Miles McInerney
Starlyn McGee-Anderson
ENGL 221
5 December 2017
Mesopotamia or Westeros?
In a work of fiction, we often find ourselves wondering what the exact point that the
creativity level of said fiction is repeated. Not to discount the works that are being made in the
present, but it is certainly a perplexing issue of what exactly is taken from the past to make
“new” material for the here, now, and future. Themes, characters, symbols, motifs, all are subject
to the eye of the audience. Many claim to make comparisons between old texts, films, and songs
in order to inspire new genius, but it is certainly an object of the imagination as to wonder who is
correct in their assumptions. One such example of works having repeated themes that have
comparative aspects in each respective work is The Epic of Gilgamesh and the hit TV show
Game of Thrones.
In The Epic of Gilgamesh, a grand tale unfolds in which a poor excuse for a king learns
his way in the world. In Game of Thrones, a similar tale unfolds. Gilgamesh is the king of Uruk,
whose power is immense and great. In Guide to the Classics: the Epic of Gilgamesh, Gilgamesh
is described as a “ruler who selfishly indulges his appetite for women and battle,” (Pryke, 2017)
His counterpart in Game of Thrones, is Jaime Lannister, a prince of the fictional continent
Westeros who is widely considered the greatest swordsman in the world and refuses to accept his
father’s offer of the crown, (A Summary of Game of Thrones). Both men are undeserving of
their positions and titles at the beginning of their journeys.
Gilgamesh is eventually decided to be too unruly to be left alone to his own devices, (The
Epic of Gilgamesh Summary). The gods create a companion for him, Enkidu, and he finally
meets his match. They battle, with Gilgamesh eventually winning the duel, but wins the
friendship of Enkidu in their struggle. Their relationship helps Gilgamesh to find his place in the
world. Similarly, Jaime’s swordsmanship is his key to life. Without it he is just another priggish
high-born man born into power. His skill with the sword gave him a place in life that made him
truly special. The true test of a hero, though, is not what he does with his greatest assets, but
what he does without them.
Unfortunately, when the gods created Enkidu, they imbued him with the spirit of the
wilderness and made him a truly bestial individual. As a man of the wild, his vitality was tied to
the wilderness that resided inside him. Enkidu slept with a harlot, Shamhat, which ignited a fuse
