Gilgamesh himself is extraordinary - a mighty king who is nevertheless obsessed with himself. He afflicts his own
people with numerous atrocities and while the people admire Gilgamesh for what virtues he has, they plead with the
gods to distract him and give them some relief. Through an analysis of the main themes, this paper examines how the epic is not only is the story of an individual man's
struggle with himself, but of humanity's struggle to achieve something approaching civilization when burdened with such monumental troubles.