Gilgamesh: Enkidu and Gilgamesh’s Foil Essay

Submitted By nherrick47
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Pages: 2
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Lessons Learned from Gilgamesh The story of Gilgamesh happens to be one of the first accounts ever written, and it happens to display one of the first accounts of friendship. It shows the truth behind two men starting as enemies, but through respect of one another’s strengths, finishing as best friends. Created by Aruru, Enkidu is a perfect foil to Gilgamesh in order to bring balance and rationale into Gilgamesh’s life as a power hungry king. The void in Gilgamesh’s life had to be filled and it had to be filled by someone who can step up when Gilgamesh is weak. Enkidu brings balance to Gilgamesh’s life through his beast-like characteristics that offset his own. If it weren’t for Enkidu’s size and strength, the fight at the beginning would never have occurred. Enkidu may have lost the fight, but this brings them respect for one another and friendship for lifetime. Now that Gilgamesh actually has a person of similar size and strength, he stops being such a tyrant to his people. This void being filled was a balancing of Gilgamesh’s life demonstrating the role that Enkidu plays as a foil. When Gilgamesh schemes up the plan to defeat Humbaba, Enkidu tells him all the reasons why he shouldn’t go. He tells Gilgamesh of all the dangers that wait for him at Cedar Forest. Ignoring his warnings, Gilgamesh continues anyway. Along the way Gilgamesh is struck with nightmares that bring fear upon him. When Enkidu is told of such fear stricken upon Gilgamesh, he is there
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