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Patrick Van Horn
Mrs. Pierce
Engl. 2310.05
9th February 2018
Is Gilgamesh a Hero?
Throughout history, people have been captivated by the stories of heroes. Heroes give people
strength, courage, and most importantly hope. No matter what the situation is, there is still hope if the
hero is still fighting. An epic hero is defined as “a main character in an epic poem, whose legendary or
heroic actions are central to his/her culture, race, or nation” (Marriem-Webster). So, what are the
characteristics a hero? Although the meaning has changed over time, the classical meaning of the word
a hero is a person who is not only involved in a dangerous journey or battle, but also someone whose
accomplishments show unparalleled courage or bravery in the context of his culture. These people
display courage, sacrifice, loyalty, wisdom, and dedication. If there is a hero in this story, it is Enkidu.
Enkidu portrays many of the traits needed to be a hero, and his friendship changes Gilgamesh for the
better. While Gilgamesh possesses several characteristics of a hero, he falls short of being one.
Gilgamesh is not a hero because his journey is for himself, not for the betterment of his people. But
instead of fame, he ends up discovering something else.
Gilgamesh does possess numerous traits of a hero. His ancestry he is two thirds divine and one
third human, whose mother Ninsun is a goddess. He is a king who is “... an awesome beast with
unmatched strength and a chant that fosters armies” (p. ). While Gilgamesh certainly is a great warrior,
what he lacks is compassion. “As king, Gilgamesh was a tyrant to his people.” (p. 1). A true hero is
always empathetic. They think about their people first and themselves second. Instead, Gilgamesh “…
demanded from an old birthright / the privilege of sleeping with their brides,” also he “… pushed his
people hall to death / With work rebuilding Uruk’s walls” (p.1). As king, Gilgamesh is sleeping with his
people’s wives before they can get married, while also pushing his people to death rebuilding Uruk’s
walls only to forget about the work completely sometimes. Although he is a king and two thirds god, he
is still a person. He is mortal like every other person in his city. Shortly after this description of
Gilgamesh, he meets Enkidu, whose friendship will forever change him. This still doesn’t make up for his
lack of character. He thinks he is above everyone, even though he is only part god himself
After befriending Enkidu, Gilgamesh convinces him to follow him to the Cedar Forest “… to kill
the evil one Humbaba…”. (p.2). Initially, Enkidu is reluctant, but he eventually gives in because he is loyal
to Gilgamesh. In the Epic of Gilgamesh, the gods and men have their roles in a well-defined hierarchy.
Overstepping these boundaries is something that the gods will not let go unpunished. At this point,
Gilgamesh doesn’t care, he is driven by pride and ego. “… we must prove / Ourselves more powerful
than he” (p.2). Gilgamesh sees a way for him to make an even bigger name for himself at this point.
With Enkidu now by his side, Gilgamesh’s great strength has grown even stronger, and he feels
