In the Epic, Gilgamesh is a king who is two-thirds God and one-third human, making him a very powerful being. Although he may not be liked by all the people of Uruk, he is unquestionably respected by them. As a result of this respect Gilgamesh has a certain responsibility to the people. He must accomplish victory in his quest to destroy the evil monster Humbaba who occupies a forbidden forest and is said to be undefeated. The fact that no one is known to leave this forest alive makes it more difficult for Gilgamesh to achieve what he sets out to do. When he finally slays the mighty monster, who is said to be “undefeated”, the victory is a great one. Overpowering someone weak doesn’t have the same feeling of success as defeating someone extremely strong. Gilgamesh takes great pride in destroying Humbaba and accomplishing his duty to the people of Uruk.
In a New York Times article titled Nadal savors his career grand slam is a story about a man who also overcomes obstacles in the quest of sheer victory. As the winner of the United States Open, Rafael Nadal is certainly basking in the glory of being king of the tennis court. Just like Gilgamesh who was a powerful king, Nadal had a few problems standing in the way of his quest to win such an important championship. “Everybody has obstacles, but Rafa’s had his knees and his personal problems and physical problems of last year. I think all that only makes this sweeter for him.” (NYT)Through all his troubles Rafael Nadal won the US Open and just like the people of Uruk were proud of Gilgamesh, Nadal’s fans were surely pleased.
