Characteristics of Gilgamesh and Enkidu in Fosters The...

Everyone has qualities that are heroic and noble, and everyone has their flaws. No matter who they are, or how perfect others think they are, people still have some negative qualities that can hurt their heroic ones. In the book, The Epic of Gilgamesh, by Benjamin Foster, both Gilgamesh and Enkidu had positive and negative characteristics that affected the outcome of their journey and their adventures they experienced throughout their lives. Gilgamesh was considered a hero because he had many great qualities, such as loyalty, perseverance, and heroism. Although these are heroic traits, he also had his flaws and was self-righteous, selfish, and prideful. Gilgamesh was a great man and was seen as flawless and â€Å"perfect in†¦show more content†¦Because of his pride, he does not listen, which is one of his biggest flaws in the story. Furthermore, you can see Gilgamesh’s perseverance when he finds out that the outcome of his journey is not favorable, but he still continues to go after praying to Shamash (26). This shows that he would always continue with what he started and that he was not one to give up on what he says he is going to do. His loyalty to his friend, Enkidu, is also very obvious, especially after Enkidu passed away, when Gilgamesh â€Å"Slaughtered fatted [cattle] and sheep, heaped them high for his friend† (62). This shows that Gilgamesh really enjoyed and appreciated Enki du as a friend, and even after his death, he did everything possible to make sure that he was recognized and respected. But, after his death, Gilgamesh still showed his flaw of being self-righteous because he felt that he deserved eternal life because he was part god. For instance, he stated, â€Å"Enkidu, my friend whom I loved, is turned into clay! Shall I too not lie down like him, and never get up forever and ever?† (78). The idea of death really hit him after Enkidu because he realized that death is inevitable, no matter how prideful you are or how much you achieve, it is still going to happen. Gilgamesh definitely had too many heroic qualities that wereShow MoreRelatedAnalysis Of The Epic Of Gilgamesh 1311 Words   |  6 PagesThe Epic of Gilgamesh is a very popular epic that is difficult to understand at first, which is why there is different translations of the same book. Although Foster and Sander’s translations have a lot of similar words and the stori es are basically the same, there are also a lot of differences between the two. One of which is more straightforward and easier to understand, whereas the other is more of an in depth thoughtful read for the reader. Both translations differences have their own particular