1.) Enkidu first appers in the text in book one, page 74, canto 2, lines 1-6.
2.) A brief physical description of Enkidu's chraracter, he was created by clay, extreemly tall almost as tall as Gilgamesh, strong with hard rock like muscles, and hairy. Enkidu had a kind hearted personalty he seemed to be the type of person that wanted to make everyone happy no matter what.
3.) Enkidu's character can be compared to Gilgamesh's character because they both face the same trails but they are differnent because Enkidu is a character that is more likely to think things through before taking action. Gilgamesh is a charcter that is more likley to take action without any contemplation. "Enkidu said, "But how can any man dare to enter the Cedar Forest?
It is sacred to Enlil. Hasn't he declared it's entrance forbidden, hasn't he put Humbaba there to terrify men?..."(92).
4.) I would consider Enkidu a hero because he is brave and faces death with Gilgamesh even after he said he didn't think that it was a good idea to go against Humbaba he still stood by his friends side. He is also very selfless because he put his life on the line for Gilgamesh durring the fight against Humbaba and the fight against the bull of heaven. The main reason why I consider Enkidu as a hero is because I think of him as Gilgamesh's side kick like Batman and Robin. Enkidu is Gilgamesh's hero,without Enkidu Gilgamesh would not have been able to win the battle with Humbaba or the bull.
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I agree with you on mostly everything you said about Enkidu.Our definition of a hero in class is someone who is brave, noble, selfless, smart, and somewhat of a role model. I think that Enkidu is most of those things. Enkidu is noble, selfless and brave, but I'm not so sure he stands up for what he believes in.For example, when Enkidu was scared to go into the Cedar Forest pg 92, line 11 "We must not go on this journey, we must not fight this creature" he easily let Gilgamesh convince him into going even though he believed something bad would happen if they did go. Also im not so sure sidekick is the right word for Enkidu. He was created to be Gilgamesh's equal and usually a sidekick is someone who is there to assist. I do agree with you about Enkidu being Gilgamesh's hero, that is why he was so upset when he died.
I also agree with the fact that Enkidu is a hero, but not only because of his characteristics of what a hero is, but with how he is portrayed by others. Most importantly, Gilgamesh mourns Enkidu as a hero. He erects a magnificent statue in Enkidu’s honor, sacrifices animals and give gifts to the Gods so they may “walk at his side in the underworld, so that Enkidu may not be sick at heart” (156). Essentially, Gilgamesh is sending Enkidu a hero’s farewell on this planet, and helps to manufacture a hero’s welcome in the underworld. The Gods will find Enkidu a more favorable man, if he is portrayed as a hero to the people, and will cement his spot in the afterlife.
Your last point made about Enkidu being Gilgamesh's side kick I found to be very true. He makes this clear in Book VIII in saying, "O Enkidu, you were the axe at my side in which my arm trusted, the knife in my sheath, the shield I carried, my glorious robe, the wide belt around my loins..." (153). However, it makes me wonder if this was the intention of the gods who made Enkidu in the first place, since they seemed to initially say he would be Gilgamesh's equal. "Now go and create a double for Gilgamesh, his second self, a man who equals his strength and courage, a man who equals his stormy heart."(74) Did Anu want Enkidu to tame Gilgamesh in the sense of being only a tool at his disposal, or did he actually want Enkidu to rival Gilgamesh in every way as is stated in the quote?
I agree with everyone when they see Enkidu as a hero for Gilgamesh. As a side kick or right hand man he acts honorably. But I have a problem seeing him as a hero in a more comprehensive way as we outlined in class for two reasons. The first is his taming by Shamhat. The second is the brawl he looses to Gilgamesh. With my understanding of the hero type, I would have expected him to emerge victorious from at least one of these two confrontations. Rather, in either case, he becomes a subject of 1) feminine sexual guile ("his body was exhausted, his life-force was spent, / his knees trembled, he could no longer run / like an animal, as he had before" (79)), 2) brute force ("Gilgamesh threw the wild man / and with his right knee pinned him to the ground" (89)). He seems to subsequently follow Shamhat and Gilgamesh around during the rest of the story in a very secondary role. A hero would have remained as more of an independent soul, in my opinion, acting out of his own volition and securing for him/herself the legacy of his own heroic actions.
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