Brianna Foy

Ms. Hou
English II: Gilgamesh First Draft
6 Nov 2012

Archetypes represented in Gilgamesh

In the epic of Gilgamesh archetypes capture the readers attention to make the
story easier to relate to; they take the forms of characters, events and actions, settings and
sacrificial rites.Archetypes in general are universal ideas that move from generation to
generation. Gilgamesh is the first written account using archetypes and it is the primary
story from which all other archetypes occur.
Gilgamesh is king to his people. The King is that part of the mature masculine
that manifests spiritual or integrative qualities. When his life is in balance, his kingdom
the world prospers. When he is out of balance the world suffers. (Munafo)
Gilgamesh is unhappy himself, and therefore makes everyone around him suffer. He is
described him as hateful, self-centered, and thoughtless of other peoples feelings; and
although he sleeps with virgin brides, he is still lonely and miserable. He had the
privilege of sleeping with a husbands bride, before they were permitted. (Mason, 15)
Gilgamesh stays to himself; the only person he confides in is his mentor; his mother
Ninsun. As a mentor, she is someone who helped and guided Gilgamesh through his
journey; Ninsun tells him he will soon have someone equal to himself. Gilgamesh is can
also be considered a tyrant. A tyrant is an archetype is described as a king that makes

demands on his own behalf. They are in terms of his own desires and wants. Gilgamesh
stays to himself; the only person he confides in is his mentor; his mother Ninsun. As a
mentor, she is someone who helped and guided Gilgamesh through his journey; Ninsun
tells him he will soon have someone equal to himself.
Gilgameshs equal is just the opposite of him; although they favor greatly, they
are much different. His name is Enkidu. He represents the archetype of the innocent. The
innocent is a person that thrown into an unknown situation. They are lost and ignorant to
the things they are being introduced to. He is untamed, beastly, ignorant to the outside
world, and most importantly nave and innocent.(Mason, 16). Just as a baby is born into
the world without having any knowledge or understanding of the world around them,
Enkidu is like this at the beginning of the story. When Enkidu is exposed to the prostitute,
he is unaware and care free. All his life consisted of was running with animals and being
free. He has to learn to become civilized in order to fulfill his duty of being Gilgameshs
equal companion.
As the story goes along, we come to the realization that Gilgamesh and Enkidu
are the double of eachother. A double can be described as a counterpart, or even a split
personality. Ninsun said: The ax is a man who is your friend and your equal. (Mason,
20). Not only is Gilgamesh half god/half man, and Enkidu is half beast/half man; but the
two are the completion of one another. They match each other spiritually and physically.
It is not very often that two opposites can come together to back a successful whole.
The journey they take to the forest of Cedar to defeat the great Humbaba is a test
of their loyalty to one another. The forest is an archetype where people often lose their
direction or outlook and tap into the unknown world. Enkidu was afraid of the forest of

Humbaba. (Mason, page 27). The two friends go into the forest, not knowing what lies
ahead. Unexpectedly, they gain a stronger bond when they come together to defeat
Humbaba. Although the forest is expected to cause heroes to lose direction, it fails to do
that.
They have confirmed their friendship, and can see that they have truly found a
friend in each another.
After their success with killing Humbaba in the forest, the gods decide that one of them
must die. While Gilgamesh is convinced that they both should live, Enkidu knows better.
At this point he fulfills his duty of being Gilgameshs sacrificial redeemer. A sacrificial
redeemer is one who has done nothing wrong, but is blamed for everything; they are the
sacrifice for someone elses wrong doing. During the time of Enkidus death and short
after, this is Gilgameshs time of test and trial. This period refer to this as a time of
tribulation, stress, and anxiety. Gilgamesh has to learn to adapt back to being lonely after
loving and having affection for another human being. He felt himself now singled out
for loss apart from everyone else . (Mason) The tragedy of death leaves Gilgamesh
unable to function in the world without Enkidu, and he is lost and anxious.
When Gilgamesh goes on his journey to retrieve his gift of immortality he
experiences many obstacles. The first being a bar maid named Siduri that we see as a
temptress. A temptress is said to be someone who temporarily distracts and the hero from
his journey. She temporarily distracts Gilgamesh off his journey. While he stays with her,
Gilgamesh sleeps. Sleep is an archetype that allows the hero to receive mental and
physical healing. Then she took pity on him and let him enter and lie down and rest.
(Mason, 63) This was a much needed process, it was a small time of growth and mental

preparation for what was yet to come.

When he reaches his destination he finds a helpful guide named Utnapishtim who gives
him assistance. A helpful guide is often someone old and wise who gives the hero
direction and hope. While on his journey he crosses the sea of death which represents
vast, allen, danger, and chaos. It is said to be limitless and unmanageable. Gilgamesh has
a hard time crossing these waters and his paddles deteriorate in the water. This was a
foreshadowing of the dangers he will face in place that he is going. This would a warning
of a long and difficult journey.
The holder of the gift of immorality lives at the mouth of the river. A river
symbolizes something that is new and filled with life. He yearned to talk to Utnapishtim
the one who survived the flood and death itself, the one who knew the secret . (Mason,
55). After receiving the gift of immortality Gilgamesh carelessly leaves it on the bank of
the river, only for a serpent to smell its sweet scent and take it away from. A serpent is a
figure that represents evil. This situation exhibits to Gilgamesh that as easy as something
can be given, it can also be taken back. This occurrence was destined to happen, what the
gods set to happen is what is bound to happen. Enkidu isnt meant to come back, and he
will not. The sooner Gilgamesh understands this, the better off hell be.
In the end, Gilgamesh has to come to annihilation or total oblivion, and he does.
This occurs when Gilgamesh accepts what he cannot change, and acknowledges the fact
that world is crazy and cannot relate to his pain. Perhaps, he feared, his people would
not share the sorrow that he knew . (Mason 91) He knows that the people wont ever
share the same pain that he felt, and that life without Enkidu has to be lived. He was not
meant to live forever, but while he does, he cannot go back to his ways before him

meeting Enkidu. Gilgamesh comes to a realization that is not the greatest, and that there
is someone who is more powerful than he. He had to accept the fact that in order to exists
in an intolerable world, that life is absurd, ridiculous, and ironic.
This story holds the significance of characters, events and actions, settings, and
sacrificial rites. Archetypes shape the story, and give readers a better understanding of
what the author is trying to relay. Gilgamesh is the first account of the usage of
archetypes, and prime examples of how they make stories, and the way in which they are
formed. They are a model of which all other stories are made and continue from
generation to generation.