Literary Archetypes

Hero: Gilgamesh
Gilgamesh is the hero in this story. He is the king and is also part God. He tries to become more powerful by killing Humbaba. He tries to find immortality so that he will live forever. Even though he can be a mean or overpowering king he is still a good leader. He is intelligent and confident that he will come out on top. In the story he is always the sure one when they kill Humbaba. He keeps them going and doesn't lose himself when Humbaba is trying to save himself. He is not scared of dying for what he believes in. He goes after immortality because he believes that he will be able to get immortal life for Enkidu.
Antihero: Gilgamesh
Gilgamesh is also the antihero because he loses faith and hope a few times in the story. When they go to fight Humbaba he is very sure of himself until he realizes what this could mean if they lose. Enkidu has to take over for a few seconds while he gets his wits back with him. He loses courage for just a little bit. He then is able to take on Humbaba again. When he goes to search for immortality and is told by Utnapishtim that he cannot help for it is not good to be immortal. Although Gilgamesh fits the hero qualities, at times can lacks a few characteristics and that is what makes him the antihero.
The Wise Fool: Utnapishtim
Before the flood Utnapishtim was a normal man and he was one of the few that was not looking for an immortal life. He becomes immortal anyway and lives off with only his wife. He has what everyone else was searching for and what society wants. Although many people don't know this or are not able to get to him because of the great journey that they have to take to get to him.
The Devil Figure: Ishtar
Ishtar is the goddess of love and war. Most people would look at her from the outside and see the love part, but wherever she brings love she brings war. She tells Gilgamesh that she will give his city peace if he marries her. She even brings his robs and his crown. He refuses because all she has ever done is taken over and then destroyed. She turned her father's gardener into a mole because he liked her. "I am tired of your promises, tired as Ishullanu, who brought you dates, innocent until you pressed his hand against your breasts and turned him to a mole who lived beneath the surface of your earth, unable to dig out to air, feeling in the darkness for that same soft touch" (44).
The Outcast: Enkidu
At the beginning Enkidu is alienated by society because he was a wild man and lived like an animal. Then after the prostitute came and slept with him the animals alienated him. He was outcast because he became a man. He starts as an animal man, then becomes a human and then gets killed for not being part God. He becomes very alone in his last days of life. He wishes the prostitute hadn't come and slept with him. He wishes he was still a animal man.
The Double: Immorality
Some people see immorality as being a good thing. Gilgamesh believed that was the only way to save his friend and that was the only way to make no one suffer. He figured that if he and Enkidu were immortal they would never have to part. In this way immorality is a happy or exciting thought. They will never have to leave each other. Utnapishtim is the other side. He never wanted to be immortal but the Gods chose him and he became immortal against his wish. Usually when someone is forced to do something you don't like it. This is what Utnapishtim thought. He was lonely and wanted to die. He told Gilgamesh this but he was too caught up in keeping his friend alive that he never really thought about the other side.
The Scapegoat: Enkidu
The Gods say that one of the men must die. They say that Gilgamesh is part God so he must not die. Enkidu has no God in him and has done some mean things to this town by killing Humbaba and The Bull of Heaven. The Gods say the Enkidu must be destroyed because of what he has done and who he is. The society is not ready to except that they can both live. They need each other to live and be good people but nobody sees that until it is too late.
The Temptress: The Prostitute
The prostitute is the temptress because she is a very beautiful women and people think she is amazing. After you get though the mask you see that she is a destroyer. She makes the animals leave Enkidu and they will never have anything to do with him again. She tempted Enkidu and then in the end it led to his destruction.
The Good Mother: Ninsun
Ninsun is a goddess known for wisdom. She is Gilgamesh's mother and always gives him and Enkidu advice. She tells Gilgamesh what his dreams mean and gives him guidance that he may defeat all that he feels he needs to. She also adopts Enkidu and teats him like a son even though he is an animal man.