Gilgames: An Epic Hero

Gilgamesh: an Archetypal Hero

The book, The Epic of Gilgamesh, is precisely what the title implies--an epic that centers around the heroic character Gilgamesh. In this long narrative poem, Gilgamesh embodies the role of an archetypal hero; furthermore, aspects of Gilgamesh’s character and of the epic itself demonstrate the conventions of an archetypal hero.
An archetypal hero is somewhat a prototype for all human heros. They traditionally perform great difficulties and deeds, are helped with divine intervention, and greatly concerned with achieving higher power and immortality. Gilgamesh embodies all of these archetypal conventions. First, he is described as being made by the gods. “Two thirds they made him god and one third man,” (The Epic of Gilgamesh, 61...