In this article I will cover the Epic of Gilgamesh, the characters, themes, motifs, irony and the story as a whole. I'll start with a quick summary first to keep you updated. Gilgamesh is a Sumerian king of the city of Uruk. Gilgamesh was, for lack of a better term, self-centered, arrogant, and reckless. But how could it not be? His father was a king and his mother a goddess, meaning he is two-thirds god. Gilgamesh, however, is more of a tyrant than a king. Gilgamesh took and raped women for his pleasure and killed or forced the young men of Uruk to work. The people began to pray to the gods for help to save them from Gilgamesh and his ways. How do you beat the strongest man on the face of the earth? Make one that is stronger. The gods then create a wild beastman called "Enkidu" to challenge Gilgamesh to a wrestling match and beat him. However, since Gilgamesh is the god of two-thirds, it is rather difficult to do so. They create Enkidu and he challenges Gilgamesh to a wrestling match, but to no avail Enkidu cannot defeat Gilgamesh, but at the same time Gilgamesh cannot beat Enkidu. With his strength matched (which has never happened before) Gilgamesh declares a draw and befriends Enkidu. With his new friend in hand, Gilgamesh and Enkidu travel to the cedar forest to defeat a god called "Humbaba" who protects the forest despite the warnings of Gilgamesh's mother, Ninsun. She tells him that he is reckless and might die, he replies, "If I should fall, I will have established my fame" (2.236). This is basically Yolo before it was cool. However, you will see later that he is not about that life. Without heeding his mother's warnings, they embark on their journey to the Cedar Mountains. Once there they fight Humbaba and defeat him, then take down... half the card... and his beloved city of Uruk. Humbaba has no real purpose other than to die to Gilgamesh and Enkidu and curse Enkidu. Ninsun is Gilgamesh's mother and protector. He enlists the help of the sun god Shamash to guard Gilgamesh while he fights Humbaba. In summary, Gilgamesh is a feared tyrant and the gods create a warrior to defeat him. They become best friends and travel together killing things. They fight with a goddess in love with Gilgamesh and the Bull of Heaven. They kill the bull and Enkidu becomes ill and dies. Gilgamesh then seeks a mystical plant that will grant him immortality but fails to achieve his goals and realizes that to be truly immortal he must leave behind a legacy that will change history forever. This concludes my critical analysis of the Gilgamesh epic and its many hidden pearls of advice and wisdom.