Powerful Leader, Flawed Man: The Obligations of Gilgamesh Sangida Bagum College

The epic poem of Gilgamesh is recognized as one of the earliest works in literature, originating back to the existence of ancient Mesopotamia. Since then, numerous versions of the story have been published, including one by David Ferry, called Gilgamesh. Regardless of the version, they all contain the same plot. In the epic poem, Gilgamesh is a tyrannical king in Uruk, Mesopotamia and the people of the city cry out to the gods to bring them peace from his ruling. Throughout his reign, Gilgamesh has been sexually exploiting women and taking the lives of men at his will. As a result, the gods create a man named Enkidu and assign him as Gilgamesh’s companion, in an effort to make him a better king. Gilgamesh does have an understanding of his obligations as a king, but he both fails and succeeds in satisfying them.

One of Gilgamesh’s obligations is to protect his people. As a king, Gilgamesh has absolute authority over his people, but he arbitrarily exercises his power. In one instance, Gilgamesh attends a wedding and “Before the husband, Gilgamesh will lie/ in pleasure with the bride in the marital chamber” (2.2.14). In other words, Gilgamesh thinks he has the right to sleep with whomever he wants and disregards the consent of...