1. I can  identify the stages of the Hero’s Journey in the story of Gilgamesh. Gilgamesh was the first written epic, making him the first epic hero recorded. He possesses many qualities traditionally associated with epic heroes. He was born in unusual circumstances and also has supernatural power which assisted him along his journey. With this power, he became careless with it. Gilgamesh was challenged by the gods, in which he had to overcome. Some obstacles were giant scorpions, and a women that tries to lead him off the path. He is also tested by the wise flood hero.

2. I think that the four functions of mythology are present in the Epic of Gilgamesh. Throughout his journey, you can see an obvious transformation of his character. When death was around him, he went on a journey to fight and overcome death because he knew had a lot to learn. During his journey, Gilgamesh learned to appreciate life and how you can’t be so arrogant. Gilgamesh is easy to relate to because like everyone in the world, we go through struggles that we must face and overcome resulting in making us stronger. Gilgamesh changed for the better and became a stronger person overall at the end of the story even though it was a failure.

3. Although it seemed as if Gilgamesh failed at the end, i believe it can be viewed as a success too. He achieved love, brotherhood with Enkidu, wisdom, eternal glory and a legacy that exceeds all others. Gilgamesh was trying to live forever, but in the end he realized that that wasn’t possible for him. It was a journey in finding himself and who he could be. At the beginning, he thought he was above all others and that he had no equal. His love and compassion for Enkidu shows his growth as a man who learns the greatest thing in life and death the biggest unhappiness there is.