The Contrast Between Gilgamesh And Saddam English Literature Essay

Categories: Epic of Gilgamesh

The Epic of Gilgamesh, is among one of the `` oldest narratives in the universe '' ( Mitchell, Pg. 1 ) , set in the bird's-eye beauty of Uruk the Mesopotamian metropolis or modern-day Iraq, the place of Saddam Hussein. Harmonizing to Grandfield, Saddam identified with the antediluvian sovereign when he set out on his pursuit for ageless life, and this is mentioned in his fresh Zabibah-wal-Malik. Mark Bowden noted that, Zabibah and the King, is an fable and refers to the invasion of Iraq by the United States, and besides references Saddam 's ain policy that `` people need rigorous steps '' , which likely justify his haughtiness and inhuman treatment.

This paper attempts to see the similarities between two swayers of Iraq, Saddam Hussein and Gilgamesh presuming their position of themselves, their arrogance, get downing, autarchy, bonds of fondness, hubris and subsequent absolution or the deficiency of it thereof.

Saddam Hussein, became the President of Iraq on July 6, 1979 by pressing his 2nd cousin President Ahmed Hassan Bakr to renounce, and shortly assumed the function of a ruthless royal.

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He exercised sovereignty utilizing trepidation. The Epic of Gilgamesh begins with the adult male `` who saw the deep... and [ learnt ] of everything the amount of wisdom '' , a adult male who was the pillar to his people `` Exceling all other male monarchs, heroic in stature '' , and following that we discover the beginning of the narrative and meet Gilgamesh the autocrat. Gilgamesh at the gap of the heroic poem is contemptuous, a `` wild bull on the violent disorder '' .

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Saddam was known for his haughtiness. In fact, The USA today, has even quoted Congressman Tim Lantos 's sentiment of Saddam as a adult male of `` blazing haughtiness, [ and ] bloodthirsty ferociousness '' . ( Dorman and Livingston, Pg. 69 )

Gilgamesh was appreciative of his demi-god position, as he bellows, `` Who is at that place can equal his kingly standing... one 3rd human '' , even though he was cognizant of his mortality. Saddam desired a demi-god position for himself notwithstanding his persistently publicized low beginning. Balaghi records, that `` Saddam rewarded poets who hinted at similarities between himself and the Prophet Muhammad... [ and ] implied that he was a descendent of the Nebiims household '' .

In Saddam and Gilgamesh, we see `` the shepherd who [ has ] become a wolf '' . ( Mitchell, Pg. 10 ) Gilgamesh is the oppressor whose `` tyranny grows harsher... [ but Gilgamesh ] lets no [ girl go free to her ] female parent... lets no boy travel free to his male parent '' . Although `` he is shepherd of Uruk-the-Sheepfold '' , he has cast off the function of being `` their [ defender, ] powerful, pre-eminent, adept [ and mighty ] '' and transformed into `` a wild bull lording '' them, as their barbarian tyrant. Saddam 's absolutism is unmistakable in his imperium being christened `` Republic of Fear '' by Makiya an Iraqi expatriate in his book published in 1989. Saddam 's colza suites are legendary. The paradox is that Saddam gave adult females the right to instruction, and keeping civil offices, but he could neutralize the rights via Article 8 of the fundamental law. An attack favored by the government, involved forwarding dissenters, videotapes of their female dealingss being assaulted by employees of the secret constabulary. Consequently, adult females were intimidated, imprisoned, assassinated, and assaulted in involvement of authorization. ( Brown and Romano ) Saddam 's inhuman treatment was extended to the work forces, and they were tortured mutilated or murdered. After assuming sovereignty and going President in 1979, Saddam purified the party and government by killing his opposes. Gilgamesh had `` no equal when his arms are brandished '' , and Saddam declared his legal power over the people of Iraq by `` walking with a arm '' . Saddam used chemical arms viz. nerve gas and mustard gas to perpetrate genocide killing 65,000 from April to August 1988 to drive out the Iranians. At the oncoming of the cease fire Saddam unleashed this avocation of chemical warfare against the Northern Iraq Kurds. In add-on, the `` shepherd '' indulged in Genocide such as the Al-Anfal Campaign, the violent death of guiltless people in Dujail, and the Marsh Arabs of south-eastern Iraq. ( Balaghi ) ( Castellano ) Saddam did non save his ain best friend, or his son-in-laws, topics or neighbours. His tyranny midget Gilgamesh 's absolutism to limbo.

While their initial narrative is one of the dictatorship, the two sovereigns progressed otherwise because of their attack towards friendly relationship. Gilgamesh dreams of a intimate as he requests, his female parent `` Let me get a friend to advocate me '' . At their first brush, `` Enkidu with his pes blocked the door of the nuptials house, non leting Gilgamesh to come in '' , taking to a combat between the two. After he was vanquished, Enkidu acknowledged the high quality of Gilgamesh, `` High over warriors you are exalted '' , as instructed by Shamhat. Gilgamesh recognized the fulfilment of his yearning and he and Enkidu, `` kissed each other and formed a friendly relationship '' . Turning up, Saddam was `` a lone wolf who frequently kept to himself '' . ( Balaghi ) Saddam 's `` best friend, who would subsequently go Minister of Defense '' , was Adnan Khairallah. ( Karsh and Rautsi ) Adnan was the brother of Sajida, who was Saddam 's first married woman. A sure intimate, he was besides declared `` head of the general staff '' , and was `` considered a war hero '' by the Iraqi public. Adnan was angry with Saddam for `` his love of his kept woman, Samira '' and the dishonour concluded on his sister, and stood by his sister. As a consequence, Saddam had his ain `` best friend '' killed. ( Yahia and Wendl )

Gilgamesh 's hubris drives him `` to hold a permanent name '' and this takes him on his quest to destruct Humbaba. ( Mitchell ) Humbaba is a larger than life formidable monster that was designated `` to maintain safe the cedars. Enlil made it his batch to terrorize work forces '' . Humbaba is dashing as `` his voice is the Deluge. His address is fire, and his breath is decease '' . Humbaba implores Gilgamesh `` Spare my life, O Gilgamesh '' . Gilgamesh hesitates to kill the monster. Enkidu urges him to `` complete him, slay him, make away with his power, before Enlil the foremost hears what we do! '' Gilgamesh listens to his friend, and meatmans `` the monster, the wood 's guardianaˆ¦the mountains did quakeaˆ¦all the hillsides did tremble '' Then they trample `` through the Forest of Cedar '' , cut down the trees, and return place after an brush with Ishtar. Mitchell comments that Humbaba does non suit into the construct of immoralities like Grendel in Beowulf. He is supposed to be terrorizing to guarantee him to carry through his duty as the `` forest 's guardian '' , and Enkidu is cognizant of the fact that Enlil does non desire Humbaba destroyed. Saddam was besides looking frontward to doing a name for himself and further his political calling when he assumed the function of neutralizing President Abd al-Karim Qasim on 7 October 1959. Balaghi and Castellano, reference that the CIA recruited him for the undertaking. Abd al-Karim Qasim or the equivalent of Humbaba had begun buying Soviet arms in add-on to presenting the impression of holding the State own the oil industry. He besides began prosecuting Communists into his authorities. He excessively like Humbaba harmed none ; his tactics were needed to regulate his people. Merely as Gilgamesh hesitated to kill Humbaba, the 22-year-old Saddam bungled up and had to fly, since the blackwash effort was unsuccessful. He was besides shot in the leg and had to swim across the River Tigris. Balaghi references, `` Saddam 's [ last ] yearss in concealing echoed his earlier flight along the Tigris River. '' Elmusa, nevertheless, compares Bush to Gilgamesh, who comes for the trees or in the instance of the latter-Oil. Saddam so painted as a monster, by being compared to Hitler by the American media, becomes the modern Humbaba. Just as the autumn of Humbaba caused the mountains to `` quiver [ and ] aˆ¦all the hillsides did tremble '' , so has the autumn of Saddam cause a temblor yet resounding. Elmusa 's paper referred to the senior Bush, but may merely every bit good be relevant to the junior 1. The sarcasm is that Saddam had no arms of mass devastation, he was `` a pawn of the West, which used him and so discarded him like a bag of rubbish '' . ( Jha, 2004 )

After returning from `` the Forest of Cedar '' Enkidu is inflicted with unwellness for pressing Gilgamesh to kill Humbaba, and dies after 12 agonizing yearss. Gilgamesh is overwrought and plaints, `` I shall cry for Enkidu, my friend, like a hired mourner-woman I shall bitterly howl '' The loss of Enkidu, makes Gilgamesh distressingly cognizant of his ain mortality, contrary to the violent death of Humbaba where decease had no significance for the former autocrat. He `` bitterly weep [ s ] '' and he realizes `` I shall decease... Sorrow has entered my bosom... I am afraid of decease, so I shall roll the natural state, to happen Uta-napishiti '' . Gilgamesh 's familiarity with Enkidu was his redemption, since it took him to seek Uta-napishiti. Andrew George notes that it is in to Uta-napishiti kingdom that Gilgamesh `` learnt of everything the amount of wisdomaˆ¦what was secretaˆ¦what was hiddenaˆ¦ [ and ] brought back a narrative of before the Deluge '' . Saddam had no familiarity that tied him to a higher wisdom. Possibly, his higher wisdom was lasting. His was a universe of inhuman treatment where even his household fared no better ; he did non excuse even the hubbies of his daughters- Saddam Kamel and Hussein Kamel, for deserting to Jordan in 1995. His boies died contending as was customary in the Tirkiti tradition. Saddam Hussein nevertheless, was captured without the fire of a individual slug and `` this was felt as a sort of treachery by some '' Arabs. ( Balaghi )

Decision: Gilgamesh and Saddam portion the beginning of their narrative, since each started out as an tyrant. While Gilgamesh managed to happen some step of self-control through his friendly relationship with Enkidu, Saddam 's life degraded into deeper and darker oppression. The stoping of the narratives of the two sovereign, is an apprehension of the wisdom gained by one, and the wisdom left behind by the other, that subjugation does non pay. This paper has, covered the similarity of the swayers and the different waies on which they finally ended, by doing correlativities based on their haughtiness, beginning, absolutism, friendly relationships, hubris and finally salvation or the deficiency of it. While Gilgamesh 's narrative moves from darkness to visible radiation, Saddam is lost everlastingly in corruptness. Saddam `` was a cruel and ruthless dictator... [ who ] inspired merely fright... non the evil Hitlerian animal. he was a instead run-of-the-mine dictator, a merchandise of history and civilization of his state, and the fortunes of its creative activity. ''

Updated: Nov 01, 2022
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The Contrast Between Gilgamesh And Saddam English Literature Essay. (2020, Jun 02). Retrieved from https://studymoose.com/the-contrast-between-gilgamesh-and-saddam-english-literature-new-essay

The Contrast Between Gilgamesh And Saddam English Literature Essay essay
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