List and discuss the qualities of the epic hero Gilgamesh and analyze their relationship to ancient Mesopotamian values

Question

Please provide the best answer for the statement.

Answer 1

1. The central figure in the Epic of Gilgamesh, the Sumerian king Gilgamesh, is introduced as two parts god and one part human, reflecting ancient beliefs in the divinity of kings. Gilgamesh, an imperfect ruler, is described as having originally oppressed his people. Hearing the pleas of the people for relief, the gods create a rival, Enkidu, to challenge Gilgamesh. Their confrontation, clearly representative of the struggle between nature (Enkidu), and civilization (Gilgamesh), suggests that nature must be tamed by civilization but that, at the same time, civilization relies on the proper management (rather than the simple eradication) of nature.
2. Later, the gods decree that Enkidu must die and he suffers a long, painful death. Dismayed at the prospect of his own mortality, Gilgamesh embarks on a journey to find the secret of eternal life. After many adventures, Gilgamesh returns home empty-handed. Thus, even as the poem asserts the hero-king’s partial divinity, it emphasizes his humanity and the mortality that accompanies it.