Human Nature over Time

While discussing human nature in terms of present day one would receive many different answers due to our wide array of cultures and practices. However in the time of Gilgamesh it is appeared that there was one ideal of human nature and everyone within the culture was to abide by it. At the center of the Gilgamesh ideal was the idea of loyalty towards the Gods and demonstrating acts of devotion and admiration. The common people were expected to center their daily lives around time of prayer and other such acts of showing their respect and love to the gods. Another ideal in the Gilgamesh age was loyalty and respect towards their leader such as their King Gilgamesh. While in present day it is human nature to look out for oneself and take strides forward individually, the age of Gilgamesh was for cultural advancement as a whole.
The most interesting aspect of human nature the epic Gilgamesh portrays is the idea of going against human nature and this is shown through Gilgamesh himself. While Gilgamesh is two-thirds God himself he does not show the complete and total respect of the Gods that he should due to the one-third human that he does have. Also, while he is the king himself so he doesn’t have to show respect towards himself, it is “human nature” of a King to be a considerate, warm soul who is loved by his people, however Gilgamesh is arrogant and makes his people depressed and scared. Human nature is a controversial topic, and it has certainly evolved over the years to a more self-centered concept.