a tyrannical ruler, a fair judge and an oppressor, a builder of cities & a ravage of the common person. He is a man of opposites, just like his lineage of half-human and half-God, which imparts both the failings of an average human as well as the abilities of God within him.

The arrival of Enkidu signifies the beginning of a change in Gilgamesh's life. The conflict between the two was itself of epic proportions, but it led to both of them appreciating and admiring each other. A close friendship emerged between the two as they both embarked on adventures.

Gilgamesh's encounters and defiance of Gods & God-like entities were major turning points in the epic. This event led to Enkidu's death and brought forth a drastic change in his nature & outlook. Gilgamesh began contemplating the nature of life & death, & began his search for the secret to eternal life. The death o  such a powerful entity, whom Gilgamesh considered his equal, his brother, shook him to the core. He became fearful of death and thus began his philosophical journey in search of eternal life and eventual revelations.

Enkidu

Enkidu plays a pivotal role in the royal epic. Sent forth by the Gods to counter the oppression of Gilgamesh on the people of Uruk and create his equal, Enkidu grew up in the wilderness and eventually became the savior of the people of Uruk. Enkidu because akin to a brother to Gilgamesh. It is this loss of bond and the adventures on which they embark together that eventually bring about a drastic transformation in Gilgamesh.

Enkidu's death shook Gilgamesh to the core. Enkidu's confidence and compatriotism led to him defying even the Gods. Enkidu was a pillar of strength to the King of Uruk, whose absence tore him apart and transformed him.

On closer analysis, we can say that Enkidu's death was inevitable and pivotal to Gilgamesh's entitlement. The Gods sent forth Enkidu to mend Gilgamesh's ways, and he did, transforming him from a demented tyrant into a benevolent ruler of the common people.

Enkidu's uncivilized origins play a key role in his defiant nature. He does not fear or pay any heed to any God. His adventures with Gilgamesh were pivotal in changing the latter’s outlook, opinion, and perspectives of the world & its inhabitants. And, it was only after Enkidu’s death that Gilgamesh came down to Earth, peeled off all the layers of his ego, and sought the answer to that age-old existential & pivotal question of them all, the meaning of life and why it comes to an end.

Enkidu’s death caused Gilgamesh to become disillusioned and lose faith in everything. He began wandering across the lands, became fearful of death & began searching for the secret to immorality, and eventually came across Uthnapishtim.

Uthnapishtim

The character of Uthnapishtim is also exceptionally pivotal to Gilgamesh's change. He is a sur ivor of the Great Flood and has, supposedly, been blessed with immortality by the God Enil, who made Uthnapishtim and his family the guardian of rivers.

As Gilgamesh meets Uthnapishtim, the latter tells him that attaining immortality is not easy. Gilgamesh was instructed to perform certain tasks to appease the Gods, eventually granting him immortality. When Gilgam sh fails at every one of them, Uthnapishtim points out the dualistic nature of life and death, how rare, unique immortality, & anomalous, and how it is not for everyone. Veiw Examples

UTHNAPISHTIM

The character of Enkidu set in motion a chain of events that developed a benevolent impulse in Gilgamesh. The adventure es, the defiance, the unbridled courage, and the eventual death deconstructed the very nature of the king of Uruk. On the other hand, despite his hatred of visitors, the character of Uthnapisthtim made Gilgamesh wiser, showed him the right path, clarified his doubts & tribulations, and eventually humbled & made him better.  

Uthnapishtim is a unique character who is both wise and immortal. He is an ancient entity whose trials, tribulations, & immortality have helped us understand the true nature of existence & everything in it. He did not seek immortality but was blessed with it by the Gods, who probably wished him to act as a guide.

Many literary critics note the similarity between Uthnapishtim and Noah, both of whom were warned of the Great Flood by the Gods themselves and who survived it using a gigantic floating craft. His interactions with otherworldly powers and the ensuing events are strikingly similar to those depicted in the Bible's Old Testament.

Shamhat

While Shamhat only appears in the first few tablets or excerpts of the Epic, her relationship with Enkidu compels many to compare them to the counterpart of the Old Testament's Adam & Eve.

ENKIDU AND SHAMHAT

Gilgamesh sent forth Shamhat to civilize Enkidu and, in all probability, entangle him in lust & temptation, thereby weakening him. Shamhat, however, had a different kind of influence on the Enkidu. She calms him down when he despairs losing his connection with the wilderness and patiently teaches him about the ways of civilization. She motivated him to learn about the ways of civilization and transformed him into the hero he was destined to be.

Ishtar

Ishtar is the Sumerian goddess of love & war, whose spite led to Enkidu's death and Gilgamesh's journey toward eventual enlightenment. Like all a client and medieval Gods, Ishtar is an enigmatic & fickle entity, sometimes benevolent but full of spite and utterly vengeful at other times.

ISHTAR

When the inhabitants of Uruk prayed to God for salvation against the tyrannical Gilgamesh, she and the other Gods sent forth Enkidu, with Ishtar even sending forth her priestess to teach and civilize Enkidu.

Ishtar was enamored by a changed Gilgamesh but was enraged when he rejected her advances & insulted her. In the rest of the Epic, Ishtar focuses on bringing down Gilgamesh. She is the one who sends forth the Bull of Heaven to kill the ruler of Uruk and raze the city to the ground. Her rage knew no bounds when Gilgamesh, with Enkidu's help, defeated the Bull. Ishtar was appalled at how her agent foiled her ambitions and struck down Enkidu with an affliction that eventually ended his belief.

However, looking at the bigger picture, Ishtar played a key role in humbling Gilgamesh and making him what his people prayed for him to become.  

And, with that, we come to the end of this article.

The Epic of Gilgamesh summary & character analysis was informative and enlightening. Read about the earliest epic poem & examples of written literature. The Epic of Gilgamesh is the most ancient text that inspired writers, poets, and religious epics in later eras. If you wish to study in further detail & investigate different aspects of the epic, it is best to get some expert aid by your side.

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