Critical Response on the Epic of Gilgamesh - Literature Essay Example

The epic of Gilgamesh is one a book that is so interesting putting into consideration the dominant themes and styles evident within it. There are themes such as love, death, religion and danger featuring as the major themes in the book (Greydanus et al. 1). Styles such as symbolism and imagery have also been used by the author to make his message well passed to the readers of the book (Haubold 2). With close reference to the first four tablets of the book, the themes as mentioned earlier and styles are bound for discussion in this paper.

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Firstly, the theme of death is more than evident in the texts from the following instances: At the point when Enkidu tries to convince Gilgamesh otherwise about the idea of fighting Humbaba, Gilgameshs response, we all die anyway, so I might as well accomplish great, risky deeds, and make a name for myself. That way, my fame will live on after Im dead- even if I have a short life. (Greydanus et al. 1) Is a clear indication that the theme of death is evident in the text. In addition to that, the theme of death is also instanced at the point where Enkidu seriously falls ill and eventually dies as a result of their actions with Gilgamesh.

Secondly, the theme of religion is depicted in the text where due to Gilgameshs power the people of Uruk decided to pray to god to help them, when citizens of Uruk cant take it anymore they pray to god for help. (Greydanus et al. 1). These shows that they subscribed to some religion hence evidence for the theme of religion in the text. It is also seen that Gilgamesh and Enkidu killed the bull of heaven thus showing that they were into some religion sect hence the theme of religion.

Third, the theme of love is clearly depicted at the point where the goddess Ishtar develops affection on Gilgamesh and asks him to marry her (Greydanus et al. 1). Another instance where the theme of love is depicted is at the point when Enkindu gets to the waterhole and finds Shamhat who entices him to have sex with her and they end up living together a sign that they had fallen in love with each other (Greydanus et al, 1). The above instances show that the theme of love is also dominant in the play.

Fourth, the theme of danger has been outlaid in the text in the following instances: when Enkidu and Gilgamesh set out on a journey they endanger their lives by setting a battle with Humbaba, and they cut down the cedar tree, and this also endangers their lives even more (Greydanus et al. 1). In some sections of tablet three, we see them getting advice from the wise men on how to take on the monster, here their lives are also endangered, and we see them going to the temple to seek for protection from Shamash through Ninsun (Greydanus et al. 1).

The dominant styles in this texts are symbolism and imagery (Haubold 2). With respect to the first four tablets, symbolism and imagery come in instances such as doubling, journeys, and dreams. In the first tablet, we read of Gilgameshs dream where he first dreamt embracing a meteorite which had fallen to the earth and later on himself embracing an ax (Greydanus et al. 1). His mother, the goddess Ninsun interprets the dreams and says they are a symbol of a promise that a might man will come to him, he will be a comrade who will rescue his ally and indeed Enkidu comes in the text later. In the fourth tablet, as Gilgamesh and Enkidu journey to the cedar forest, Gilgamesh encounters a series of dreams (Greydanus et al. 1) which his friend says are a symbol of good things and that it meant defeating the monster they were to encounter. The text has journeys featuring in it, and this is the journey of Gilgamesh and Enkidu and the one of the Enkindu as he travels to Uruk.

The epic of Gilgamesh has the themes of love, death, religion and danger as the dominant themes. The above instances show how they are depicted within the text. The dominant styles of symbolism and imagery have also been discussed above and the way they are outlaid in the text epic of Gilgamesh. The above, however, are with respect to the first four tablets of the book.

Works Cited

Greydanus, Donald E., and Joav Merrick. "Pre-aesculapian messages from ancient archives of Mesopotamia: the Epic of Gilgamesh and the library of Ashurbanipal." International Journal of Adolescent Medicine and Health (2016).print.

Haubold, Johannes. "Gilgamesh among Us: Modern Encounters with the Ancient Epic by Theodore Ziolkowski." (2014).