When looking at the themes within the epic of Gilgamesh, it can be seen that there are many similarities between Gilgamesh's journey and ISIS. These themes can be seen as connected, but only to a certain extent, as their results create a fork in the road. The first theme is power, which is Gilgamesh's initial idea of his purpose. Like many ISIS members, he believed his path to enlightenment was through power and being god-like Secondly, there is loss. For Gilgamesh, this is in the for of the death of Enkidu, while for ISIS, this is in the loss of: support, land, and funding, all of which weaken the organisation constantly. The next theme would be death and rebirth, which shows that the structure of ISIS and it's purpose are nothing new, similar to the emotional journey of Gilgamesh. Then, the theme of mortality comes into play, as the terroristic group believes that their philosophy of Islam will live on, while Gilgamesh questions his mortality when Enkidu is slain. Finally, comes enlightenment, which is the result of the journey. In Gilgamesh's end, he becomes aware of his faults and is enlightened, as he tried to help his people and resign from being a tyrant, and becoming a worthy king of his people. This is how he finally transcends the material plane and becomes a god, completing his journey. ISIS, though, ends up in the opposite direction, as the vast majority of the group is not aware of their, or the group's, purpose. They do what they are told without direction and have no substance or meaning to their lives but hostile takeovers. This is where the two journeys, at last, separate.
ISIS's main connection to Gilgamesh is within the overarching theme of fame. It can be interpreted as a way to escape death by making yourself known for generations to come, as with Gilgamesh's motives behind the slaughtering of the Cedar Forest guardian Humbaba. This can be seen in ISIS's tactical use of propaganda as a way of making its presence known to the rest of the world via terrorist attacks, magazines, and media news outlets. It can also be seen as a way to display your power and spread word of your capabilities, as seen in Gilgamesh's infamy as a tyrant king. This is also seen when Gilgamesh and Enkidu kill Taurus and their actions are recognized by the gods. Their newly found infamy is the ultimate downfall of Enkidu and jumpstarts Gilgamesh's journey to find a way to escape death. Just like Gilgamesh and Enkidu find themselves in trouble with their proclamation of power, ISIS may soon find itself in the same position: suffering because of it is perceived as a threat.
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Dajon Carter
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