Gilgamesh Case

Gilgamesh, translated by Stephen Mitchell is about a king of Uruk, Gilgamesh, and his encounters on a journey of personal growth. From a brawl at a wedding and killing a monster, to the pain of losing a friend and realizing he is not as heroic as he thinks, Gilgamesh faces an array of life-altering experiences that teach him the true meaning of a hero. This poem was a worthwhile read because it teaches the import lessons that disrupting the natural order of things and abusing power will end up with a negative result.

One of the first lessons Gilgamesh learns is that trying to manipulate the natural order of things will end badly. When a troubled hunter goes to Gilgamesh for advice on what to do with the savage man he has seen in the forest, Gilgamesh sends him to a priestess, Shamat, to have her use her love-arts on him and teach him how to be a man. The reason the hunter goes to Gilgamesh is because he is tired of Enkidu freeing the animals he had captured from the traps he had laid. After a rough start, Enkidu and Gilgamesh grow to be as close as brothers. However, when Gilgamesh upsets the gods because he refuses to be seduced by the goddess, Ishtar, Enkidu dies a slow and painful death. The pain of having to watch Enkidu die, along with his death itself, leaves Gilgamesh in a remorseful state. He knows that it was his actions that led to Enkidu's death. Had he not selfishly civilized Enkidu, he would have never had to experience such a devastating loss. Another lesson Gilgamesh learns is not to mess with a higher power. He must realize that he as a human being cannot control nature's course. Even though he is king, he is now forced to face the reality that he must follow the path laid out for him by the gods. It is when one tries to disrupt nature that they will run into trouble. In 2009, a woman named Charla Nash was brutally attacked by her friend's pet chimpanzee. The chimp, Travis, ripped her entire face off. The attack caused Charla to be permanently blind and needing a face transplant, which she eventually got. This goes to show that when you try to tame something that is meant to be wild, you will face consequences. The incident is not by the fault of Travis, but by his owner. Had kept her pet living free in the wild, she would have allowed Charla Nash to live the life that she deserved to have.

Gilgamesh learns that he is abusing the power he has when he finally realizes that obtaining power is not what is important in life. In the beginning the "city is [Gilgamesh's] possession, he struts through it, arrogant, his head raised high, trampling its citizens like a wild bull" Mitchell, (72). Though his people respect him, they also live in constant fear of him as he becomes greedier. However, after meeting with Utnapishtim and epically failing the test of immortality, Gilgamesh comes to realize how selfish he had been and understands he must use his power to better the community. It is clear