Love is an All Powerful Force

In the Epic of Gilgamesh, the authors valued love as powerful force that had many life-changing powers, and a huge impact upon people. As the book starts out, Gilgamesh is an all powerful tyrant who only has love for himself and all the women of his kingdom, Uruk. By raping the women of his nobles, Gilgamesh has more love for himself than anyone else. When the God’s realize Gilgamesh’s impact on his people, they create Enkidu as a companion hoping to cancel out some of Gilgamesh’s power. Enkidu became a civilized man with his sexual relationship with the temple harlot who notified Enkidu of Gilgamesh’s terrifying reign. Once Enkidu realizes Gilgamesh’s tyranny he challenges Gilgamesh for his kingdom, and the pair begin a great friendship between each other. However, once Gilgamesh befriends Enkidu he his love for himself vanishes, and Enkidu has a rather large impact on the love Gilgamesh started showing for his kingdom. Gilgamesh started to be able to respect his people and was able to empathize with them. Gilgamesh’s and Enkidu’s love flourished for each other on their journey to defeat the great Humbaba. On their journey Enkidu and Gilgamesh showed their love for each other by embracing each other during sleep, and holding hands as they walked through hundreds of leagues of the forest. When Gilgamesh returns from his journey, the Goddess of love, Ishtar is overcome with love and pleads with Gilgamesh to become her husband. Gilgamesh refuses, and in Ishtar’s furiousness she asks her father Anu to unleash the Bull of Heaven and kill Gilgamesh. Gilgamesh realizes how great his love for Enkidu is when the God’s condemn Enkidu to death for killing the Bull of Heaven. His sorrow in the loss of his beloved friend then caused Gilgamesh to go on his journey for the search of ever-lasting life.