Gilgamesh: a Hero’s Journey Essay

Gilgamesh, written by David Ferry, illustrates a story ab out(p)(predicate) a man who knows everything, alone continues to try and learn more(prenominal). Although Gilgamesh may be positive, he still remains a gr carry off ruler and air force officer of Uruk. Throughout the book, the ad d pettishnesss of Gilgamesh fit Joseph Campbells idea of the numbfishs jaunt. afterward analyzing the pieces to the submarines move, Gilgamesh is proven to be a true hero because his journey parallels that of the heros journey described by Campbell.The latter(prenominal) part of this paper will prove Gilgamesh is a hero utilize Campbells model, by analyzing the pieces of the heros journey withdrawal or departure, the initiation, and the return. The first chemical element of the heros journey is separation or departure. This first piece is comprised of a call to adventure, acceptance of the call, supernatural aid, and the jump of the thres form. Campbell explains in a heros journey, a hera ld calls the hero to come on a journey. This luck is described in Gilgamesh when Enkidu comes to hasten Gilgamesh to go on a quest.Enkidu tells Gilgamesh roughly Huwawa, the guardian of the Cedar Forest, who is frighten everybody. aft(prenominal) auditory modality about Huwawa, Gilgamesh accepts the call to adventure and says, It is Gilgamesh who will venture into the Forest/and cut the Cedar d hold and win the glory (Ferry 17). some(prenominal) the call to adventure and acceptance atomic number 18 represented in the branch of the book. The next component that falls under the same category of separation or departure is a supernatural aid. Gilgamesh receives supernatural aid from Shamash, the perfection of heaven.Ninsun, Gilgameshs mother, asks the god to help protect her son and Enkidu darn they atomic number 18 on their quest. When Shamash sees him setting out on the road,/or in the nap passes, or entering the Forest, may Shamash guard and keep him safe. / And may the s tars, the regulatemen of the night,/watch over Gilgamesh and the companion (Ferry 20). Later on, when Gilgamesh and Enkidu struggle to fight Huwawa, Shamash does help by creating winds and earthquakes. This supernatural aid continues to prove Gilgamesh is in fact a hero. intersection the threshold is the last component of separation or departure.Campbell explains this as difference a world you know and entering a world that is unknown. In the book, Gilgamesh and Enkidu leave Uruk after visiting Rimat-Ninsun. Then from the Seven-Bolt Gate the two departed,/hearing the warnings and blessings of the city (Ferry 20). As the two companions leave the city they know so well and begin their journey into the land they are unfamiliar with, they target their threshold. Since all of the elements of separation or departure are met in the stemma of the story, Gilgamesh continues to meet the criteria to be a hero.The second piece occupyed for a heros journey is initiation, which includes the roads of trials, the belly of the whale, impacts, attonement with the father, and the ultimate boon. Gilgameshs fight against Huwawa was one of many repugns he had during his journey. Then Gilgamesh was afraid, and Enkidu/was afraid, and they entered into the Forest, afraid (Ferry 26). exclusively as a hero would act, Gilgamesh didnt let his fears get the top hat of him, plainly instead he entered the Forest to fight Huwawa. Another challenge Gilgamesh faces later in the story is fighting the Twin Dragon Scorpion Beings.When he came to the mountain and saw the monster, fear spread through his body, barely he didnt let it stop him from his goal. Terror in the body of Gilgamesh/seized hold of him from within and held him there/in terror. But then, in terror, he went frontwards (Ferry 50). These two monsters are just two of the challenges Gilgamesh needs to overcome during his journey. Enemies and tragedies are also components of initiation. Campbell describes enemies as someth ing out to get you, and sometimes trying to eat you. An enemy that Gilgamesh encounters is Ishtar.Ishtar wants Gilgamesh to be with her, but he denies her request and devalues her. Humiliation and anger lead Ishtar to her father and asks him for the Bull of Heaven. puddle me the Bull of Heaven that I may punish/Gilgamesh the king, who has found out/and told about the foulness of the goddess. /Give me the Bull of Heaven with which to kill him (Ferry 32). Enemies are part of the heros journey to teach the heroes a lesson. Gilgamesh learns actions have consequences and to respect sacred places. Kings preceptort always think things through before they act, and their ego gets them into trouble.Gilgameshs companion dies as a way to teach Gilgamesh that death is more powerful than anything else, and even a king cant indite him. Through the tragedy of Enkidus death, the hero, Gilgamesh, grows and becomes a unalike self. Another element of initiation is the belly of the whale. It shows a hero is serious and willing to die. The hero is a new person, who is focused after been through hell and back. After Gilgameshs companion dies, he becomes very depressed. He made his way, companionless, to the balance/of the second league. Utterly lightless, black. /There was nought behind or before, nothing at all (Ferry 51).Gilgamesh is in a serious state of depression. The watchword choice of complete darkness is powerful because there is always a light somewhere, and it is never wholly dark. Complete darkness is the underworld. This is Gilgameshs dying(p) part of his journey. He needs to go through this and when he comes out on the other end he becomes a different individual. He becomes a new person from being through hell and orgasm out. The next component to initiation is meetings. Campbell describes this as either meetings with the gods or meeting a temptress. Gilgamesh encountered temptress during his journey.Veiled Siduri is a tavern keeper who wants Gilgamesh to w eather it up, have fun, and stay with her. She tells him, The life of man is short. Only the gods/can zippy forever. Therefore put on new clothes,/ a clean night-robe and a cloak tied with a sash,/ and wash the filth of the journey from your body. / Eat and drink your fill of the food and drink/men eat drink your fill of the food and drink/men eat and drink. let there be pleasure and dancing(Ferry 57). Siduri tries to distract Gilgamesh from completing his journey, but fortunately Gilgamesh resisted. Attonement with the father is yet another element of initiation in the heros journey.This is the moment in their life when they realize they need to let their old self go and understand how to become their own self. Campbell uses the term rebirth to describe this element. During Gilgameshs lonesome journey, he changed completely from how he used to be. He was always described as arrogant and oppressive to his people, but he matures during the events in his journey. When Gilgamesh spea ks to Utnapishtim he says, Tell me then, father, how it came about/that you were admitted to the company/of gods, who granted you eternal life(Ferry 65).Gilgamesh never normally listens to anyone, but after maturing, he now thinks he can learn from Utnapishtim. It is high-minded for Gilgamesh to ever listen to anyone else because he thinks he knows everything the best, but attonement with the father provides an history for why Gilgamesh changed. The last component of the initiation maltreat to the heros journey is the ultimate boon. This is when a hero will end up getting what he wanted if he made the right decisions. Ultimately, Gilgamesh did not get what he was looking for at the end of his journey, but it was the journey nd lesson that was meaningful, not necessarily something tangible.When he finally got the plant, it was stolen from him almost immediately. The lesson he learned was that no matter how hard a person kit and caboodle for something, it may be unattainable. He a lso realized that there is no way to avoid death. Since all of the components of initiation match up to Gilgameshs journey, the record that he is a hero becomes stronger. The third and final step of the heros journey is the return. Uruk may not have changed while Gilgamesh was away, but he now sees the city in a different light.He accepts he will not have eternal life, but if he rules the city of Uruk well, it will continue to grow and live on after him. Although there can be some discrepancy on whether Gilgamesh is truly a hero, the answer can be found by comparing Gilgamesh to the difference pieces of the heros journey. After analyzing every component of separation or departure, initiation, and the return, it is clear that Gilgamesh is proven to be a hero. all(prenominal) step of Gilgameshs journey follows this model almost exactly, which provides strong evidence for this conclusion.