After reading the selection from The Epic of Gilgamesh and the handout on the discovery and importance of Gilgamesh, respond to the following prompt ONLINE! You will simply respond to THIS post. First, however, you will need to sign in to eblogger. You may use your gmail account. You must sign in to post. Once you sign in then type in the text box below my post.
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Question:
After reading the two quotes by Sandars and Abusch on your handout, what quote do you feel best captures the importance of Gilgamesh and why?
Remember to refer to specific elements of the quote to support your answer. Avoid vague references.
I believe that the quote "The Gilgamesh epic is a powerful tale in almost any telling. (Ranier Maria) Rilke once called it the greatest thing one could experience, and many consider it the supreme literary achievement of the ancient world before Homer. It has something of the qualities Henry Moore once said he admired in Mesopotamian Art-bigness and simplicity without decorative trimming. It is about nature and culture, the value of human achievements and their limitations, friendship and love, separation and sorrow, life and death" because almost everything said within the quote agrees with the telling of Gilgamesh. When the quote talks about nature and culture, it refers to how Gilgamesh and the people during that time believed in certain gods and goddesses and how they feared death due to the harsh descriptions of the Underworld: people were turned into birds, they ate dust, and once great rulers now were servants. Furthermore, the quote talks about human achievements and their limitations; the story revolves around Gilgamesh, a great ruler in the peak of his physical shape because he can use his body as a sail but cannot stay awake for seven nights and six days nor live forever by finding eternal life. Additionally, the quote talks about friendship and love. The great friendship of Enkidu and Gilgamesh seemingly bonded the two together, so when Enkidu dies Gilgamesh is determined to search for eternal life in order to not come to a tragic end like his friend, like all human beings must one day. The final four feelings in the quote that stuck out to me, which were separation and sorrow, and life and death, fit well with the culture and friendship aspects due to the beliefs about the afterlife and Gilgamesh's loyalty to his friend Enkidu. I believe that this quote best captures the importance of Gilgamesh because not only does it capture the main theme of the story, but it also captures the background information and what caused Gilgamesh to go on his journey and believe certain things different than we do today.
ReplyDeleteQoute number two best captures the epic of Gigamesh due to its understanding of what Gilgamesh was able to accomplish on his journey. Gilgamesh started out as a very cruel king. He treated his people unfairly and this made the people get angry. Many were so angry with Gilgamesh that a monster, Enkidu was made to destroy him. However, Gilgamesh was able to change his ways by accomplishing many challenges on his journey. Gilgamesh was able to defeat the mighty bull with Enkidu, the one that was sent out to destroy Gilgamesh. Gilgamesh was able to change his overall atitude in life from this journey. He also changed his ways be showing common concern for his people. Overall this tale just shows how powerful a single person can be.
ReplyDeleteThe Epic of Gilgamesh is a phenomenal piece of literature, no matter the way it's told or the person who tells it. I believe that the quote, "The Gilgamesh epic is a powerful tale in almost any telling. (Ranier Maria) Rilke once called it the greatest thing one could experience, and many consider it the supreme literary achievement of the ancient world before Homer. It has something of the qualities Henry Moore once said he admired in Mesopotamian Art- bigness and simplicity without decorative trimming. It is about nature and culture, the value of human achievements and their limitations, friendship and love, separation and sorrow, life and death" (Abusch) best captures Gilgamesh because of the great appreciation for the piece of literature, being able to sum it up with the passion felt by the power of the epic. Gilgamesh dates back so far that it is astonishing to recognize behaviors of human being, and the overcoming of change and loss. The heroic nature of this epic, this story of love and determination, is captured by this quote. Though the characters in this epic were god like and powerful, they still experienced fear, mourning, change, and obstacles in their lives. This quote captures the culturally strong pieces of Gilgamesh, such as the development of the mind with the challenges appointed to Gilgamesh by the Gods of the Faraway. I believe the Epic of Gilgamesh is best portrayed by this quote because of the passion and summarization given by the author. Human kind still generally resembles the behaviors portrayed in Gilgamesh today.
ReplyDeleteFrom reading the story about the epic of Gilgamesh, the sentence that stood out to me was "it is about nature and culture, the value of human achievements and their liminations, friendship, and love, seperation and sorrow, life and death." That was from Henry Moore. aNother quote or sentence that stood out to me was "it is a misture of pure adventure, of mortality,and of tragedy," from N.K. Sanders. What I tohught about that quote was that she was right the Epic of Gilgamesh is exactly those words how the story is told or played out it is always told with pure anyting in it in the beginning then Gilgamesh's mortal side of him when Endiu died and his tragedy when he couldnt live forever at the end something like that is always in every tale of him. However what I find interesting is she also said that "the gods, who do not die, cannot be tragic. If Gilgamesh is not the first human hero, he is the first targic hero of whom anything is known," because Gilgamesh was two-thirds God and only one-third human, so if he is more God why can't he live forever?... Or is it because he is one-third human and humans didn't live forever.
ReplyDeleteN.K. Sandars has a better grasp on capturing the importance of Gilgamesh because of the extraordinary books that she has written like: Poems of Heaven and Hell from Ancient Mesopotamia, Sea Peoples, The Epic of Gilgamesh, and Prehistoric Art in Europe. Since N.K. Sandars translated The Epic of Gilgamesh, I believe that she has a rather good grasp on the importance of the book. Sandars would not only have to be able to translate but she would also have to be able to fully understand the epic in order fill in the missing parts of the story that haven’t been found. In N.K. Sandars quote, she says in the first sentence that “These poems have a right to a place in the world’s literature, not only because they antedate Homeric epic by at least one and a half thousand years, but mainly because of the quality and character of the story that they tell.” This quote shows that the story does not only antedate Homeric epic like the Iliad and the Odyssey but the epic also shows a mixture of pure adventure, tragedy, and morality. The story shows “a very human concern with mortality, the search for knowledge, and for an escape from the common lot of man.”(N.K. Sandars line 3). In the quote N.K. Sandars captures the importance of Gilgamesh so well because she shows how it helped us see how human mentality was in the past when humans would worship gods. It also shows how it helped shape some Homeric epics.
ReplyDeleteQuote number one captures the importance of The Epic of Gilgamesh because it tells the characteristics of the epic."...it is a mixture of pure adventure, of morality, and of tragedy.Through the action we are shown a very human concern with mortality, the search for knowledge, and and for an escape from the common lot of man..." The quote summarizes the events in The Epic of Gilgamesh with just a few characteristics. At the first part of the quote it summarizes the events it took Gilgamesh to get to the god Utnapishtim. The "pure adventure" is crossing the twelve dark leagues. Gilgamesh's "concern with mortality" is why Gilgamesh traveled the twelve dark leagues. Gilgamesh wanted to ask Utnapishtim for eternal life.At the end of the quote it says, "If Gilgamesh is not the first human hero, he is the first tragic hero of whom anything is known." This quote reviews that Gilgamesh was the first story to be written down.
ReplyDeleteJenny Krause
After reading both quotes, I felt as though the second quote really captured Gilgamesh. The quote captures ones attention at the sentence, “It is about the nature and the culture, the value of human achievements and their limitations, friendship and love, separation and sorrow, life and death.” Gilgamesh had to endure all of those feelings at one point or another. After losing a friend as great as Enkidu was to Gilgamesh, there was no getting around the feeling of separation and sorrow for him. The friendship Gilgamesh had with Enkidu had grown into a loving brotherhood that was taken away so suddenly. Those characteristics of Gilgamesh alone capture such an important part of the story. Life becomes very important to Gilgamesh in which he finds himself seeking immorality. Unfortunately for him, it cannot be done, therefore will come death which is something that Gilgamesh does not want. Gilgamesh may find he is limited in life because he is not full God, and can’t have everything he wants.
ReplyDeleteOut of the two quotes by Sandars and Abusch, Abusch was the closest to understanding Gilgamesh and what it surrounds. Gilgamesh is a story about life, showing the ups and downs, new experiences and obstacles that come with. Abusch appears to understand Gilgamesh due to his quote, "It is about nature and culture, the value of human achievements and their limitations, friendship and love, separation and sorrow, life and death. " Where as, Sandars appears to not understand Gilgamesh, due to his quote " It is a mixture of pure adventure, of morality, and of tragedy. " Its not that Sandars is wrong but he simply hasn't looked deep enough to realize the overall outlook on the The Epic of Gilgamesh.
ReplyDeleteI beleive the quote, "Gigamesh epic is a powerful take in almost any telling. (Ranier Maria) Rilke once called it the greatest thing one could experience, and many cosider it the supreme literary achievement of the ancient world before Homer. It has something of the qualities Henry Moore once said he admired in Mesopotamian Art- bigness and simplicity without decorative trimming. It is about nature and culture, the value of human achievements and their limitations, friendship and love, separation and sorrow, like and death." best captures the importance of Gilgamesh. Even with how long ago the piece was written, you can still see the basic human qualities of, "...friendship and love, seperation and sorrow, life and death." Showing that even though Gilgamesh was 2/3 god, he still feels emotion. That even the gods feel emotions, and they are simpathetic.
ReplyDeleteThe quote by N.K. Sandars expresses the significance of The Epic of Gilgamesh being the first of its kind, capturing the importance of the epic. The Epic of Gilgamesh precedes the “Homeric epic by at least one and a half thousand years…” (Sandars). This quote explains how an epic of this nature had never been seen before, marking it as an essential event in the history of literature. Being the first, it also set the stage for future epics to be created; many new stories contained elements present in The Epic of Gilgamesh. Additionally, the quote depicts the significance of the structure of the epic, which provided the first form of the basic quest structure. Sanders mentions in her quote, “It is a mixture of pure adventure, of morality, and of tragedy. Through the action we are shown a very human concern with mortality, the search for knowledge, and for an escape from the common lot of man.” From this, Sanders indicates the presence of a quester, a stated reason to go, challenges and trials, and the real reason to go; these are four of the five factors present in the basic quest structure. The structure has influenced so many works that, as Thomas C. Foster indicates in his novel How to Read Literature like a Professor, these types of literature are “… structurally all the same…Once you figure out quests, the rest is easy” (6). By looking at the structure of modern novels, the impact of the structure appearing in The Epic of Gilgamesh can be seen. Equally important, the quote also illustrates the relevance of Gilgamesh himself. As she states, “If Gilgamesh is not the first human hero, he is the first tragic hero of whom anything is known” (Sanders). The epic introduced a new concept for a main character, providing a base for future stories. Gilgamesh was only one third god; nevertheless, he replaced the gods as a main character, adding the element of tragedy and human characteristics to stories. By demonstrating the originality of The Epic of Gilgamesh, N.K. Sandars is able to fully explain the importance of the epic.
ReplyDeleteThe quote “These poems have a right to a place in the world’s literature, not only because they antedate Homeric epic by at least one and a half thousand years, but mainly because of the quality and character of the story that they tell. It is a mixture of pure adventure, of morality, and a tragedy. Through the action we are shown a very human concern with mortality, the search for knowledge, and for an escape from the common lot of man. The gods, who do not die, cannot be tragic. If Gilgamesh is not the first human hero, he is the first tragic hero of whom anything is known” is the best at capturing the importance of Gilgamesh because of its obvious examples straight from the Epic of Gilgamesh. For instance, the human concern with mortality is clearly stated when Enkidu, Gilgamesh’s close friend dies, showing Gilgamesh that the god’s could take him at any moment too. Gilgamesh is terrified to die so he left to find Utnapishtim, the only mortal to gain eternal life as a god, to give Gilgamesh his secret to becoming immortal. Oh the other hand, Gilgamesh’s journey is a search for knowledge of the ability to be immortal. Gilgamesh. during his journey to Utnapishtim, endured the twelve leagues of darkness through the Mashu Mountains, crossing the sea to Utnapishtim while holding the sail together, to find out that he can only be immortal by getting a flower from the bottom of the river and having it stolen from him by a serpent. The knowledge Gilgamesh gains are expressed through his whole story. In the end human concern with mortality and his search of knowledge help this quote express the importance of Gilgamesh without specifically saying it.
ReplyDeleteAlthough Professor Tzvi Abusch presents a very valid statement about the Epic of Gilgamesh, N. K. Sandars seems to possess a more analytical angle on the literature by encapsulating the dynamics and vitals of the story. Sandars conveys the idea that Gilgamesh, as well as other poems, “have a right to a place in the world’s literature, not only because they antedate Homeric epic by at least one and a half thousand years, but mainly because of the quality and character of the story that they tell. It is mixture of pure adventure, of morality, and of tragedy. Through the action we are shown a very human concern with mortality, the search for knowledge, and for an escape from the common lot of man. The gods, who do not die, cannot be tragic. If Gilgamesh is not the first hero, he is the first tragic hero of whom anything is known.” The first sentence of the quote shows the significance of this piece of literature in the hands of time; the illustrious work of the ancient Greek epic poet Homer (writer of the Illiad and Odyssey) only followed Gilgamesh after over a century. Therefore, that information proves the Epic of Gilgamesh should be more considered in the literary world because of its existence as a precedent. However, its date cannot take away from the “quality and character of the story”. The “mixture of pure adventure, of morality, and of tragedy” sets a balanced tone of an epic targeting entertainment through a hero’s trial’s and tribulations (i.e. victory over Humbaba, the Bull of Heaven, and the journey to Utnapishtim); the didactic presence through the use of Gilgamesh’s human flaws (i.e. extended grief for Enkidu, rage with Urshanabi’s boat, and Utnapishtim’s sleep test); and the onslaught of a masterpiece acquiescing to take on a pitiful failure to gain something more than human (i.e. loss of the eternal life plant to a snake). Sandars hits upon the epic’s inclusion of concern for mortality, knowledge, and a power over that which is allotted to the average human; each one of these characteristics betrays the protagonist Gilgamesh as a “demigod” longing for more time on earth, needing stronger manipulation of his godly self, and yearning to recapture the soul of his dead friend. These particulars lead to the fact that Gilgamesh is on an exciting, yet spiritual quest. As one looks toward the end (last two sentences of the quote), Sandars revisits the ever-present theme of tragedy. When she details the impossibility of a god’s death or a god’s tragedy, she plays upon lamentable Gilgamesh’s role as an individual stuck in “limbo” with his existence as a one-third man. He, who was superhuman yet conquerable, stands as a symbol of the tragic hero.
ReplyDeleteSandars’ quote best describes Gilgamesh’s importance because he refers more to the human side of the story. The most important quote from the handout is “Through the action we are shown a very human concern with mortality, the search for knowledge, and for an escape from the common lot of man,” because it shows that most humans, especially earlier in time, spent most of their lives searching for a remedy that would help them avoid death. In the epic, Gilgamesh fears dying, particularly after Enkidu’s dream about the pain and suffering within the underworld. His lust for everlasting life inspires him to go on his journey to the gods in search of immortality. Throughout his journey, Gilgamesh shows great spirit and bravery, but still falls upon tragedy and failure due to his human side. Some examples would be when he falls asleep after Utnapishtim challenges him to remain awake for six days and seven nights, and when Gilgamesh loses his flower of eternal life to the serpent. When Sandars states “If Gilgamesh is not the first human hero, he is the first tragic hero of whom anything is known,” he is explaining that, despite the fact Gilgamesh is two thirds god, he is still only mortal, so he must fail like all mortals do. Regardless, Gilgamesh’s story shows he is a hero to all of mankind because of his skill and determination.
ReplyDeleteI think the quote by N.K. Sandars best tells of the importance of Gilgamesh because it mentions several aspects of the epic. Sandars tells of the moods and emotions expressed in Gilgamesh that readers can relate to. Gilgamesh includes a “mixture of pure adventure, of morality, and of tragedy”(Sandars). Adventure is very evident in the epic since Gilgamesh always meets new people and comes across new obstacles. Gilgamesh teaches that no one can live forever. It also instructs not to get hopes up so high, because something can always go wrong. Both of these are very important moral lessons. The whole selection of Gilgamesh is based on tragedy. Gilgamesh goes on his journey because he is mourning and afraid of death because Enkidu died. The selection also ends in tragedy because Gilgamesh fails at his quest. In addition to telling of the emotions Gilgamesh portrays, Sandars reports of the importance of the age of The Epic of Gilgamesh. The Iliad and The Odyssey, both epics by Homer, get much glory for being so old, when in truth, Gilgamesh “antedate[s] Homeric epic by at least one and a half thousand years”(Sandars). Homer’s epics are important for their age, but Gilgamesh has more importance because it is one of the only written accounts of this time period, while there are several from the time of Homer. Sandars also states, “If Gilgamesh is not the first human hero, he is the first tragic hero of whom anything is known”. Gilgamesh tells society that people behaved the same way in 2700 BCE as they do today. All in all, N.K. Sandars’ quote on The Epic of Gilgamesh best supports the importance of the epic.
ReplyDeleteThe quote by Sandars stating, "Though the action we are shown a very human concern with mortality, the search for knowledge, and for an escape from the common lot of man" provides the most significant explanation of the Gilgamesh epic. Though Professor Tzvi Abusch argues a valid point, the main concern with the quote which she entails is the context is not being read into. The epic of Gilgamesh is based upon the great qualities and characteristics of each individual, as well as they knowledge that applies to everyday life. Every human being has wondered about the mortality and tragedies of life, which Gilgamesh provides. Though it can be adventurous, it helps people to realize that we are all searching for something more. It teaches us that we cannot run away from our fears and sorrows, we must live up to the challenge that is put in front of us. It helps relate the moods and emotions that come across in the reading. Consequently, Sandars' quote best displays the true meaning of Gilgamesh.
ReplyDeleteI believe that the second quote captures the importance of Gilgamesh as a work because right at the beginning of the quote it states that it “is a powerful tale in almost any telling” (Prof. Yzvi 1). Over the entire quote the message of Gilgamesh’s power as a writing is constantly conveyed through the vivid language that Abusch uses. He is complementing it on such high regards that at one point he even says “it is the greatest thing one can experience” (2). Although the Professor obviously feels very strongly about what he says, there is no other comparison to the wisdom that he brings to his work when he quotes Henry Moore, one of the greatest writers to this day, it has some of the qualities of Mesopotamian art, including “brightness and simplicity with decorative trim” (4). All these things come together to show exactly why Gilgamesh is so important to modern writing.
ReplyDeleteI think the quote by N.K. Sandars shows the best reason to have a place in the worlds literature. N.K. Sandars understands the importance of Gilgamesh because of the many books she has written. N.K. Sandars has an accurate telling of history and the detailed evolution of the human, mortals, and the spirts. The story of Gilgamesh captures culture of the unknown to the modern people. The story of Gilgamesh is timeless. This story commemorates historical people and deeds. N.K. Sandars poem is not just Homeric but also a passage on heroism, grief, and wisdom in the universal process.
ReplyDeleteThe quote by Ambusch demostrates The Epic of Gilgamesh's importance the best by clearly presenting the ideas behind the epic. Ambusch explains how simplicity is a part of this Mesopotamian tale. The face that this epic does not need extra details to make it "a powerful tale in almost any telling" shows the , signifigance it made on literature. Additionally, the showing of the values of "humann achievements and their limitations, friendship and love, separation and sorrow, life and death" within the story of Gilgamesh contributes to the reasons of why it is still a famous work of Mesopotamian Art. It contains values that still are apart of society today. The ideas behind Gilgamesh is what makes it "the supreme literary achievement of the ancient world before Homer."
ReplyDeleteSanders and Abusch both create beautiful statements concerning the importance of "The Epic of Gilgamesh". Abusch tells of reviews others have made about this epic and Sanders talks of the feelings. Of the two, however, Sanders quote shows a much better grasp on the historical tale due to the explanation of the feelings and concerns behind the story it presents. Within the quote Sanders states,"Through the action ["Epic of Gilgamesh"] we are shown a very human concern with mortality, the search of knowledge, and for an escape from the common lot of man" (Importance of the Epic of Gilgamesh, paragraph 3). Sanders wording fits perfectly with the elements of the fantastic epic. For instance, the story begins with the devastating death of Gilgamesh's dear friend, Enkidu. This death tears apart Gilgamesh internally. He begins to question his life and the afterlife. We see as Sanders put it, "...a very human concern with mortality..." As the story unfolds Gilgamesh seeks the advice of the great Utnapishtim, the only mortal ever granted eternal life by the gods. Gilgamesh's quest is to discover the secret to Utnapishtim's infallable life. Sanders explained this "...search of knowledge..." as well. Sanders also mentions searching for an, "...escape from the common lot of man..." The common lot being death, which happens to be the very thing of which Gilgamesh feels he must evade. Sanders brought up the main questions, in essence Sanders writes the purpose of Gilgamesh. This shows that Sanders quote embodies the story far more than Abusch who talks about reviews from other famed authors, rather than the story.
ReplyDeleteProfessor Tzvi Abusch best captures the importance of The Epic of Gilgamesh in his quote summarizing the epic because he focuses on the values and lessons that Gilgamesh teaches the reader. To start, Gilgamesh teaches all about the “nature and culture”, as Abusch puts it, of Mesopotamia. During the time period in which the events in Gilgamesh occurred, individuals, such as Gilgamesh, were polytheistic, meaning that they believed in and worshipped many gods. There are numerous gods portrayed all throughout the epic and the story is centered on the gods, which shows the main values during this time. Next, Gilgamesh stresses the lesson that all humans have limitations. While Gilgamesh appears to be a strong being with no flaws, Gilgamesh encounters trails throughout the epic that prove that every person has limitations. For example, when Enkidu dies, “Gilgamesh is faced with a situation he cannot control. He also experiences for the first time the human emotions of grief and fear,” (37). Abusch says that the poem concentrates on “the value of human achievements and their limitations” throughout the epic, showing that no one is perfect. Lastly, life and death are reoccurring themes in the epic. When Gilgamesh is inquiring to Siduri about eternal life, she replies saying, “Where are you hurrying to? Day and night, night and day, dance and be merry.” (39). Siduri is conveying to Gilgamesh how important it is to live out his life to the fullest, because like all mortals, he will eventually die. Abusch says that Gilgamesh “is about separation and sorrow, life and death,” and he could not be more accurate with saying this because the concept of dying is a main subject all the way through the epic. All in all, Abusch’s explanation most completely and precisely captures the importance of The Epic of Gilgamesh.
ReplyDeleteI believe the quote by Prof. Tzvi Abusch best expresses the importance of The Epic of Gilgamesh because of the qualities the quote highlights. One quality included is “bigness and simplicity without decorative trimming.” Gilgamesh is one of the first works of literature, so it does not have a deep, intricate meaning. It is merely a story to record history. However, the theme of the story is rather lofty and includes several topics throughout the story. Another quality is, “It is about nature and culture…” While the story gives us an insight to Mesopotamian views on life; it also shows the similarities of human nature within different time periods. One last quality is, “…friendship and love, separation and sorrow, life and death.” The epic explores the love between two friends and the emotional pain of when one loses that. This leads into the human fear of death. Giving an overall lesson to the story to enjoy life while it lasts. The quote by Abusch reflects The Epic of Gilgamesh perfectly.
ReplyDeleteI think the quote by Ambusch explains The Epic of Gilgamesh importance better. Ambusch “It is about the nature and the culture, the value of human achievements and their limitations, friendship and love, separation and sorrow, life and death.” Gilgamesh had all of those feelings at one point. After losing a friend as great as Enkidu was to Gilgamesh, there was no getting around the feeling of separation and sorrow for him. The friendship Gilgamesh had with Enkidu was like a twin relationship no one can understand them, and that was taken away so suddenly. Those characteristics of Gilgamesh alone capture such an important part of the story. Life becomes very important to Gilgamesh in which he finds himself seeking immorality. Unfortunately for him, it cannot be done, therefore will come death which is something that Gilgamesh does not want. Gilgamesh may finally find out that he can not live forever because he is not a full god.
ReplyDeleteN.K. Sandar's quote best captures the essence of Gilgamesh because it focuses on the most
ReplyDeleteprevalent theme in the epic: mortality. Sandars speaks of the concern most of humankind has with immortality and the pursuit of knowledge. Gilgamesh goes on his quest because he is afraid of death now that he has witnessed the painful death of Enkidu, the mortality and tragedy Sandars mentions in her quote. The pursuit of knowledge is shown in Gilgamesh's desire to find the secret of immortality. She is also correct in stating, "These poems have a right to a place in the world's literature... mainly because of the quality and character of the story that they tell" (N.K. Sandars 2). The quality of Gilgamesh is amazing considering it tells of themes that are still relevant in the present day. The character of the story can also be easily understood by readers today. Sandars also knowingly calls Gilgamesh the first tragic hero because for all of his triumphs throughout the story he still never reaches his goal to cheat death or even restore youth to himself. Yet Gilgamesh will always be thought of as a hero among humans and Sandars has managed to capture that in her quote that so accurately describes the importance of Gilgamesh.
The quote given to us by Abusch better depicts what the Epic of Gilgamesh is about and the basic principles behind it. It is a powerful story to us because it has " the value of human achievements and their limitations, friendship and love, separation and sorrow, life and death" which could be applied to life in any time period which is what Abusch was trying to explain to us in this quote. According to him it is "the supreme literary achievement of the ancient world before Homer." Many people should regard this as one of the great works of writing because it was the base story that started so many more great epics and novels, and it may reveal things about us that we did not know impacted the decisions we make in life such as the human values and limitations mentioned above in the quote. This is why "the Gilgamesh Epic is a powerful tale in any telling."
ReplyDeleteAfter reading both quotes I believe that the first quote, “These poems have the right to a place in the world's literature, not only because they antedate Homeric epic by at least one and a half thousand years, but mainly because of the quality and character of the story that they tell. It is a mixture of pure adventure, of mortality, the search for knowledge, and for an escape from the common lot of man. The gods, who do not die, cannot be tragic. If Gilgamesh is not the first human hero, he is the first tragic hero of whom anything is known" better captures the Epic of Gilgamesh because the epic has adventure, morality and tragedy. The adventure is Gilgamesh making a long journey to find Utnapishtim, his father, so he can be granted immortality. I feel that the main morality is that Gilgamesh wept seven days due to the death of his best friend, Enkidu. One of the many tragedies in Gilgamesh is that he loses his Enkidu. Another tragedy is that he makes it all the way to his Utnapishtim but then loses his last chance to a serpent. Last thing, Sanders said in the quote, “The gods, who do not die, cannot be tragic” I take that as Gilgamesh must be tragic because he did die, at least he is not around today that any of us know about.
ReplyDeleteAfter reading both quotes by these two amazing people, the quote from N.K. Sandars captures the importance of "The Epic of Gilgamesh" the best because she has a firm understanding of good literature. Sandars speaks with such and educated vocabulary and in such a way that makes you want to agree with her. Along with such qualities, Sandars mentions that "Through the action [in "The Epic of Gilgamesh"] we are shown a very human concern with mortality, the search for knowledge, and for an escape from the common lot of man,". This certain section of her quote is so significant because with this one statement, she basically sums up Gilgamesh, but in a way that isn't just bland and boring but is true and is inspiring almost. Sandars has a way of showing you her point of view and making it very difficult to disagree which shows much discipline in her education, therefore, the quote by N.K. Sandars captures the importance of Gilgamesh the best.
ReplyDeleteThe first quote best captures the importance of Gilgamesh because, through the story, it explains the concerns of the author and other people of that time. However, people of today have the same concerns as the people that lived then; if we did not, then Gilgamesh would not have survived for us to read. Several of the main themes in Gilgamesh reflect the struggles of man in general. Firstly, mortality is a big issue for everyone. Because we are not gods who have been gifted with eternal life, we are all going to die eventually. Secondly, we have a never ending hunger for knowledge. Humans are curious because we want to know why certain events happen, such as natural disasters and the unexplained supernatural. We also all have problems to which we thirst for answers. Our controlling attitude gives us hope that if we know how something in particular works, we can better control the resulting product. Lastly, engrained in our souls is the desire to escape from the common lot of man. Human nature is to want to live comfortably. We crave to escape tragedies such as death like Gilgamesh, as well as horrors such as plague and hunger. The first quote not only captures the importance of Gilgamesh, but captures the essence of the concerns of men from all times in history.
ReplyDelete-Beta Lear
N.K. Sandars’ quote perfectly pulls together every page of the Epic of Gilgamesh into just sentences. Sandars’ focus on “human concern with mortality” builds on a very important aspect of the epic: “the search for knowledge.” Just like every quest a character takes, the real reason is never apparent to them. While Gilgamesh is busying himself with overcoming countless obstacles, escaping death and gaining immortality is the only thought crossing his mind. The basic elements of this story are established when described as being a “mixture of pure adventure, of mortality, and of tragedy.” Despite being two thirds god, the remaining third of humanity controls Gilgamesh’s attitude and feelings towards life and acts as a motive to search for immortality. This word choice Sandars uses forms an amazing summarization of how Gilgamesh takes part in a long journey, struggles with being one third human, and ultimately fails in the end.
ReplyDeleteThe quote given by Abusch is better at depicting the essence of the Epic of Gilgamesh, which is that of humanity. Abusch explains that the epic explores "The value of human achievements and their limitations, friendship and love, seperation and sorrow, life and death." This explains how all humans act and feel, no matter the time period. Even though Gilgamesh is two-thirds god, he is just as afraid of death as any normal man, so much so that he goes on a quest to escape the reaper's grasp. I think that the reason Abusch called the Epic of Gilgamesh "the supreme literary achievement of the ancient world before Homer." is because it is really one of the first recorded stories that shows a human, even one as mighty as the great Gilgamesh, having and converying human thoughts and emotions: fear, grief, anger, etc. After reading the Epic of Gilgamesh, I can completely understand why Abusch called it " a powerful tale in almost any telling. (Ranier Maria)"
ReplyDeleteThe second quote in the passage best relates to Gilgamesh because it highlights the main themes of the epic. Where it says “bigness and simplicity without decorative trimming” it fits perfectly because Gilgamesh covers so much ground. He goes on a massive journey physically, mentally, and emotionally but the story is still easy to follow because there is a lack of unnecessary information. The friendship and love in Gilgamesh relates to the life and death because Gilgamesh rejects Ishtar which causes his best friend to be killed. This spurs his fear of death causing him to go on a quest. Because he goes so far and gets so close to achieving his goal it illustrates the reality of achievements and their limitations. Because the second quote shows the themes of Mesopotamian art are so influential in the story of Gilgamesh, it relates better to the epic.
ReplyDeleteI believe the second quote, by Prof. Tzvi Abusch, best captures the importance of Gilgamesh, especially about it's simplicity, yet so much meaning. For instance, "...about nature and culture..." Referring to parts of Epic of Gilgamesh like Siduri sitting in the garden with vines, because she is the winemaker. Also, Urshanabi being by the ocean, because he is the ferryman. Then, "...the value of human achievements and their limitations..." Referring to Gilgamesh's achievements of walking through the 12 leagues of darkness, and getting to the garden of gods then Shamash saw him and told him, "no mortal has made it this far, but you won't get everlasting life." Also, Gilgamesh's achievements of defeating all these creatures with Enkidu, and being so powerful, then his limitations of not being able to control his friend's death. Finally, "...friendship and love, separation and sorrow, life and death." Referring to Gilgamesh's friendship, love, separation, sorrow, life and death with Enkidu. Also, Utnapishtim and his wife's separation of him and the rest of the world, and their everlasting life, and love.
ReplyDeleteThe quote "It is about nature and culture, the value of human achievements and their limitations, friendship and love, separation and sorrow, life and death." by Abusch. Gilgamesh is about humans and our longing to do better and to be the best at what we do. Friendship helps us through our roughest times in life and it opens our eyes to see that we aren't always right. Which leads to sorrow and death, without love and friendship some of us wouldn't be able to make it past the hard times and gain strength from it. This is the best quote because it describes how Gilgamesh relates to everyone not only in the century it was originally written in but also this current century.
ReplyDeleteThe view of Prof. Tzvi Abusch most accurately describes the importance of Gilgamesh because it shows the human side of the story. Although Gilgamesh is more god than human, there are still limitations to what he can accomplish. For example, Gilgamesh is the first part human to walk the twelve leagues of darkness to the Garden of the Gods. Gilgamesh also slayed the bull of Heaven: an almost impossible feat. However, when Utnapishtim gave Gilgamesh the challenge to stay awake for six nights and seven days in order to reach immortality, he failed miserably. Likewise, during his second chance for immortality, he failed again. Adding to that, Gilgamesh experiences human emotions he cannot control. For instance, when Enkidu was sent from the gods to defeat Gilgamesh, he and Enkidu formed an unbroken bond. They loved each other. When Enkidu dies, Gilgamesh is mournful of his friend: a completely foreign emotion. Again Gilgamesh experiences a type of separation anxiety from Enkidu in which he does not know what to do with his life anymore. Another thing is Gilgamesh experiences death. Because Gilgamesh was always reaching for eternal life, he never really imagined what death would be like. After Enkidu’s dream about death, Gilgamesh is terrified and even more determined for eternal life. However, after his failed quest, Gilgamesh is no longer scared of death. In brief, the human side of the story is the most important part of Gilgamesh, and Tzvi Abusch best represents.
ReplyDeleteThe author that I think better represents "The Epic of Gilamesh" is N.K Sanders. One quote that really stands out to me is "mixture of pure adventure, of morality, and of tragedy.". Sanders gives examples of how each of these three things and how they are accomplished throughout the story of Gilgamesh. Also Sanders talks about how the gods don't die which is a connection to today because they don't die out either in todays world.
ReplyDeleteI feel Abusch's qoute best captures the importance of Gilgamesh because it breaks down, and emphasizes the elements of the epic. Abush states, "It is about nature and culture, the value of human acheivements and their limitations, friendship and love, separation and sorrow, life and death." Since The Epic of Gilgamesh is set in Mesopatamia we gain knowledge of the culture during that time. Gilgamesh also proves the value of human achievements and their limitations. While Gilgamesh achieves his goal of reaching Utnapishtim he does not recieve immortality. Gilgameshs' and Enkidus' friendship plays a big role in the epic. When Enkidu dies Gilgamesh is faced with seperation and sorrow. The Epic of Gilgamesh is overall about life and death. Gilgameshes fear of death is what pushes him to search for Utnapishtim in hopes of gaining immoraltity. Abusch's quote helps us to better understand the epic, and it's importance.
ReplyDeleteThe second quote said by Tzvi Abusch best explains and captures the importance of Gilgamesh from his many examples of an epic. The last sentence in his quote says,"it's about nature, human limitations, friendship, and sorrow", which all have to do with the epic in many ways. The flood sent down by Enlil on the people of Shurrupak was influential on the nature and culture of the people of the city. When Gilgamesh goes in search of immortality on his quest, he ends up not getting immortality, which is why he has limits in his life. His best friend Enkidu ends up dying and his friendship is lost and becomes sorrowful and his love for life and Enkidu is gone. Many characteristics of his quote tie into the significance of the epic, Gilgamesh.
ReplyDeleteThe quote given by N.K. Sandars better captures the importance of Gilgamesh through stating that Gilgamesh portrays a hero and giving support for her claim. Sandars believes Gilgamesh is the first hero in the history of literature. She says he shows all of the characteristics of a hero as a man. She writes in her “Introduction,” “If Gilgamesh is not the first human hero, he is the first tragic hero of whom anything is known” (Sandars). Also, in her quote, she lists multiple ideas shown throughout Gilgamesh. Her quote says there are human qualities such as mortality, searching for knowledge, and wanting an escape from common man. She also says the immortal gods have no potential for tragedy. Lastly, she writes about the importance in the story’s age and quality. She writes that Gilgamesh is older than Homer’s epic by over one and a half thousand years, yet it still has very similar ideas. Sandars states, “It [Gilgamesh] is a mixture of pure adventure, of morality, and of tragedy.” Sandars writes a better argument for the importance of Gilgamesh because of her statements of its qualities and ideas.
ReplyDeleteThe quote by N.K. Sanders states the story board of Gilgamesh. For starters the story of Gilgamesh follows right along with the parts that she is talking about. Gilgamesh has a pure adventure, the search for eternal life; a tragedy, the death of Ediku; and a mortality, Gilgamesh taking over his people. Second the part about, "If Gilgamesh is not the first human hero, he is the first tragic hero of whom anything is known," this is true because Gilgamesh was not a hero to others but he was to himself. His people thought that he was rude and that he took advantage of him, but to him he thought he was a hero because he had killed a beast sent from the gods and because he could turn down woman that loved him. Third the quote is one hudred percent right when it says, " These poems have a right to a place in the world's literature...because of the quality and character of the story they tell." Without the stories/poems at the beginning of the text, it is all most impossible to get a feel for Gilgamesh; as far as his qualities as a person. It would go unknown that he was a jerk to his people and the god's daughter; all that would be know was his quest, no reason why or motive to go on. Just a simple quest in search of something that would make him better. The quote by N.K Sandars is completely true, Gilgamesh shows: all three characteristics that she is talking about, the use of the poems/ summaries give important background information, and the story of Gilgamesh was not about the first hero but the first tragic hero.
ReplyDeleteN. K. Sandars' quote best captures the importance of Gilgamesh because she seemed to encompass the most understanding of everything incorporated in the story. The line from Sandars that immediately stuck out to me was when she spoke of Gilgamesh, saying, "If Gilgamesh is not the first human hero, he is the first tragic hero of whom anything is known". It seems to stick out most here because, as she also stated, "It is a mixture of pure adventure, of morality, and of tragedy", which can be proven by reading the story. The tragedy of Enkidu's death led Gilgamesh on a quest, the adventure, to figure out how to achieve immortality, which, as he finds, is not possible, applying to the mortality. All in all, Gilgamesh is a wonderful work of literature, because its characteristics do still apply to and are still relevant to modern day. As Sandars rightfully stated, "These poems have a right to a place in the world's literature".
ReplyDeleteI believe that N.K. Sandar's quote definitely captures the main importances and the essence of Gilgamesh much more efficiently than Prof. Tzvi Abusch's did. Sandars quote clearly shows a strong, more powerful argument that went into more depth about human values and characteristics, unlike Abusch's, that are present in the epic. Not only did Sandars mention that the story "ante dates Homeric epic by at least one and a hard thousand years" ,but also the "qualities and characters" and how they are phenomenal. I agree with Sandars mainly due to the diversity of the characters which represents much of the character of the story and also the overall quality of the plot itself. Overall, I am able to detect a deeper, and much more powerful compassion towards Gilgamesh and ancient literature overall from N.K. Sandars.
ReplyDeleteThere is no doubt that Abusch’s quote best captures the importance of Gilgamesh. Abusch helps us sum up the importance of Gilgamesh by referring to how Henry Moore once said he admired the qualities in Mesopotamian Art-“bigness and simplicity without decorative trimming.” Gilgamesh was a lengthy story but it got right to the point. In the story there was a large scale setting: events occurred in a lot of places in a short period of time. Gilgamesh seized the Bull of Heaven, killed the watchman of Cedar Forest, overthrew Humbaba, killed the lion in the passes of the mountains, went through several gods to find Utnapishtim, and then returned back to Uruk all in a ten page story. Abusch hits on another key point when he states “many consider it the supreme literary achievement of the ancient world before Homer.” It is amazing to think that the very first recorded piece of literature could be such a long, powerful story. It expresses human attributes such as separation and sorrow that we experience today. Gilgamesh is devastated when his best friend Enkidu dies. Most of us can relate to that feeling when we lose someone that we love. Abusch unveils the importance of Gilgamesh in his quote by acknowledging why it is a great literary achievement of the ancient world and recognizing the valuable qualities of Mesopotamian Art.
ReplyDeleteThe second quote by Professor Tzvi Abusch, portrays a better explanation and understanding of, The Epic of Gilgamesh. A chunk in this quote that really caught my attention was when Abusch stated, "It is about nature and culture, the value of human achievements and their limitations, friendship and love, separation and sorrow, life and death." This part of context pretty much sums up all of the things that are experienced through out the story. For example, friendship and love, separation and sorrow, is showed in the story by Gilgamesh becoming close to Enkidu, defeating Humbaba, and then having to cope with his best friends death. Therefore, the quote by Professor Tzvi Abusch definitely won me over rather than the quote by N.K. Sanders because of the relations it explains from the events to the qualities of the story.
ReplyDeleteThe Epic of Gilgamesh offers the oldest known depictions of humans in literature manifesting the natural behavior of humans with conceding to god like features. N.K. Sandars says The Epic of Gilgamesh is a mixture of pure adventure, morality, and tragedy (N.K. Sandars). In the story, Gilgamesh sets himself up to a journey of finding the grant to everlasting life. Since the passing of his friend, Enkidu, who was actually made to destroy Gilgamesh after the battle against Humaba, scarce of death is the only reason that pushes him Gilgamesh to find Utnapishtim. He then only finds it right through his morals to do whatever he can to reach Utnapishtim. He meets accountancies on the way who talk about his battle with Enkidu and also his reason for travel. He claims it is all for Enkidu whom he morns for throughout the whole journey. Through tragedy, before the whole Enkidu passing and what not, Gilgamesh was sent by the gods to build a boat for safety (similar to Noah and his ark in the bible) for there was a huge storm coming to erase the human race. “The gods, who do not die” were then not happy with their people from being too loud (N.K Sandars). Through all of the trial and tribulations Gilgamesh went through, he proved himself of not only a hero, but human too. Agreeing mostly with N.K. Sandars, Gilgamesh is the first tragic hero of whom anything is known.
ReplyDelete-- Jasmine Jefferies. Hour 4. Adv English Ten.
Professor Tzvi Abush’s quote best captures the importance of Gilgamesh because of how he implements the significance on what the story is teaching and what values the reader should learn. First, in his quote he states how it is about nature and culture, and the value of human achievements and limitations. In the poem, Gilgamesh himself goes through many tough times. However, along the way he uses hard work and perseverance to go through the “12 leagues” and many other big obstacles that he has to face to find his main goal, the key to eternal life(38). This obviously helps display the strong value of achievement even though technically Gilgamesh failed. It overall shows how in the end you will learn something from your journey as a whole. Next, the quote also states how this epic poem is about friendship and love, separation and sorrow, and life and death. Throughout this epic, Gilgamesh faced a sturdy friendship which soon turned to love, the separation of that friendship, death of the loved one, and even life and death itself. In contrast, Siduri in the poem asks Gilgamesh, “Where are you hurrying to?”(39). Siduri is asking this because there is no need for Gilgamesh to rush his life away. He needs to learn the fact that he is not immortal and how he should live his life to the fullest and to not have fear. Readers can definitely gain knowledge from this by learning to distress your lives and just simply live. All in all, Tzvi Abush’s quote best captured the importance in The Epic of Gilgamesh.
ReplyDeleteN. K. Sandars’s quote “It is a mixture of pure adventure, of morality, and of tragedy. Through the action we are shown a very human concern with mortality, the search for knowledge, and for an escape from the common lot of man...” best captures the importance of Gilgamesh because she understands the Gilgamesh as a human. Gilgamesh being two-thirds god and one-third man first experiences human grief over the loss of his friend, Enkidu. When Sandars says that it is “a mixture of pure adventure, of morality, and of tragedy...” she is talking about the long journey Gilgamesh had to take to learn about eternal life. Sandars is also talking about the human view of the want for the knowledge of afterlife and how it is something that every person worries about. This in itself is a tragedy but also the loss of a true friend, the single person Gilgamesh got along with and treated with care and love. “If Gilgamesh is not the first human hero, he is the first tragic hero of whom anything is known.” (Sandars) Sandars’s quote on Gilgamesh most accurately grasps the true importance of Gilgamesh because she sees the human in Gilgamesh that most others do not see.
ReplyDelete~Madison Davis hour 4
The view of N.K. Sandars captures the importance of Gilgamesh more accurately because it states how the "poem has a right to a place in the world's literature... mainly because of the quality and character of the story that they tell." In Gilgamesh, we see the human actions of Gilgamesh and it shows the human side of him. Gilgamesh reveals how people act in certain situations and can show us the values of humans throughout time. N.K. Sandars has a better depiction of the importance of Gilgamesh and it is shown by the examples used in the paragraph.
ReplyDeleteThe first quote by N.K. Sanders captures the importance of The Epic of Gilgamesh in the best way because it exemplifies how Gilgamesh expresses adventure, morality, and tragedy. Gilgamesh’s adventurous quest for finding eternal life is symbolic to the fact that he is two-thirds god and one-third human because, as Sanders said, “The gods, who do not die, cannot be tragic”. This quote is explaining how gods cannot die, therefore meaning that because Gilgamesh is only two-thirds god, the one-third human part of him allows tragedy to occur, causing him to search for eternal life. Sanders also writes, “he is the first tragic hero of whom anything is known”, leaving a broader explanation on why tragedy was present in Gilgamesh’s story. Stories before Gilgamesh probably only involved gods, leaving no tragedy, which is why Gilgamesh is the first tragedy. Sanders says, “These poems have a right to a place in the world’s literature because of the quality and character of the story that they tell”. This quote alone captures the importance of the story of Gilgamesh.
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ReplyDeleteThe Epic of Gilgamesh was best described by Prof. Tzvi Abusch. "culture, the value of human achievements and their limitations, friendship and love, separation and sorrow, life and death" Abusch describes human nature and how it has not changed since the time of the mesopotamians. Showing the ups and downs in life. Readers can still find some kind of connection even in the smallest way to the story, that is why it is so timeless. "Bigness and simplicity without decorative trimming" -Henry Moore. After reading that part of the quote it reminded me the real reason that The Epic of Gilgamesh was written down; to record history. Gilgamesh tells a brilliant story without all of the "fluff". Making it an artifact of mesopotamian history. Abusch truly describes The Epic of Gilgamesh.
ReplyDeleteOf the two quotes given, the quote that better captures the importance of The Epic of Gilgamesh is the quote from Professor Tzvi Abusch. Prof. Abusch believes that the importance of this epic is that it has a certain longevity that stems from the fact that it is still relevant to this day, and any person could still relate to something within it. Abusch states that,"It is about nature and culture, the value of human achievements and their limitations, friendship and love, separation and sorrow, life and death". All of these ideas are still relevant in today's society, and were prevalent back then as well, the constant being humanity. The basic nature of humanity will always remain the same through time, no matter what changes we face as a race. Abusch's ideas capture perfectly the importance of Gilgamesh.
ReplyDeleteThe second quote by Prof. Tzvi Abusch best describes the significance of the epic of Gilgamesh. One reason why I think this is because it is called "the greatest thing one could experience, and many consider it the supreme literary achievement of the ancient world before Homer" (Abusch Lines 2 & 3). This means that it had severaly things that contributed to a tremendous mark in history for literature. It was told 1,000 years before the first stories of the Bible and the Illiad, which have detailed descriptions of the features and traits of humans. This is the main purpose of the epic, to describe the oldest know depictions of human beings. As Aubusch says, the epic of Gilgamesh gives an explanation of "human achievements and their limitations" (Lines 5 & 6), such as defeating Humbaba and the bull of heaven, and the difficulties he had to endure like the journey he had to take and having to cope with Enkidu being gone at the same time. It also gives examples of friendship and love (Gilgamesh and Enkidu became friends instead of enemies), separation and sorrow (the death of Enkidu and Gilgamesh continuing on without him), and life and death (Gilgamesh searches for the garden of the sun and eternal life) in the story. For this reason, the second quote summarizes why Gilgamesh is important to early literature, the human side of the story and human representations.
ReplyDeleteThe quote by N. K. Sandars best communicates the importance of the Epic of Gilgamesh because Sandars focuses on the realistic aspects of human nature. N. K. Sandars voices the fact that not only was Gilgamesh ahead of “… Homeric epic by at least one and a half thousand years,” but The Epic of Gilgamesh also expresses the truth behind human thought and action. Sandars centers on the theme of life and death and “the human concern with mortality.” The passing of Enkidu, the loved one of Gilgamesh, caused great tragedy and a terrific distress over the concept of mortal lives for Gilgamesh. N. K. Sandars then goes on to say “if Gilgamesh is not the first human hero, he is the first tragic hero of whom anything is known.” Even if Gilgamesh did not present us with a hero of our standards, he was a hero nonetheless and a beginning of the rest of the world. The Epic of Gilgamesh held enough importance for it to be a story passed down for many generations, even lacking the excitement more recent epics contain and N.K. Sandars stresses this.
ReplyDeleteTzvi Abusch's quote best captures the importance of Gilgamesh because he specifically explains values found in Gilgamesh that are important to all cultures of time. One of Abusch's main values is "the value of achievements and their limitations". This value is portrayed throughout the epic tale with Gilgamesh's main objective of wanting to obtain eternal life and therefore breaking his limitations as a mortal and expanding his own value of achievement. Another value would have to be "separation and sorrow" obviously shown through the death of Gilgamesh's best friend, Enkidu. "Gilgamesh wept for his friends Enkidu"(37), perfectly displays an emotion that all people in different cultures around the world can relate to. As well as sorrow, " friendship and love" is a great value that is also shown in the relationship between Gilgamesh and Enkidu. Gilgamesh's love for Enkidu is highlighted when "Gilgamesh watched over him while the sickness increased"(36). This caring for a loved one is essential to Gilgamesh's building as character because after Enkidu's death Gilgamesh "experiences the for the first time the human emotion of grief and fear"(37),which is the beginning of his journey to self knowledge.These are just a few examples of why Abusch's quote precisely captures the importance of The Epic of Gilgamesh.
ReplyDeleteThe quote by N.K. Sanders best illustrates the main importance of The Epic of Gilgamesh because it refers to the quest of Gilgamesh. Gilgamesh's main purpose is to not only find Utnapishtim and gain immortality, but to better himself as the King of Uruk. When the gods introduce Enkidu to him, instead of fighting they become friends and ally to defeat Humbaba. Sanders comments, "Through the action we are shown a very human concern with mortality, the search for knowledge, and for an escape from the common lot of man." Once Enkidu dies from the punishment of the gods, a new softer, more humane side of Gilgamesh is shown by his grieving of his friend. He soon realizes that the journey and tragedy of not gaining immortality is making him a better King already. He does not need immortality anymore than Enkidu did. In the end his subconscious goal was achieved through his quest.
ReplyDeleteAbusch's qoute about Gilgamesh's "value of human achievements and their limitations" is a better explaination of why this epic has maintained its importance through thousands of years. Gilgamesh focuses on human emotions and fears. Even though Gilgamesh is two thirds God, his emotions are completely human. Fear of the afterlife, the driving factor of this epic, is one of the most universal, relatable themes on the planet. Uncertainty of the unknown remains one of the only constants in this everchanging world. The use of "bigness and simplicity without decorative trimming," keep emotions raw. Gilgamesh's sorrow over his friend's death is relatable to all. The to-the-point way in which Gilgamesh is written keeps the focus on the emotion than the theatrics that can end up hiding meaning. Emphasis on keeping feelings real and simple keep Gilgamesh relevent and make the author ahead of his, or maybe her, time.
ReplyDeleteAlthough both Sandars and Abusch captured the essence and importance of Gilgamesh, Abusch did it more clearly and comprehensively when he said, “The Gilgamesh epic is a powerful tale in almost any telling. (Ranier Maria) Rilke once called it the greatest thing one could experience, and many consider it the supreme literary achievement of the ancient world before Homer. It has something of the qualities Henry Moore once said he admired in Mesopotamian Art- bigness and simplicity without decorative trimming. It is about nature and culture, the values of human achievements and their limitations, friendship and love, separation and sorrow, life and death.” Here, Abusch mentioned the numerous qualities Gilgamesh poses, while Sandars tended to focus on one idea (a human’s tragedy). When he spoke of “bigness and simplicity” he may have been referring to the way in which Gilgamesh was written. The style is rather simple and easy to understand, yet it still manages to engage the reader in a way only epics can. The “values of human achievements” can also be clearly seen through the gods sending many obstacles (such as Enkidu) to battle Gilgamesh. Although the gods did not enjoy the fact that Gilgamesh was so powerful, they were able to value his achievements, and they showed this by sending to challenges to him, rather than killing them as they would have been able to. Of course, Abusch’s idea of “friendship and love, separation and sorrow, life and death” is shown through the relationship between Gilgamesh and Enkidu, as well as the former’s reaction to his friend’s death. Gilgamesh’s human side was seen as his expressed his grief for Enkidu’s passing by weeping at his bedside. After they were separated, Gilgamesh became terribly afraid of death, and set out to find eternal life. This is also mentioned at the end of Abusch’s quote. Abusch made a short statement of the epic Gilgamesh, but in those few words, he was able to perfectly capture the messages conveyed.
ReplyDeleteThe Epic of Gilgamesh is extremely important and powerful, no only because of the story that it portrays, but because of the information about the past that it holds. Gilgamesh is the oldest document depicting human feelings, emotions, and behaviors. As Prof. Tzvi Abush says, "The gods, who do not die, cannot be tragic. If Gilgamesh is not the first human hero, he is the first tragic hero of whom anything is known." Abush is saying that this is the earliest time in history, where we see humans having the same ideas, and behavioral patterns as humans today. Ranier Maria once called it the greatest thing one could ever experience, because of the connection between Gilgamesh, and the reader. This is the first literary work in history that everyday people can relate to. That is why The Epic of Gilgamesh is so important to the world's literature.
ReplyDeleteSimplicity is the ultimate sophistication and the reason as to why The Epic of Gilgamesh has such a monumental impact on modern day literature. When Prof. Tzvi Abusch of Brandeis University states, "It [Gilgamesh] has something of the qualities Henry Moore once said he admired in Mesopotamian Art - bigness and simplicity without decorative trimming." he justifies the lack of elaborate garnishing in this epic. Humans today have been put behind a literary "smoke screen" that fades and hides the pure beauty of ancient writing. The belief that shields our view is one that prevents us from enjoying any type of literature that does not immediately make a connection with modern day life, through modern day diction. If someone were to clear away the smoke for just a moment, they would see the powerful values and teachings that ancient writings, such as Gilgamesh, has to offer. Professor Abusch is someone who has cleared the smoke and is able to discover the simplicity of Gilgamesh when he states, "It is about nature and culture, the value of human achievements and their limitations, friendship and love, separation and sorrow, life and death." These subjects are very commonly used throughout modern day literature but they will never stand up to the way that Gilgamesh has been so powerfully written. Gilgamesh uses simplicity at its greatest to form to become "the supreme literary achievement of the ancient world before Homer." according to Ranier Maria. Ranier Maria and Prof. Tzvi Abusch show that even though it is unvarnished, Gilgamesh is an incredibly beautiful work of art.
DeleteS.K. Sanders does an excellent job at showing the importance and significance of the Epic of Gilgamesh in her "Introduction". What happens first is that Sanders compares the Epic of Gilgamesh to Homeric epic. For instance, Sanders states,"...not only because they [Gilgamesh] antedate Homeric epic by at least one and a half thousand years..." Her word selection of saying, "...one and a half thousand years..." was not the ideal way but added emphasis on the time between the Epic of Gilgamesh and Homeric epic. Just the comparison of the Epic of Gilgamesh to Homeric epic level alone shows how significant the story was, as Homer is often called the best ancient epic poet of all time. Another way Sanders supports the Epic of Gilgamesh poems and their "...right to a place in the worlds literature..." is her following description of the Epic. "It is a mixture of pure adventure, of morality, and of tragedy," says Sanders. This way of description is done very well as it describes exactly what happens in the story. Furthermore, to set things in perspective, Sanders believes that "...the quality and character..." play a bigger role in the Epic of Gilgamesh being accepted into a place in world literature. This shows Sanders' viewpoint of the significance of the plot line,not necessarily the complexity, of the Epic of Gilgamesh. In a word, Gilgamesh is one of the greatest works ever and certainly dominated its time period.
ReplyDeleteN.K. Sanders best captures the importance of the epic,"Gilgamesh". Humans have always been curious of their life after they die, and "Gilgamesh" has portrayed what he thinks happens. Sanders also caught onto this and is why she said this"...a very human concern with mortality...". Besides just a answer about what they think happens to a person when they die, the epic is powerful, moving, and the oldest document that we have.
ReplyDeleteAbusch's quote better explains the importance of Gilgamesh because it describes the nature of the work and also mentions the fact that it was written before Homer's epic. Because of the latter, it should be just as important and significant as the Iliad or Oddyssey because like them, it shows the true nature of humans. Humans have fear and insecurities. They show joy and love towards things; they have faults. Abusch puts it well when he states, "It is about nature and culture, the value of human achievements and their limitations, friendship and love, separation and sorrow, life and death." Many lessons could be learned from the ancient work of art. The word choice and descriptions may not be like Dickens, but they don't have to be.
ReplyDeleteThe second quote best captures the image of the epic Gilgamesh. In the quote Ranier Maria says that," Rilke once called it the greatest thing one could experience." Ranier Maria also goes on to quote Henry Moore, "It (Gilgamesh) has the qualities of Mesopotamian art- bigness and simplicity without decorative trimming." This best explains Gilgamesh because the story is lengthy lacking imagery and gets down to the basics. Ranier Maria goes on to say "it is about nature,culture,the value of human achievements and their limitations, friendship and love, separation and sorrow, life and death." Gilgamesh contains all of these elements in with the crossing of the twelve leagues, the praising of multiple gods, wandering through the wilderness, sleeping involuntarily for seven days, Gilgamesh's best friend Enkidu and the love Gilgamesh had for him as a brother, when Gilgamesh lost Enkidu and the despair in his heart, wanting to live forever and having to face death.
ReplyDeleteI think N.K. Sandars best grasps the concept of Gligamesh because todays society longs for word like prosetions. I also think todays society wants adventure, like Gilgamesh did. Gilgamesh went on the long,and hard journey. Mortality is another world like posestion people long for in todays society. Many people do notwant to die, they want to live forever. Gilgamesh felt the same way because he went on the journey for mortality. Gilgamesh felt tragety when he lost his chance of mortality. I feel N.K. Sandars best discribes the concept of The Epic of Gilgamesh.
ReplyDeleteThe Abusch quote best describes the story of Gilgamesh. It explains the tale in detail. The professor at Brandeis Univirsity talks about how "Henry Moore once said he admired in Mesopotamian Art." It is big and simple. The art of Gilgamesh is beautiful. It shows the "value of human achievements and their limitations." People are only people and Gilgamesh is superior due to his Godlike characteristics.
ReplyDeleteOf the two reviews of Gilgamesh, NK Sanders' is probably more powerful. First of all, it is more persuasive and it really pulls people in and makes them want to read it again or read it for the first time. For instance, Sanders explains "...we are shown a very human concern with morality, the search for knowledge, and for an escape from the common lot of man." which is a real attention grabber. With that her review is also very descriptive. Namely, she describes time periods and the categories Gilgamesh fits into. In addition, Sanders really gets her point across in this review. More specifically, she is very confident because she uses phrases like,"These poems have a right to a place..." and "If Gilgamesh is not the first human hero, he is the first...".Not only does she have confidence but Sanders also has clear examples. In conclusion, I believe, because of Sanders persuasions, description, and the way she gets her point across is more powerful than Abush.
ReplyDeleteBy: Asmah Zaben
Prof. Tzvi Abusch best captures the importance of The Epic of Gilgamesh because he goes beyond the basic storyline and reveals the underlying message conveyed. Prof. Tzvi Abusch describes the importance of The Epic of Gilgamesh to be about "its nature and culture...their [humans] limitations, friendship and love, separation and sorrow, life and death." In further explaination, the Epic of Gilgamesh lets the readers get a feel of Gilgamesh's culture by including many gods, which showed that many people of the time believed in polytheism. Human limitations are also shown through challenges that Gilgamesh cannot defeat. For example, when Gilgamesh visits Utnapishtim and is challenged to stay awake for 7 days, he is not successful because he is still part-human. In addition, life and death are a reoccuring theme in the story. As Gilgamesh searches for everlasting life, he is told by Siduri that he will "never find the life for which you [Gilgamesh] are looking. When the gods created man, they allotted to him death, but life they retained in their own keeping" (39). He refuses to believe her words, but it is evident that death is a natural part of life and cannot be avoided. Lastly, the most lucid theme in the Epic of Gilgamesh is friendship and love. When Enkidu, Gilgamesh's bestfriend, dies, Gilgamesh is left with sorrow that he has never felt. He tells other gods that he has cried for 7 days and nights, hoping Enkidu would be revived. Because Gilgamesh's love and sorrow for his friend were so great, he set out to find everlasting life. Overall, Prof. Tzvi Abusch captures the importance of the Epic of Gilgamesh best due to his thorough understanding of the underlying themes.
ReplyDeleteN.K. Sandars does a great job in describing the importance of Gilgamesh by describing some of the key words and key images that repeat over and over in today's society. She states, "It is a mixture of pure adventure, of mortality, and of tragedy. Through the action we are shown a very human concern with mortality, the search for knowledge and for an escape from the common lot of man." Analyzing this quote, we can conclude that Sanders really understands and states the important events in Gilgamesh that mimic today's events almost to a tee. She states that we still have the same problems that we had over a couple thousand years ago. This directly shows the knowledge of Sanders writing about the significance of Gilgamesh.
ReplyDeleteI personally felt that Ranier Maria's quote was the better of the two. it captured the emotions of humans better. It talks about the feeling of sorrow, friendship, and separation. that was exactly what Gilgamesh goes through upon loosing his best friend endiku in the epic.
ReplyDeleteN.K. Sandars hits it right on the dot. She explains that in order to have a spot in world literature it can not just be extremely old but it must be a good piece. Gilgamesh is an extremely important pice not just for its oldness but because it is filled with adventure and tragedy. Sandar's says that Gilgamesh "is the first tragic hero of whom anything is known". This shows that so many people know this story which also qualifies it as an important piece in literature. So yes Sandars quote truly shows the pure awesomeness of Gilgamesh and through her quote we can see that it has and always will have a place in world literature.
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