The Story of Gilgamesh in Sumerian Versions

Table of Contents Introduction Discussion Conclusion Work Cited Introduction In world literature 1, the story of Gilgamesh is among the oldest narratives around the world. The story was initially an oral tradition story and was later recorded on clay in Mesopotamia. The legendary story comes in different Sumerian versions from around 2700 B.C. The story talks about the powers of Gilgamesh who was the King of Uruk and the influence of other gods in the land.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on The Story of Gilgamesh in Sumerian Versions specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Later on it was recorded in a Akkadian version and then reserved in King Assurbanipal‘s library. According to the story, Gilgamesh was a super human creature and a powerful king who could destroy and conquer others (Lishtar para.1). This paper seeks to critique the nature and powers of historical gods and their relationship to humanity in the past centuries as depicted by the narrative. Discussion Heroism of the kings is limited. The story describes how Gilgamesh oppressed people and slept with every woman. This made the people plead with other gods to provide security for them. As a result, Enkidu is created to counter Gilgamesh powers. Enkidu is however not as powerful as the superhuman king because he is part man and part animal. The limitation of the king’s powers is further seen when Gilgamesh fails to prevent death of Enkidu. This incident occurred after Enkidu and Gilgamesh collaborated to kill the Bull of Heaven (drought) who wanted to crush Gilgamesh to death (George 2). Drought had been sent by Anu the father of Ishatar who wanted Gilgamesh to marry her. On refusal, Ishtar compelled her father to kill the King of Uruk. But because two thirds of Gilgamesh was a god and the other third human, Enkidu died. The other issue that emerges from the myth is that the gods in Ukur are uncooperative. This can be see n when the council of gods decide to kill Enkidu as a punishment for Gilgamesh’s actions. This exposed the other humans to the exploitive powers of the King of Ukur. This further shows that the people in Babylonia were subjects to the gods and had no voice. Human beings are also depicted as creatures that have no freedom. According to the story, Gilgamesh gods have the power over life and death but Gilgamesh still becomes worried after realizing that she would also die. When the people pleaded with gods to create a god who would match Gilgamesh’s powers, the gods created Enkidu and also brought an end to his life. In the story, Gilgamesh is determined to learn the secrets behind life and death. The story says that Utnapishtim was the only creature who had the power to eternally live. In his search for the secret, he meets Utnapishtim who tells him about the flood story that is also described in Genesis, in the Bible. The floods symbolically represent the end and punish ment for human kind. Utnapishshtim says that they were saved from the floods by other gods and that it would not occur again. However, human beings have to die since they are not immortal.Advertising Looking for essay on literature languages? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More According to the story, the Bull of heaven is referred to as drought. This is an irony. Naturally, drought is known to be catastrophic because it causes human suffering. However, the ‘Bull’ springs from heaven where people believe that there are good things and that it is a beautiful land. The other ironic incident is between King Gilgamesh and Enkidu. Gilgamesh is portrayed as a god and a man whereas Enkidu is illustrated as an animal and a man. This is a clear indicator of the differences in the two divinities who were created to control humanity. Conclusion The floods are symbolically used to show that man is immortal and death is inevitabl e. The narrative describes the birth and death of Babylonian gods’. Gilgamesh is depicted as a remorseless leader who has no responsibility for his people. He is depicted as a womanizer and an oppressor. He forces the city’s inhabitants to build walls for the temple so as gain fame. These are indicators of abuse of power and therefore the need to limit the powers of gods. Work Cited George, Andrew. The epic of Gigalmesh: the Babylonian epic poem and other texts in Akkadian and Summerian. London, Great Britain: The Penguin Press, 1999. Print. Lishtar. Gilgamesh and Enkidu: the soul siblings. 1999. Web. http://www.gatewaystobabylon.com/gods/partnerships/gilgaenk1.html This essay on The Story of Gilgamesh in Sumerian Versions was written and submitted by user Charles Doyle to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

20 Evaluation Essay Topics Fresh Ideas about Medical Ethics

20 Evaluation Essay Topics Fresh Ideas about Medical Ethics Medical ethics is a highly controversial and sensitive topic. It is highly debatable and prone to go in many ways. If you are writing an evaluation essay on medical ethics and find yourself in need of a topic, consider the 20 below: Doctors and Physician Assisted Suicide Nursing Theories: Which Theories Are the Most Ethical The Ethics of Preventative Medicine Religious Clashes: How Medical Ethics Confront Religious Beliefs Cultural Bias and Medical Ethics The Ethics of Care for the Mentally Handicapped The Ethics of Pregnancy: When a Doctor Can Have Their Patient Arrested Ethical Dilemmas for Doctors: When Parents Should Be Arrested for Abuse or Negligence Office Place Ethics: When Medical Practitioners Fail to Uphold Office Standards How Medical Ethics Differ in Asian Countries Compared to African Countries When Medical Ethics Are Non-Existent: What Doctors Must Do in Foreign Countries The Ethical Difficulties of Practicing Medicine Overseas Ethical Standards Across the States: What Is Ethical How to Monitor Ethics in the Medical Field Why Medical Ethics Are Still Important How Quality Medical Ethics Classes Are Taught When It Is Medically Ethical to End a Life Why Doctors Cannot End Lives of Suffering Individually The Need for International Ethics in the Medical Field Are Medical Ethics Same Everywhere? Sample Evaluation Essay: Are Medical Ethics the Same Everywhere? There are different standards for medical ethics around the world and in some cases cultural clashes can cause a rift. When people move to America they often keep their cultural practices as a part of who they are, and nowhere was this more prevalent than with the Hmong culture. But this also creates a string of ethical dilemmas for medical practitioners in the West who are legally bound to report certain ethical problems like a parent not following the advice of a doctor after signing to do so. Hmong people often do things in ways unfathomable to Western practitioners because they believe that each condition, its cause, and its potential results, stem from something much different than what western doctors would see. Medicine is seen as a temporary fix among the Hmong, not a permanent thing. This can be an area of ethical concern when a medical condition warrants long term medication such as seizure medication, something parents are not willing to do. In such cases, doctors are legally required to report the parents and have the child taken away even if they know the parents have nothing but the deepest love for their child. Additionally, many Hmong avoid hospitals at all possible costs because they are viewed as charnel houses, where the spirits of dead people linger, not as places of healing like they are viewed by people in the West. This can present additional ethical concerns when people will not seek the medical attention they need or their family needs. One example of this is childbirth. Hmong women who would otherwise not seek medical care, would go to the hospital for delivery incorrectly thinking that if they delivered at home the babies wouldn’t be allowed to be U.S. citizens. They naturally deliver healthy babies most of the time in spite of not receiving any Western prenatal care, due to their culturally nutritious diets, the low rate of smoking, the low rate of drinking, The babies, as a result, are often the right size for birth. There was a high prevalence of new mothers seeking medical attention in the delivery room during the 1980’s and 1990’s but nowhere else. For having such staunch beliefs against much of Western medicine, the love and desire of mothers to ensure the very best of chances for the child overruled any cultural apprehensions in this regard and resulted in mothers bearing their babies in a place they would otherwise have avoided just to give them the citizenship. This is truly an inspir ing perspective if one takes the time to think about it. A great insight into the power of strong cultural values juxtaposed against maternal instincts. The Hmong taught a lot of lessons to the Western culture, many of which are exposed in comparison to medical ethics for Hmong and for Americans. There is a serious problem with the high prevalence of antibiotic use in people and animals, as well as the advertisements for medications on television which inevitably encourage people to incorrectly believe they have symptoms and need medication. What is particularly bothersome though is the idea that Western medicine is always right even though it often treats only the symptoms individually and not the illness, something which results in people taking medication after medication to then treat subsequent symptoms that are the direct result of the previous medication. The Hmong embodied this concept wholly with their disregard to regular medication and the use of only those medicines which were needed. Another aspect of the culture which struck me was how the Hmong people, even those Christian converts, never gave up on their roots no matt er what, always seeking out the traditional medications in tandem with Western medication. Some Hmong patients will explain what treatment they thought would be best and remained optimistic about a particular condition. Many are adamant about Hmong healing and will not follow directions from Western doctors for medications or transfusions, which can represent child abuse and a serious ethical dilemma for western doctors responsible for reporting such behaviors. It seems that with such different beliefs, the treatment of symptoms by the Western medicine will continually conflict with treatment of the entire condition or cause as Eastern medicine generally seeks to do in practice. References: Boylan, Michael.  Medical Ethics. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall, 2000. Print. Campbell, Alastair V and Alastair V Campbell.  Medical Ethics. Auckland, N.Z.: Oxford University Press, 1997. Print. Egendorf, Laura K.  Medical Ethics. Detroit: Thomson/Gale, 2005. Print. Fadiman, Anne.  The Spirit Catches You And You Fall Down. New York: Farrar, Straus, and Giroux, 1997. Print. Skloot, Rebecca.  The Immortal Life Of Henrietta Lacks. New York: Crown Publishers, 2010. Print. Torr, James D.  Medical Ethics. San Diego, CA: Greenhaven Press, 2000. Print. Veatch, Robert M.  Medical Ethics. Sudbury, Mass.: Jones and Bartlett Publishers, 1997. Print.