When reading Beowulf, I found it very familiar as if I had read it before.  I then decided to put the pieces together and it was pretty much a few of the readings we have done in class.  The character Grendel is said to be a descendant of Cain, who Cain killed his brother Abel.  The class  read the story of the two brother back in the book of Genesis in the hebrew Bible.  I researched that Shield Sheafson was abandoned as a baby by his parents, which in the story of “Oedipus the King,” Oedipus himself was also abandoned as a baby and was destined to die.

I found it interesting to read the “Beowulf” and it’s similarities to some of the other works of literature that was done in class.  I would read the poem and it was quite difficult for me to understand because of the language used.  I had to decode the poem by reading it a second time.  I was confused when reading the poem at first, then reading the poem again made it easier to interpret what was going, how Grendel is trying to destroy in sight.  I am still a little confused in what is going, in the poem, and hope to have a better understanding with further reading.  I would like to discuss the poem a little more thoroughly, or an easier way to read “Beowulf.”

Is Enkidu’s death ordained by the gods? Why him and not Gilgamesh?

Enkidu was created by the goddess Aruru.  “Let them summon Aruru, the rest one, She created the boundless human race” (1. 82, 83).  Aruru created Enkidu to match the strength of Gilgamesh because he would be too strong for he is two-third divine.  The plan is to get Enkidu to fight against Gilgamesh, because was ruling Uruk with an iron-fist.  Enkidu and Gilgamesh fought but, the friendship between the two grew, “Shamhat was telling the dreams of Gilgamesh to Enkidu.  Each was drawn by love to other” (1. 295, 296).  The two god-like men developed a powerful bond that the dreams they had, they were able to share with one another.  The friendship change their perception on how to continue their journey,  then it took a turn for the worse.

The time came where Enkidu’s life was shortening.  “My friend laid on me the greatest curse of all!  I feared the battle but will die in my bed, My friend, he who falls quickly in battle is glorious” (7. 168-170).  Gilgamesh grew to love his friend Enkidu, he cried for him to Siduri.  Gilgamesh has grown to be selfless because of the death of his friend, he has grown to feel what love is. Enkidu had died instead of Gilgamesh because his purpose was to remove the tyrannic rule over Uruk.  The sacrifice of Enkidu was not in vein because  the gods are truly testing Gilgamesh because he feared death, he wanted to live forever so he would not  have to experience death.  “Death lurks in my bedchamber, And wherever I turn, there is death!” (11. 248, 249)  Gilgamesh being immortal would be impossible. Gilgamesh grew to understand his ways and headed to Uruk, and continued to accept the truth.