In The Epic of Gilgamesh, explain the role(s) of kingship in the Sumerian society.

At the beginning of , Gilgamesh is portrayed as a harsh and
predatory king, the opposite of what a king ought to be. Men and gods make exactly the same
complaint:

No son is left with his father, for Gilgamesh
takes them all, even the children; yet the king should be a shepherd to his people. His lust
leaves no virgin to her lover, neither the warrior's daughter nor the wife of the
noble.

The gods create Enkidu to curb the arrogance of
Gilgamesh but after they have fought and Guilgamesh has shown himself to be stronger, Enkidu
acknowledges that this is only fitting since Gilgamesh is the king, raised up above all men and
therefore surpassing all men in strength. In this sense, therefore, Gilgamesh is what society
demands of a king, a great hero with the strength to protect his people. Despite their initial
altercation, Enkidu comes not to destroy the bad king, but to redirect his energies away from
preying on his own people.

The Epic of Gilgamesh makes
it clear that the...