Gilgamesh is a Failure in the Epic of Gilgamesh Essay

After reading The Epic of Gilgamesh, I have come to realize that Gilgamesh is not a hero, but a failure. His journey does not follow the traditional circular hero’s journey and he does not posses the traits that an admirable hero should have. The first part of the hero’s journey is the call to adventure. This is the voyage that the hero is asked to go on in order to accomplish greater good for human kind. This is the hero’s chance to help his or her community, family or friends by embarking on a long journey and challenging his, or herself. Gilgamesh does not go on a journey to help others, he goes to make himself look better. â€Å" I have not established my name stamped on bricks as my destiny decreed, therefore I will go to the country†¦show more content†¦Gilgamesh just kills Humbaba to look stronger even though Humbaba is not doing any harm to anyone. Gilgamesh also kills the bull that belonged to Istar. When he kills the bull, he disrespecting the Gods by destroying their property. Another reason why these trials to not make Gilgamesh a hero is because they are not difficult for him. He is hardly struggling to complete them and being constantly challenged is part of beings a hero. Gilgamesh’s mentor is Inkidu. The hero is supposed to respect the mentor while Gilgamesh indirectly kills his. When Inkidu and Gilgamesh kill Humbaba the Gods kill Inkidu as a punishment. Not only did Gilgamesh hurt the Gods, but he also let his mentor die for his mistakes. After undergoing the trails, the hero moves on to the abyss. The abyss is the darkest point for a hero in the hero’s journey. For Gilgamesh the abyss is when Inkidu dies. Gilgamesh is completely at fault for his own abyss. He is upset when he is actually the one who caused the problem. After the abyss, the hero is raised back up again and moves on to the return. In the return, the hero is praised for the good that he, or she, has brought to the people. Gilgamesh is only praised because he is a king and the people have to respect the king. They can’t respect him for his journey because he doesn’t bring anything back for the people, he only brings something back for himself. The other reasonShow MoreRelatedAnalysis Of The Epic Of Gilgamesh 932 Words   |  4 Pages Repetition serves several different narrative functions in the Epic of Gilagmesh. It connects three parts of the epic together using the city of Uruk and, most importantly, the rampart that encircles the city. Repetition also gives subtle hints of shifting perspectives. At the beginning of the epic the reader is invited to marvel at the city of Uruk from the height of the wall. The walls of the city act as a framing device, enclosing various aspects of civilization: social, politics and religionRead MoreArchetypes In The Epic Of Gilgamesh926 Words   |  4 Pagesexperiences and associates strongly with readers through a subconscious understanding. 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