Gilgamesh: Power, Wisdom and a Tragic Hero

When I reviewed my notes from this week I decided to write about the two most common topics of the CIE class. First, I would like to say that I think Gilgamesh relates in some ways to the modern world, but over-analyzing the whole book makes these connections hard to see sometimes. I think you definitely have to accept the fact that Gilgamesh was written so long ago, that some of the cultural ideas won't be acceptable today. For example, treatment of women and the way in which men rule has changed in 3000 years (obviously). Seriously, entire species evolved over the period of time since the poem was written.
On the other hand, I think the attitudes and ideas about wisdom (from women?) and power can be very relate-able to today. Even if these attitudes aren't exactly the same as they are today, doesn't the book still have value since it deals with power and wisdom in different ways? I think new ideas are great and force you to take them into consideration, even if you don't want to so. Wisdom seems to have a general evil theme in both Gilgamesh and Genesis (more on Genesis after Monday's class). It is as though the maturing and realization of wisdom results in the downfall of both Enkidu and Gilgamesh. After Enkidu gains wisdom of civilization from the women (that is what I think occurs at least) he is destined to die. And Gilgamesh finally does something worthwhile as a ruler and then dies too.
This brings me to the tragic hero part. Exact tragic hero definition: a literary character who makes an error of judgment or has a fatal flaw that, combined with fate and external forces, brings on a tragedy (Dictionary.com). I think Gilgamesh's fatal flaw is his pride since he disobeys his fate. By doing so he automatically puts himself in the line of fire of the gods, even though he attempts to avoid his fate through many adventures (which helps Uruk by obtaining cedar lumber, getting rid of evil mountain monsters, and making the city pretty wealthy). Gilgamesh also gives up the thing most important to him, Enkidu, when he angers the gods with all of his nonsense with that Bull of Heaven. (Yea, never make a goddess really angry). Overall, I have to say I really enjoyed all the discussion on Gilgamesh and can't wait to get to Genesis.