Who is man

The most effective way to judge human nature in my mind is to examine the stages of Gilgamesh and his transformation. In the beginning, Gilgamesh was described as a sheer brute whose "lust left no virgin to her lover" and made sure that "no son was left to his father, for Gilgamesh takes them all." (Page 62) He was an absolute arrogant fool who fancied himself more God than mortal. However, up until this point, Gilgamesh was all alone. In his life he had faced no challenge that he could not battle and defeat with ease which left him feeling untouchable. These assumptions may be broad but this is the interpretation I get from the text, especially when I read " You made him, O Aruru, now create his equal; let it be as like him as his own reflection" (Page 62) The people had never seen their King bested or tested and wished to see this. It so happened that after Gilgamesh met his equal and fought Enkindu, his ways of gluttony and selfish reign over the peasants was curved as he went to face greater challenges in other kingdoms. This seems to show that one who is never challenged or tested in life will eventually grow arrogant and frankly into a jerk. With no adversity in life, it becomes dull and boring and can eventually change the person's personality. Human nature seems to be constantly seek challenges and thrive on adversity, at least from the author's point of view. From my interpretation Gilgamesh only acted out because his life had been deprived of adversity and deprived of having to work for anything. Also supporting my view is that throughout the rest of the story Gilgamesh continues to push and challenge himself with greater and greater opponents, be it Humbaba, the Bull of Heaven, and finally he even challenges death itself. Bringing up Gilgamesh's tangle trying to escape death, the author also seems to state that there is wisdom to be gained in failure. By the end of the epic, Gilgamesh is a great and wise king to go along with his physical gifts. That is because he tried to do something and finally failed. He finally found a challenge that bested him and ended up losing, which was for Gilgamesh a situation very similiar to Enkindu's awakening after he laid with the harlot. He gained the wisdom of what it meant to be man, even if death is the only thing that keeps him that way. They say with most great athletes and champions that losing teaches far more than winning, and that could not have been truer for Gilgamesh.