A Wise King Or Essay Research Paper — страница 2

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for Gilgamesh in this setting. He also knew of Gilgamesh?s persistence, so he told Gilgamesh he would give him a test. Gilgamesh would be satisfied if he had a chance at a test because he can control the outcome of his actions. When the test of going without sleep for a week comes Gilgamesh fails miserably. As soon as he sat down to test himself, he was in a mist of sleep. This was the first obstacle Gilgamesh couldn?t overcome, but it was enough for Gilgamesh to learn he doesn?t have to overpower to be powerful. I believe Gilgamesh realized he was already powerful, but his thirst for more power or to overcome was overpowering his need for companionship. He goes back to Uruk after accepting the fact he is mortal and he is to have compassion for companions and it is the gods place

to overpower. The text does not reveal what happens to Gilgamesh after he gets back to his city setting of Uruk. Based on his change of character throughout the epic we can make a judgment on how he will rule as king. Will he go back to being the foolish hero or will he be the wise king the elders wished he had been? I believe Gilgamesh ruled as a knowledgeable king because he is no longer foolish. He has faced and accepted the harsh reality that as humans we cannot have power over everything. Gilgamesh realizes he too will die and this is what he was ignorant of before. This is what made him full of terror and cold-hearted toward his people. There are some readers that might say Gilgamesh would not treat his kingdom any different, but to these people I have to ask: What do you

say about Gilgamesh?s character progression? You cannot ignore how he reacts to things different after the turning point of the epic, Enkidu?s death. By the end of the epic, Gilgamesh has become a knowledgeable king who exemplifies what the elders of Uruk questioned if was earlier: a wise shepherd.