Women in the Epic of Gilgamesh play a significant role in developing the story and driving the overall themes of the story forward. I think a particular moment in the story is when Enkidu confronts Gilgamesh after being tamed by Shamhat. A tenet in Sumerian society seems to imply that becoming a man requires a relationship with a woman. Gilgamesh sent Shamhat to counter the threat to his power. She informs Enkidu of the plot against him and convinces him to confront Gilgamesh. Enkidu confronts Gilgamesh at a wedding which starts a battle between the two. After the war, these characters develop a strong bond, which becomes the pivotal relationship in the epic. This is another commentary on relationships. A relationship not bonded through a woman but through combat. This scene speaks to the weight of relationships in Sumerian society, particularly those created from combat and between man and woman. Sumerians are in a hostile environment. Rival city-states, hostile environments, and untrustworthy gods surround them. They must band together amongst their tribe member to stand against the turbulent portion of their world.

The goddess Ishtar sends the sacred bull of heaven to kill Gilgamesh after he refuses her proposal in the epic. But Enkidu's assistance allows them to overcome the bull. This infuriates Ishtar and the other gods, who concur that Gilgamesh still has to be punished for the bull's death and the destruction of the cedar grove and its protector. Following debate, it is decided that Enkidu must die; hence, the gods cause him to become terminally ill. 

I think this is where the author tells you that no one can avoid death, no matter how strong, how much money you have, when it's your time you will be taken out.

I think a scene from The Epic of Gilgamesh reflects one of the ideas the author was trying to communicate to their audience and briefly describes it as when Gilgamesh loses his friend Enkidu. In this scene, the author tries to communicate that this life has loss and death. Losing people who are close to us, affects us in the long run.  

The moments I choose for this Response can be the moments that I will be talking about in my essay as well as all the moments Gilgamesh slowly develops his character is a selfish king to a king who cares about his people.

•  In The Epic of Gilgamesh, one moment that expressed one of the main points which reflects one of the main ideas the author was trying to communicate to their audience is:

"No man can grasp the eternal, for the gods have set death as the fate of man, but you, Gilgamesh, fill your belly with good things, enjoy life, be joyful day and night, dance and play, for that is the lot of man."

• In the Epic the author was telling the story of Gilgamesh with the purpose of emphasizing a few focal points to its readers, such as the symbolism of gods, differentiation between humans and gods, criteria for Sumerian peoples (what is it to be human/fundamentals of Sumerian society), and the value of human experience.
• In his scenes with Enkidu, Gilgamesh learns the value of friendship and companionship.
• The epic took course over the journey of Gilgamesh, a powerful tyrant king. Throughout his journey he is faced with many core events, each on its own, depicting some sort of lesson, portrayal of topics such as gender, societal dynamics, relationship to life/death, legacy, longevity, etc.
• The purpose of Gilgamesh's journey was to depict the realities of mortality to Sumerians, including the limitations of human life. As a result one of the moral sums of the many stories told of gods, kings, romance, identity, and transcendence, is the focal point of legacy and longevity. This would be pertaining to immortality. The author of the Epic was expressing how Sumerians believed greatly upon remembrance instead of physical longevity
• Multiple passages mention the great architecture of Sumer, and exercise the practice of immortality as the Epic itself was a way to ensure in some way the legacy of Sumer (as it did). Even though the great walls of brick described are no longer in existence or to the standard they once were, the legacy of Sumer; its structures, its stories, its gods, and perspectives still live on to the current day.

The part of the Epic that I feel accurately depicts what the story is about, would be the scene at the very end. Gilgamesh, having given up on his quest for immortality, made his way back to Uruk. Upon getting closer to the city, he inspects the walls and begins to think about all the hard work that it represents, as well as the hard work that was put into the creation of Uruk.

This scene is important as it releates to the story's theme about mortality. Gilgamesh is mortal and will one day die. He is afraid of this happening and so he seeks immortality. Upon looking at the city of Uruk, he realizes that immortality is not important. This is because the story is about legacy and how it equates to immortality. A short life isnt as scary if a part of you stays behind. Through your achievements, you will live on.

In the epic of gilgamesh during Gilgamesh and Enkidu’s fight with Humbaba in chapter 5 while Humbaba was begging for mercy and for his life to be spared Gilgamesh actually hesitated and did not kill him until he was encouraged to do it by Enkidu and with this particular moment from chapter 5 it reflects the growth that Gilgamesh has gone thrown within the story which i believe is what the author was trying to show us. Through many trials and different life choices that Gilgamesh has to make i believe those are used to show how he changes as a person throughout the story because in the beginning of the story he was constantly getting into fights and sleeping with other mens brides without guilt or compassion but in this moment that Humbaba is beginning for his life Gilgamesh actually pauses but the version of him from the beginning of the story would not have needed to be encouraged to finish of Humbaba.

One particular moment that sticks out to me from the epic of Gilgamesh is the scene where Gilgamesh and Enkidu kill Humbaba. In this scene Gilgamesh sets out to the cedar forest to kill Humbaba in order to acquire the items in the forest that he protects, as he is the king of the forest. During the battle Gilgamesh gets the upper hand on Humbaba and hesitates to kill him, however it is Enkidu that holds Humbaba and encourages Gilgamesh to finally kill him. I think that this is a powerful scene to represent identity, as it is a peak point at which Enkidu chooses to side with Gilgamesh and civilization over someone that is in a way like him. Instead of being Enkidu the beast that we are introduced to in the book he is following in the steps of Gilgamesh willing to take down someone that was part of nature just as he once was to build and uplift this new civilization and community that he identifies as part of. This also shows the importance of civilizations and how vital it was to be apart of one.

The Epic of Gilgamesh taught me much about their relationship ( enkidu and Gilgamesh ). From the beginning to the end, the love that they have, the way they admire each other, and the respect that they have, they embark on a complex journey. They share experiences and emotions that create a profound connection in them.

The friendship of Gilgamesh and Enkidu is a testament to the enduring power of human connection

I believe the author is trying to show that the Epic of Gilgamesh illustrates important characteristics of Sumerian society as a whole including their strong devotion to gods, the importance of royalty, the fear of death and the desire for immortality, the value of friendship, and a concentration on heroic exploits and epic adventures. I believe the author is making it clear that a mortal gaining actual immortality and longevity is impossible, but rather someone can live eternally if they are remembered for their outstanding accomplishments and the legacy they leave behind. In the end, the Epic of Gilgamesh teaches us about a high and mighty, arrogant king who is transformed into an honorable leader through a journey of hardship and self-exploration.

I believe that The Epic of Gilgamesh is really about human nature, the way that they talked about their gods as well as the after life had really kind of reminded me of like a fear of the unknown, the theme of mortality and coming to terms with death. Lastly the way that Gilgamesh's character had changed becoming a better person. An example of the gods is when talking about the deluge as anytime it is brought up it is in the Sumerian culture. The great flood was a big historical event for the people of that time and I feel like this is what caused their mistrusts of the gods and for a normal person at the time who isn't aware of what science is that presents as god like power. An example for the after life is just the how Sumerian culture viewed death which is poorly and there wasn't a lot of talk about the afterlife as it had mainly just been said to be a grimmer version of earth. For mortality and fear of death the death of Enkidu is a good example as he goes through the natural feelings someone would go through if they knew they were dying. Another example is when Gilgamesh had reacted to Enkidus death he had started looking for a way to become immortal and when he realizes he can't be he goes through the same stages Enkidu did however this caused him to realize what was really important. Overall I feel like The Epic of Gilgamesh is mainly just about the human nature that being man made concepts that we create to shield ourselves from certain facts. But I find that this ties really well into Sumerian culture as they had a pretty bleak view on life from what we have read.

Using one particular passage or moment from the story, in your opinion what is The Epic of Gilgamesh about?

According to the Epic of Gilgamesh something that stood out to me is the relation they had, women and love playing an important role on the epic's action and there theme. Also on tablet VII Enkidu Told Gilgamesh about his dream.

At the beginning of the Epic Of Gilgamesh, the semi-divine king of Uruk, terrorizes his people Enkidu becomes civilized, sham hat recounts Gilgamesh. In this epic, Gilgamesh, the king of the city of Uruk , goes on a quest to find immortality after he and Enkidu.

The most poignant and dramatic moment in the Epic of Gilgamesh that really brings out one of the essential themes of this epic occurs when Enkidu dies and when everything falls apart after the killing of the Bull of Heaven by the two heroes in sheer anger at the gods because they had finally decided that Enkidu needs to die. Indeed, Enkidu's death provides a turning point in the tale as Gilgamesh now is in a situation in which he must consider his own death while carrying one of the major themes of the epic that is that death is universal and man has no power over the powers of gods.

It is here that the sad death of Enkidu is used by the author to depict the fragility of a human life-even in the semidivine being of Gilgamesh. After all, not even Gilgamesh can escape what awaits all humans: death. It is this universality of death which participates in the poignancy of the second half of the tale, when Gilgamesh embarks on his quest for immortality. After all, it was for the death of Enkidu that he had come before Utnapishtim, that immortal survivor of the great flood who was supposed to teach the secret of eternal life.

It is symbolic of one leading theme in the Sumerians' way of living: life span and death depend on the gods, and no human imagination may ever dream to stand up against them. What it did so well in describing such a reality was not in pursuing immortality, but understanding one's position within the patterns of humanity and making a life in the present, by embracing the transient beauty of life. Such thoughts of death and divine control would continue to resound throughout Sumerian society within the stance taken by the gods toward everyday living and resignation towards one's fate.

Using one particular passage or moment from the story, in your opinion what is The Epic of Gilgamesh about?

Throughout the epic the relationship of Gilgamesh and Enkidu stood out to me. No matter what kind of relationship they had, women and love still play an important role in the epic's action and themes. For example, a female prostitute tries to control Enkidu and Ishtar suggested in exchange of Gilgamesh love. When Gilgamesh refused it led to danger/ death to Enkidu. Which leads me to me to another interesting moment that stood out to me which was when Enkidu died and how bad it caused a toll on Gilgamesh and everyone else in the city.

A particular moment that I want to indulge is for the factor of individuality for the sake of The Epic Of Gilgamesh, is the part where Shamhat brings Enkidu to Uruk and he indulges in wine and the luxuries of food from a civilized point. This is a stepping stone for his sake and when he encounters Gilgamesh, and with their adventures together. If Shamhat wasn't the one to entice him and to bring him where he needed to be by the sake of the women who asked the Gods for a relief from the tyranny that Gilgámesh has caused.

I believe that Mister George truly provides small factors in his story that may not seem grand as the many fights that occur to show these aspects and other ones, but I believe it is the small moments that we truly see from each character their forms of actions and words that may provide a sense of gender, individuality, for the sake of the community and the togetherness and even for the sake of mortality to which ever that they are trying to strive for.

Like as stated, this story is more than just one thing to focus on - there are so many aspects that can be divulged into it and we can see different perspectives from it as well.

In the epic, Gilgamesh rejects the goddess Ishtar’s proposal, causing her to send the divine bull of heaven to end him. With the help of Enkidu however, they are able to defeat the bull. Outraged by this, Ishtar and the other gods agree that Gilgamesh must still be punished due to the death of the bull, as well as the desecration of the cedar forest and its guardian. After discussion, it is agreed upon that Enkidu must die, and so the gods make him fall terminally ill. 

In this scene, the epic portrays two ideas of death: that death is unavoidable, and that death can come in forms that not even the strongest men can best. Despite overcoming the physical challenge of the bull of heaven, the gods, the representatives of nature and morality, believe that someone must still atone. The emphasis on the punishment being necessary is a way to express how death is also necessary in the eyes of the gods. Furthermore, the method of killing Enkidu on the second attempt is a stark juxtaposition to the nature of the first. Instead of sending something even more powerful or starting some natural event to occur and wipe them out, the gods choose to make him sick. This causes Enkidu to die slowly and pitifully as he struggles to reason with the situation he’s in. The hopelessness of the situation for Enkidu is a lesson of hubris for Gilgamesh, the king who forced his way around everything.

I discuss the part of the story when Gilgamesh losses his friend Enkidu. There is no doubt that this part of the story is vital; it is the very first time that Gilgamesh has to face the truth of death. The importance of the turning point is within the fears that enfold Gilgamesh. He notes with understanding that not even a pet’s pet like Enkidu can evade death. Such realities really mold and force Gilgamesh into a pursuit of immortality which most of his journeys in the last segment of the epic cut across.

With respect to this scene, I think this of all conveys one major theme that the author wants to put across: the harshness of death and humanity’s attempt to understand this fact of life. In a world where the gods are the powerful stern of man’s fate, this tale illustrates the high level at which mortality was feared. There is no surprise in seeing that gilgamesh’s ambition for achieving everlasting life ‘chokes’ him because this was indeed an impossible task. The message that kings and heroes like children cannot avoid death is buttressed. The author uses this in a manner that says that yes, even humans wish to be immortal, but our immortality is not in the forever livinghood, but the difference that we make.

People of ancient civilizations believed in the afterlife in different ways. The Epic of Gilgamesh tells us that Sumers didn’t have a positive idea about the place they called the House of Dust. In Tablet VII Enkidu told Gilgamesh about his dream, in which a Lion-Bird, like a reaper, turned him into a dove and brought him “to the house whose residents are deprived of light, where dust is their sustenance and clay their food” (p.59). The House of Dust is not a place for rewards and punishments, not a place for rebirth or eternal peace; it looks hopeless and unavoidable. It made me realize why Sumers were afraid of dying, but also it made sense to me. Only knowing that you are mortal and have limited time, you can fulfill your life and leave a strong legacy.

The episode, in which Enkidu met different kinds of priests (p.60) showed us that everybody was equal in the face of death. It doesn’t matter if you were a nobleman or a king, doesn’t matter what god you served, you were predicated on eternal existence in the dark of the House of Dust.

One more moment also caught my attention. There was a scribe, Belet-seri, in the Netherworld (p.60). He was reading aloud, holding a tablet, in the presence of Ereshkigal. She saw Enkidu and asked who brought him here. In my opinion, Sumers believed that everyone’s destiny was written in advance, and on their deathbeds, they mourned not so much death itself as their fate to die at that very moment.

  “O Ur-shanabi, climb Uruk's wall and walk back and forth! 

Survey its foundations, examine the brickwork!

Were its bricks not fired in an oven? 

Did the Seven Sages not lay its foundations?”

This quote I feel embodies the important message that there is a balance between nature and civilization. By the end of the story, it was this moment where Gilgamesh states his realization that while we may not be able to fight nature that doesn’t mean we can’t progress forward, while nature is inevitable we can still forge a path for the better future with the time we have left. 

• Choose a particular moment, passage, or scene from The Epic of Gilgamesh that you think reflects one of the ideas the author was trying to communicate to their audience and briefly describe it.

One passage that particularly struck me was the scene where Ishtar was pining for Gilgamesh. It portrayed the lust for the surface level beauty, and this was interesting to me because Gilgamesh had developed some character depth since his friendship with Enkidu. Perhaps his newfound connection shed light on the deeper things in life, so Ishtar's request to marry based on material wealth and superficial strength did not seem attractive to Gilgamesh.

• Talk about this scene and how it shows an idea you think the author was trying to emphasize in the Epic as a whole. This can relate to mortality, the gods, gender, family, marriage, identity, class, age, architecture, or any other aspect of life in Sumerian society.

I think this relates to the idea of identity as Gilgamesh grows as a person and a mortal, which is something that Gods do not have to do. Before this development, he was a tyrant who exploited brides-to-be, and now he rejects a Godly proposal, which implies a deeper understanding of the morality of humans.

For my response, I might focus on the moment in The Epic of Gilgamesh where Gilgamesh mourns the death of Enkidu, which represents a significant shift in Gilgamesh's understanding of mortality. This passage, where Gilgamesh confronts the harsh reality that even his closest companion cannot escape death, serves as a reflection on the inevitability of mortality, a key theme in the epic.

In this scene, after Enkidu’s death, Gilgamesh embarks on a quest to find immortality, revealing his fear of death and desire to escape it. The author uses this moment to emphasize the Sumerian understanding of death as an inescapable fate, even for the most powerful of individuals, including kings. Gilgamesh's realization that immortality is beyond human reach shows the epic's exploration of human limitations in the face of the gods' power, as well as the transition from seeking personal glory to accepting one's mortality.

This theme of mortality likely resonated with Sumerian society, where life was short, and the afterlife was portrayed as bleak. By focusing on this passage, it highlights how the epic addresses the tension between human aspirations and the reality of death, a message that shapes the broader narrative.