Notes on THE EPIC OF GILGAMESH OVERVIEW • Date & Origin: Written in Mesopotamia around 2100–1200 BCE. Preserved in Akkadian on clay tablets. • Genre: Epic poetry; one of the earliest surviving works of world literature. • Themes: Mortality, friendship, the search for meaning, the role of civilization, and humanity’s relationship with the divine. MAIN CHARACTERS • Gilgamesh: King of Uruk; two-thirds divine and one-third human. Brave, arrogant, and powerful, but deeply human in his struggle with mortality. • Enkidu: A wild man created by the gods to challenge Gilgamesh. Becomes his closest friend and moral counterpart. • Shamhat: Temple prostitute who civilizes Enkidu by teaching him human customs. • Ninsun: Gilgamesh’s wise, divine mother. • Humbaba: Guardian of the Cedar Forest, slain by Gilgamesh and Enkidu. • Ishtar: Goddess of love and war, who proposes marriage to Gilgamesh and curses him when he rejects her. • Utnapishtim: Survivor of a great flood, granted immortality by the gods. Serves as a guide in Gilgamesh’s quest for eternal life. • Siduri: Tavern keeper who advises Gilgamesh to accept the joys of mortal life.
PLOT SUMMARY 1. Gilgamesh the King: Gilgamesh, a tyrannical ruler, abuses his power. The gods create Enkidu to humble him. 2. The Civilizing of Enkidu: Enkidu lives with animals until Shamhat introduces him to human society. 3. Friendship and Adventure: Gilgamesh and Enkidu bond through combat and embark on heroic quests, including slaying Humbaba. 4. Confrontation with Ishtar: After Gilgamesh rejects her, Ishtar sends the Bull of Heaven. Gilgamesh and Enkidu kill it, angering the gods. 5. Enkidu’s Death: The gods decree Enkidu must die. His death devastates Gilgamesh and sparks his fear of mortality. 6. The Quest for Immortality: Gilgamesh journeys to find Utnapishtim and learn the secret of eternal life. He discovers the story of the great flood. 7. Failure and Acceptance: Gilgamesh attempts to gain immortality but fails when he loses a magical plant. He returns to Uruk, accepting that his legacy lies in human achievement and the city’s enduring walls.