27 October 2004

An Epic Epic

Most likely, The Epic of Gilgamesh is the first epic ever written. Composed between 2700 B.C. and 600 B.C. on clay tablets, the epic poem is one of the most important of its kind, both because it was one of the first and because it embodies so well the criteria which classify it as an epic. Gilgamesh depicts the transformation of Gilgamesh, king of the ancient Mesopotamian city of Uruk, as he changes from harsh ruler to ambitious explorer, from grief-stricken mourner to an enlightened, wise man. This metamorphosis occurs throughout the several journeys, spiritual and physical, on which he embarks. This picaresque journey, with an almost divine, yet mortal "superhero" as its focus, definitively marks Gilgamesh as an epic. The work can be further classified as such because it contains many universal themes, including good versus evil, life versus...