The Epic of Gilgamesh is Truly an Epic Essay -- Literary Analysis

An milling machineryical is an extensive narrative poem celebrating the feats of a legendary or traditional hero. There atomic number 18 several chief(prenominal) characteristics that make up an epos as a literary genre. number 1 is that, it contains an epic hero, its hero searches for immortality (but doesnt find it physically, only through fame), it delivers an historical message, it is a long poem that tells a story, and the gods or other supernatural beings are interested and involved. The heroic of Gilgamesh is classified as an epic because it fits all the characteristics of an epic as a literary genre. The first important characteristic of The Epic of Gilgamesh that helps to classify it as an epic is that it takes a hero. Gilgamesh is the storys epic hero. Characteristics that determine an epic hero in the ancient world include volume, beauty, and high social status (Tigay 42). Gilgamesh fits all these descriptions. His great strength was exposit as that which c ould be matched by no other. His beauty was so manifest that he could have any woman that he wanted. In fact, he slept with all the women in his city. Gilgamesh was also made 2/3 graven image and 1/3 human. This fact alone raised him up to a god-like social status. He was the king of Uruk because no one could challenge his strength or beauty. Most epic heroes are also widely cognise and famous which Gilgamesh, being king, obviously was. Aside from his attributes and status, the traditional epic hero must perform heroic feats (Abusch 620). A set ahead, Gilgamesh fits into this category. First, Gilgamesh leads Enkidu on an adventure that will gain further fame for himself and his friend. This was the plan to take a journey to the sacred cedar tree Tree and kill the Guardian of the Cedar Forest, Humbaba. This is... ..., Ltd., 1999. 21-48. Print.Gilgamesh. The Norton Anthology of World Literature. Sarah Lawall. New York W.W. Norton & Company, Inc., 1984. Print.Greene, Tho mas. The Norms of Epic. comparative degree Literature 13.3 (1962) 193-207. Web. 22 Dec 2010.Kramer, S.N. The Death of Gilgamesh. Bulletin of the American Schools of oriental person Research (1944) 2-12. Web. 21 Dec 2010.Tigay, Jeffery. The Evolution of the Gilgamesh Epic. Philadelphia University of Pennsylvania Press, 1982. 33-57. Print.Vulpe, Nicola. Irony and the angiotensin-converting enzyme of the Gilgamesh Epic. ledger of Near Eastern Studies 53.4 (1994) 275-283. Web. 22 Dec 2010.West, M.L. The Rise of the classic Epic. Journal of Hellenic Studies 108. (1988) 151-172. Web. 22 Dec 2010.Wolff, Hope Nash. Gilgamesh, Enkidu, and the Heroic Life. Journal of the American Oriental Society (1969) 392-398. Web. 21 Dec 2010.