essay

Hashim malallah

Mosaic 1

Prof. Giuffre

11/10/2017

The True Love in the Epic of Gilgamesh

In the Epic of Gilgamesh, the adventures of the king Gilgamesh are portrayed in a series of passages. The book takes the reader on a tour of incidents through many frames such as celebrity, greatness, dictatorship, friendship, love, and mortality. However, love is one of the important themes in this epic. As the passages continue on, the reader will notice the love and its counterpart lust. In the beginning of the book, Gilgamesh can be described as a king stripped of true love but he is full of love of pride and fame. Sexual love between Ishtar and Gilgamesh, and Enkidu and the prostitute is another type of love that is present early in the epic. Real love is powerful but not forceful, it does not end when one of the parties dies. In addition, confidence, care, support, and comfort are the consequences of the true love. The Epic of Gilgamesh depicts true love in Ninsun’s motherhood to Gilgamesh, Enkidu’s brotherhood to Gilgamesh, and Untanpishtim’s charity to Gilgamesh.

It is obvious how Gilgamesh, in the beginning of the epic, was running after power and greatness. After reading Tablet I, the personality of the great Gilgamesh became tyrannical, and he forced warriors into battle and raped women. His actions confirm this selfish king’s identity of being merciless and a dictator, which was seen by the elders of Uruk who advised him that a king must be wise and help his people. According to Uruk’s elder, a king is assumed to protect and care about his people like a “shepherd”, who tends to his group of sheep (3-4). A king is not supposed to abuse and torture his people like a “savage bull” (3-4). Gilgamesh did not have love for his people, but he showed love in a different direction, love of lust. He used to have sex with many women without marriage. In the same way, Enkidu also shows interest to the prostitutes:

“She did for the man the work of a woman,

His passion caressed and embraced her.

For six days and seven nights.

Enkidu was erect, as he coupled with Shamhat” (8)

Enkidu is selfish in this scene, and he was after his sexual desire for seven days. On the other hand, the prostitute thinks this act is an honor for the gods. Gods in this epic were also shown as lustful. For instance, Ishtar approached Gilgamesh while he was washing his body after he returned from Humbaba:

“Come, Gilgamesh, be you my bridegroom!

Grant me your fruits, O grant me!

Be you my husband and I your wife!” (48)

Ishtar was attracted to Gilgamesh’s muscular body even though his personality and actions were not good. People should differentiate between love and lust by knowing that lust is specific for the body and physical appearance, while true love can not specify a gender or a person.

Although Gilgamesh was mistreating his people and not showing any love to them, he had love for his mother, Ninsun. This love is so strong and shows a natural trait in people, the love between parents and their children. It is the first love that renovate the epic after the distortion from the fake love. The previous types of love, mentioned in the book, do not have the credibility that existed between Ninsun and Gilgamesh. For example, she was the main factor that led Gilgamesh and Enkidu to become the best brothers and friends by explaining Gilgamesh’s dream. However, the true love can be represented when Ninsun accepted Enkidu as another son, in addition of Gilgamesh, knowing that he will be Gilgamesh’s back and support. Moreover, Ninsun was the support and the back of her son Gilgamesh along this epic. This parental love extended when Gilgamesh went to the Forest of Cedar to battle Humbaba. Her worries and concerns could not prevent her from requesting Shamash’s help to protect her son. All of these scenes shows Ninsun’s sacrifices and cares for her son, which proves the true love between them. She was the main reason of Gilgamesh’s comfort and happiness. Unluckily, Gilgamesh failed to show the same love and care towards his people.

The friendship love between Gilgamesh and Enkidu is prominent and emotional in the epic. Ninsum claimed, when she was interpreting Gilgamesh’s dreams, that he will meet someone who will become an important person in Gilgamesh’s life. Later, Gilgamesh and Enkidu faced each other with equivalent power as enemies, but they end up becoming friends and brothers. Gilgamesh’s mother was the link between the motherhood and the friendship love. The significance and power of the friendship between Gilgamesh and Enkidu is emphasized by repeating the word “friend” in the epic. Enkidu was Gilgamesh’s right hand in their mission in the Forest of Cedar. He was beside Gilgamesh, like a real friend and brother, whenever Gilgamesh needed him. When Gilgamesh was about to face Humbaba, Enkidu said to Gilgamesh: “Take my hand, friend, and we shall go [on] together, [let] your thoughts dwell on combat! Forget death and [seek] life!” (38). Enkidu was a very important support and motivation for Gilgamesh, and he was the typical friend when Gilgamesh asked for help. When Enkidu died, Gilgamesh was lamenting:

“[Should not] sorrow [reside] in [my heart,]

[and my] face [not resemble one come from afar?]

[Should] not [my features be] burnt [by frost and by sunshine,]

and should I not [wander the wild in lion's garb?]

my friend [whom I loved so dear,]

[who with me went through every danger,]” (50)

Obviously, the sadness dominated Gilgamesh’s life after the death of his best friend, and he described his situation as he lost a part of his body. It was very difficult for him to loose Enkidu, so he refused to bury him for a while. The great Gilgamesh became a completely different person after the death of Enkidu. The death became his nightmare, so he was looking for immortality. That effect which changed Gilgamesh is an evidences of the true brotherhood and friendship between them. The true love between friends will not be gone after the death of one of them, it will last until they both die.

The charitable love is another form of the true love and it was the main reason for holding the society together. Also, it is a pleasure to read some of the scenes throughout the epic since it leads the reader to get emotionally involved with the book because of the charitable love. The love of charity started when Enkidu was created by the god because a prayer asked the god Anu to end Gilgamesh’s dictatorship. Then, it became more clearly when the temple prostitute helped Enkidu to become more civilized by clothing him and giving him bread, wine, and sex. This part indicates that everyone is willing to help others even if he or she was selfish someday. However, after the death of Enkdiu, the barmaid Shiduri sympathized with Gilgamesh and assisted him with his distress. She led Gilgamesh to Urshanabi who presented him a ride to Utnapishtim for his immortality’s mission. Sadly, Gilgamesh lost his chance to be immortal because he failed to stay awake for a week. Utnapishtim’s wife felt sorry for him and she wanted to help him. Therefore, Utnapishtim and his wife offered Gilgamesh the plant of youth out of charity, which was a secret of the gods. These scenes indicate that most people have the desire for helping and supporting other people without asking anything in return.

It is exciting how the events in the epic are formed and connected by different forms of love. For example, Gilgamesh was craving for power in the beginning of the book disregarding his people. Then, Enkidu was created as a charity from the god to the people. Enkidu encountered the prostitute and had sex with her out of lust from him and out of charity from her. After that, she helped him to be more civilized. Ninsun comforted Gilgamesh out of her maternal love, when he had a dream about an axe, that he will meet a friend. Later on, the destiny allowed Gilgamesh and Enkidu to become friends and brother blessed by Ninsun. Similar connections occurred throughout the rest of the reading demonstrating the meaning of love in the epic.

In the Epic of Gilgamesh, the lust and the love are differentiated, and the importance of the true love between people is highlighted. The true love in the epic was symbolized in three different ways. The first way was the motherhood care and love of Ninsun to her son Gilgamesh. The second one was the brotherhood and friendship between the sworn friends Gilgamesh and Enkidu. Lastly, the charitable love of Utnapishtim and his wife to Gilgamesh. After reading this book, the reader will understand that the true love is not for a specific group of people. In addition, the book implies, in many parts, that the true love should be self-sacrificing, influential, and sentimental.

Work Cited

1- The Epic of Gilgamesh. Trans. Andrew George. Penguin Classics, 2003. ISBN 014049191.

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