Literary Terminology

In the epic of Gilgamesh, one of the most prominent literary elements is character. The

two main characters, Gilgamesh and Enkidu, have distinct and complex personalities that drive

the story forward and reveal important themes. The characters in the epic of Gilgamesh are

believable in the sense that they are complex and multi-dimensional, like real people. They have

both positive and negative traits and their actions and motivations are not always clear cut.

George describes the story of Gilgamesh, “as a story of one man's 'path to wisdom', of how he is

formed by his successes and failures, which offers many profound insights into the human

condition, into life and death and the truths that touch us all” (13). The characters in the epic are

not simple stereotypes but complex individuals with a range of virtues and vices, strengths and

weaknesses, and whose actions are motivated by a complex interplay of emotions and desires.

Gilgamesh is the main protagonist in the story and Enkidu is his companion. The story

does have traditional heroes and villains, with Gilgamesh and Enkidu being the heroes and

various monsters and obstacles they encounter being the villains. Gilgamesh and Enkidu are

portrayed as traditional epic heroes, undertaking a journey and facing various challenges and

monsters. “From all this Gilgamesh emerges as a kind of cultural hero; The wisdom he received

at the ends of the earth from the survivor of the Deluge, Uta-napishti, enabled him to restore the

temples of the land and their rituals to their ideal state of antediluvian perfection” (George, 15).

The author reveals the characters through a combination of direct description, authorial

comment, the comments and thoughts of other characters, and the characters' own actions,

words, and thoughts. The author gives readers a clear understanding of the characters' inner

thoughts and motivations, which helps to make them complex and believable. The most

important traits of the main characters are Gilgamesh's initial arrogance and the quest for
immortality and Enkidu's wild and uncivilized nature. “The subject that most held the attention

of the royal courts of Babylonia and Assyria was perhaps another topic that underlies much of

the poem: the debate on the proper duties of kingship, what a good king should do and should

not do” (George 13). This is the subject portrayed in the character of Gilgamesh. For Enkidu,

“the eternal conflict of nurture and nature - articulated as the benefits of civilization over

savagery - is also examined, as too are the rewards of friendship, the nobility of heroic enterprise

and the immortality of fame” (George 13).

Throughout the epic, both characters change and develop, with Gilgamesh becoming

more humble and wise and Enkidu becoming more civilized and valuing human companionship.

The author's attitude towards the characters is one of sympathy and understanding. The reader is

meant to understand and sympathize with the characters' struggles and growth throughout the

story. The author presents the characters with empathy, showing the reader their inner struggles

and growth.
 Work Cited

George, Andrew. The Epic of Gilgamesh: A New Translation. Penguin Classics, 2003.