Post-Colonial Theory in “The Epic of Gilgamesh” and “The Tempest” Essay

Exclusively available on Available only on IvyPanda® Made by Human No AI

One of the themes of Post-colonial theory deals with identity in a personal and social context. The way an individual thinks of their own character and how they interact with the surrounding environment and society, has a major impact on the whole population.

The theoretical perspective or “lens” is described as a set of attributes and assumptions that are made about the reality of the world and how it functions.

It is closely tied to the culture, social structure, people’s roles within a nation, but most importantly, the unique characteristics that each person brings into the common collective. “The Epic of Gilgamesh” and “The Tempest” clearly illustrate the internal battle of a person with own “demons”, as well as with the surrounding world.

In “The Epic of Gilgamesh”, the main character is shown to be sure of his own strength and righteousness of feelings and thoughts. Gilgamesh takes what he wants without considering the personal feelings of women, who he forcefully abuses. His character is made up of human and God characteristics, which can be said about the modern people also, as everyone is a part of nature and divinity of the universe.

Often, people struggle between what a person wants for themselves, in a selfish and careless way, in relation to the greater truth and help that can be devoted towards other people. Gilgamesh goes through several epic changes within himself and the world he lives in.

When Enkidu is sent to control Gilgamesh’s temper, they battle, but later, become friends and this is a clear indication of the change that takes place in Gilgamesh’s character. He realizes that there are more important things in the world than own wants and needs.

Eventually, he loses his friend to an illness and learns the true value of friendship, pain and loss. This is very much true in the modern world, as even though the times have been modernized, people still learn through pain and suffering.

This is one of the reasons the story of Gilgamesh is applicable in the current days. Another connection to the present is the search for immortality. People want to become immortal without really appreciating the moments that must be valued every day and each instant.

“The Tempest” also describes a person’s character and the struggles one goes through in life. In the play, Antonio is Prospero’s brother but acts as a person who does not care about family and all he thinks about is greed and power. He will step over any obstacle to follow his own goals without paying attention to others. The first instance the audience experiences his character is when he hides his fear by blaming others.

He focuses all his attention on the faults and mistakes that other people make without giving much consideration to his own actions. This shows that a person has no want or need to think about own character and instead, thinks about other people and ways of finding wrongdoings in their behavior.

This sort of attitude is often exhibited by foolish and angry people who are unable to better themselves and so, they try lowering others to make their own individuality seem higher. These qualities can be observed in all human nations, as the interconnection between individuals and societies is still based on greed, power, class and insecurities.

More related papers Related Essay Examples
Cite This paper
You're welcome to use this sample in your assignment. Be sure to cite it correctly

Reference

IvyPanda. (2019, July 4). Post-Colonial Theory in “The Epic of Gilgamesh” and “The Tempest”. https://ivypanda.com/essays/post-colonial-theory/

Work Cited

"Post-Colonial Theory in “The Epic of Gilgamesh” and “The Tempest”." IvyPanda, 4 July 2019, ivypanda.com/essays/post-colonial-theory/.

References

IvyPanda. (2019) 'Post-Colonial Theory in “The Epic of Gilgamesh” and “The Tempest”'. 4 July.

References

IvyPanda. 2019. "Post-Colonial Theory in “The Epic of Gilgamesh” and “The Tempest”." July 4, 2019. https://ivypanda.com/essays/post-colonial-theory/.

1. IvyPanda. "Post-Colonial Theory in “The Epic of Gilgamesh” and “The Tempest”." July 4, 2019. https://ivypanda.com/essays/post-colonial-theory/.


Bibliography


IvyPanda. "Post-Colonial Theory in “The Epic of Gilgamesh” and “The Tempest”." July 4, 2019. https://ivypanda.com/essays/post-colonial-theory/.

If, for any reason, you believe that this content should not be published on our website, please request its removal.
Updated:
This academic paper example has been carefully picked, checked and refined by our editorial team.
No AI was involved: only quilified experts contributed.
You are free to use it for the following purposes:
  • To find inspiration for your paper and overcome writer’s block
  • As a source of information (ensure proper referencing)
  • As a template for you assignment
Privacy Settings

IvyPanda uses cookies and similar technologies to enhance your experience, enabling functionalities such as:

  • Basic site functions
  • Ensuring secure, safe transactions
  • Secure account login
  • Remembering account, browser, and regional preferences
  • Remembering privacy and security settings
  • Analyzing site traffic and usage
  • Personalized search, content, and recommendations
  • Displaying relevant, targeted ads on and off IvyPanda

Please refer to IvyPanda's Cookies Policy and Privacy Policy for detailed information.

Required Cookies & Technologies
Always active

Certain technologies we use are essential for critical functions such as security and site integrity, account authentication, security and privacy preferences, internal site usage and maintenance data, and ensuring the site operates correctly for browsing and transactions.

Site Customization

Cookies and similar technologies are used to enhance your experience by:

  • Remembering general and regional preferences
  • Personalizing content, search, recommendations, and offers

Some functions, such as personalized recommendations, account preferences, or localization, may not work correctly without these technologies. For more details, please refer to IvyPanda's Cookies Policy.

Personalized Advertising

To enable personalized advertising (such as interest-based ads), we may share your data with our marketing and advertising partners using cookies and other technologies. These partners may have their own information collected about you. Turning off the personalized advertising setting won't stop you from seeing IvyPanda ads, but it may make the ads you see less relevant or more repetitive.

Personalized advertising may be considered a "sale" or "sharing" of the information under California and other state privacy laws, and you may have the right to opt out. Turning off personalized advertising allows you to exercise your right to opt out. Learn more in IvyPanda's Cookies Policy and Privacy Policy.

1 / 1