Gilgamesh Analysis

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Gilgamesh is an epic fanfiction that depicts a powerful, yet destructive relationship. The text portrays the relationship between Gilgamesh and Enkidu, two Sumerian demi-Gods who develop a strong bond while confronting dangerous creatures. The Sumerian and Babylonian versions of Gilgamesh depict two different perspectives of their relationship. The Sumerian portrays Gilgamesh and Enkidu as devoted servants of the Gods, in contrast, the Standard Babylonian version illustrates Gilgamesh and Enkidu’s quest for immortality. The applications of the ideologies in the essay “The Toy Soldiers from Leeds” by Mafalda Stasi, allows the comparison of both versions of Gilgamesh through the lens of intertextuality. The interrelationship between the Sumerian …show more content…
He wants to kill Humbaba because he wants his kingdom admiration. Throughout his journey through the Cedar Forest, Gilgamesh has dreams about his battle with Humbaba. “At midnight [Gilgamesh] awoke… I have had a horrible dream… Dear friend, tell me, what does this mean?” (106). Gilgamesh demonstrates his fears to Enkidu, and he tries to calm Gilgamesh by assuring him that he will prevail. Enkidu gives Gilgamesh emotional support, which proves that there are intimacy and trust between them. At the beginning of Gilgamesh, he has a dream about Enkidu and his mother can decipher the meaning of the dream and calm him. Both passages are intertextually connected because it portrays Gilgamesh uncertainty about the meaning of his dreams. Stasi’s argument about intertextuality in slash fanfiction indicates that slash uses symbolic parallelism to rely “on a set of known associations to maximize effects synthetically” (12). The parallel similarities in both passages demonstrate that Gilgamesh and Enkidu relationship is more than a friendship. The readings indicate that there is an emotional connection between Gilgamesh and Enkidu. The Standard Babylonian illustrates love and vulnerability as weakness. The love Gilgamesh shares for Enkidu leads him to kill Humbaba, which results on a curse. The Humbaba courses their love for each other, as a result, the destruction of their bond kills …show more content…
The texts demonstrate different representations of Gilgamesh and Enkidu’s relationship. Some indicate that Gilgamesh and Enkidu are solemnly friends, while other focus on the emotional and physical attraction between them. The text does not classify their relationship as homosexual because there are no religious and moral laws that prohibit the romantic relationship between two individuals of the same sex. Due to this, both versions of the text are credible. However, the various versions of the book demonstrate there were different ideological beliefs about same-sex relationships. The Sumerian and Babylonian versions of Gilgamesh emphasize on the religious quest of Gilgamesh and Enkidu and their duties as authorities of Uruk. In contrast, the Babylonian version depicts Gilgamesh and Enkidu’s desires and weakness. The focusing on their weakness, the reader can notice the chemistry in their relationship. The applications of Stasi’s essay “allows the comparison of both versions of Gilgamesh through the lens of intertextuality. The lens demonstrates the societal differences of both cultures and the depiction of gender and sexuality in both civilizations. Stasis illuminate the complex intertextual relation between the original text and its
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