In the story of Gilgamesh, we learn about the heroic exploits of King Gilgamesh and his quest for immortality. He was very rare and unlike many others because he was two-thirds god and one-third man. Gilgamesh was very wise, remarkably strong, and physically beautiful. In the beginning, he was cruel and demanding over his people. Huru created an equal of Gilgamesh by the name of Enkidu that has just as much power, but does not treat people badly. A hero is described as a person who is admired for their brave deeds and noble qualities. The term hero means different things to different people. Anyone can be a hero, but in the older days, a hero was generally a man who fought against evil, god like creatures and brave warriors. Gilgamesh is portrayed as the hero because during his journeys, he faced many obstacles in which he never gave up on and he also showed many qualities of heroism throughout the story. Being a hero suggests that the belief system of the people in the story value honor and loyalty more than anything because of their expectations from Gilgamesh. He shows heroism by defeating the beast Humbaba, killing the Bull of Heaven, and also by discovering the plant of eternal life. .
Gilgamesh shows heroism when he defeats Humbaba. Gilgamesh says, "Now we must travel to the Cedar Forest, where the fierce monster Humbaba lives. We must kill him and drive out evil from the world" (91). He wants to make a lasting name for himself and also to prove to his people that they should not be afraid of the monster. Humbaba lives in the Cedar Forest where he frightens anyone that lives there and refuses to let anyone through. Enkidu and the elders of Uruk try to convince Gilgamesh not to go and fight the monster because they thought that death would come upon him, but he knew what had to be done. Humbaba attempts to kill Gilgamesh with his many symbols of fate in which nothing seemed to work.
