The Epos of Gilgamesh has more than the story of a Sumerian king on it. It provides us with lessons on how to be a good leader and makes us aware that there is a solution for every problem and nothing is absolute.
Through the prologue, we can see that Gilgamesh was worthy to be king. He seemed to be the perfect leader as described in the text :
"Gilgamesh fared many hardships
He is the Great Net, protector of his men."
He constructed protecting walls circling the city, a huge contribution to his society. With his divine strength, courage and beauty, he surpassed mankind. Though, while protecting Uruk from outside, he destroyed it from inside. He was a two faced weapon. When we continue reading through the text we learn that the king has been cruel to the youthful men of the city and has had sexual relations with young women, destroying family's honor all around the city to satisfy his lust. as stated
" All young girls made women by Gilgamesh
Nor the wife of a nobleman!
Yet he is king and should be
The people’s careful shepherd." Their
displeasure of these actions is lessened by their first appreciation of his great
achievements. The people of Uruk were facing a dilemma "How can we get rid of him and who will protect us if we do so? and if we want his protection how can we humanize him ?"
Through the prologue, we can see that Gilgamesh was worthy to be king. He seemed to be the perfect leader as described in the text :
"Gilgamesh fared many hardships
Surpassing all kings, great in respect, a lord in his form
He is the hero, He is of Uruk, He, the butting bull
He leads the Way, He, the Foremost, He also marches at the rear, a helper to his brothers
He is the hero, He is of Uruk, He, the butting bull
He leads the Way, He, the Foremost, He also marches at the rear, a helper to his brothers
He constructed protecting walls circling the city, a huge contribution to his society. With his divine strength, courage and beauty, he surpassed mankind. Though, while protecting Uruk from outside, he destroyed it from inside. He was a two faced weapon. When we continue reading through the text we learn that the king has been cruel to the youthful men of the city and has had sexual relations with young women, destroying family's honor all around the city to satisfy his lust. as stated
" All young girls made women by Gilgamesh
His lusts are such, and no virgin left to her lover!
Not the daughter of a warrior,
Not the daughter of a warrior,
The first part of the story proves
that the best alternative is not the happiness of the person, even if the person
is a king, but the good of society as a whole. Gilgamesh needed to be
civilized. The creation of Enkidu was the God's solution. A man who was living among beasts and was previously civilized by the power of a woman. A man who had only one common point with the king which is strength. This link allowed the differences to flourish and allowed Gilgamesh to learn from his unique friend how to behave differently. LOVE and FRIENDSHIP are STRONGER than
BESTIALITY and ARROGANCE. It is the love of a woman that transformed a beast into a wise man and it is the friendship of two men that took over egotism. Some of the lessons that we can learn through the
text are that a good leader needs to always put his people before himself, this
way those under the person leading feels the safety and security. This is the most important characteristic a leader can have because it shows whether a person is fit for the duty or not. Gilgamesh does not have this quality. His people were dishonored, sad and morning because of him. His attitude was a problem and Enkidu was his solution :
"Aruru –Cried all the gods:
"Aruru –Cried all the gods:
‘You created this Gilgamesh! Well, create him his equal!
Let him look as into mirrors – Give a second self to him, yes;
Rushing winds meet rushing winds!
Let them flow heart to heart against –
Give them each other to fight,
Leaving Uruk in peace!’
Let him look as into mirrors – Give a second self to him, yes;
Rushing winds meet rushing winds!
Let them flow heart to heart against –
Give them each other to fight,
Leaving Uruk in peace!’
We can also understand through this text that there are no absolute powers among humans. Gilgamesh is the perfect example to show us that even though he was supposed to be the strongest man created, Gods were able to create Enkidu who equaled him in strength even though "he was innocent of Mankind". Moreover, we can accept that no one is perfect. Since Gilgamesh, being two thirds of a god, he still has flaws but learning from each other is more fruitful than killing each other.
Leaders are meant to be an
indicator for the people, that drive them to the best way that eliminates
injustice and improve everybody's life. The image of that evil power that the
king Gilgamesh acquired is still exist until nowadays in many countries such as North Korea. What
made those powers evil is the fact that nobody dares to oppose them even if it
affects his life and abuse his rights. One should respect
the leader and follow him since he owns those statues thanks to his wisdom and needed presence. Though, when this leader uses this given power wrongly by corrupting and rights abusing, it should be no longer the case. Opposition is the solution because this is what makes the difference between a wise leader who would think twice before acting and a foolish leader who believed in absolute power. Sometimes one may think that all the skills required to
achieve this role are available, but it is never enough. A helping hand through this process
can be beneficial. In this story, the priestess sent to Enkidu performed a positive
role. She revealed on him new kind of powers, such as love. She was also able to widen his
eyes to a new entire world. The presence of woman in man's life is very
important.
Leading together is better than leading alone. Also there is always a solution for every problem. Gilgamesh was Uruk's problem. Enkidu was his solution. though Enkidu was wild and needed to be tamed. The solution was the priestess. Nothing is absolute. And last but not the least, sometimes, a good woman can be source of lust, and a prostitute can be source of wisdom; everything depends on the circumstances.
Leading together is better than leading alone. Also there is always a solution for every problem. Gilgamesh was Uruk's problem. Enkidu was his solution. though Enkidu was wild and needed to be tamed. The solution was the priestess. Nothing is absolute. And last but not the least, sometimes, a good woman can be source of lust, and a prostitute can be source of wisdom; everything depends on the circumstances.
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