Literature Class of 2014
Fyffe Senior bloggers worked on Battle of the Royal Epics
Tuesday, September 24, 2013
The Real Hero
Although Gilgamesh is portrayed as the hero in the epic Gilgamesh, I feel as though Enkidu could also be seen as a hero. In epics, the hero usually dies, and even though Enkidu does not die in the excerpt that our class read, he does die in the full version of the book. Most heroes possess superhuman strength, but Enkidu is not said to have these strengths; however, Enkidu's wisdom and knowledge of the wild could make up for his lack of strength. Lastly, heroes partake in acts of selflessness, and Enkidu shows this characteristic when he is willing to befriend Gilgamesh, who he does not even know, and help him on his trek to kill the giant Humbaba. Because of the points mentioned above, this I why I believe that Enkidu is more of a hero than Gilgamesh in the epic Gilgamesh.
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In a way, I also believe Enkidu could be seen as the hero of the story and not Gilgamesh. Enkidu possesses all of the traits of a hero, but he only lacks supernatural strength. However, Gilgamesh does have superior physical strength, chooses to go on the adventure, and kills the monster. I believe Enkidu is more deserving of being the hero, but Gilgamesh is definitely the hero.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you that Enkidu is more of a hero than Gilgamesh because Gilgamesh is very selfish and only goes to kill Humbaba to gain self fame. Enkidu being a good friends goes with Gilgamesh just to help by using his wisdom and his knowledge of the wilderness.
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