Epics are characterized by the longevity of the text, a poetic style, and an account of the exploits of a legendary hero. Herbert Mason's interpretation of an excerpt from the Epic of Gilgamesh lacks a large amount of text and the legendary hero so common in later epics such as the Odyssey and Beowulf. Since the later epics are considered to be based on the Epic of Gilgamesh, it is important to consider why, in Mason's translation, an impressive amount of text and a legendary hero are missing. While it is easy to attribute the story's missing features to the translation, the events of the story suggest that Mason's translation could have been more extensive. In place of the suggestion, Mason incorporates Enkidu into his translation of Gilgamesh to build the characteristics of a legendary hero, Gilgamesh. His efforts to build Gilgamesh as a hero appear at the beginning and end of events in Gilgamesh's story. The epic begins with a description of Gilgamesh, “as king, Gilgamesh was a tyrant to his people” (Mason 15). In a way, Gilgamesh turns into a believable antagonist in the second verse of the story. The passage goes on to say: He claimed, by an ancient birthright, the privilege of sleeping with their wives before their husbands were permitted. At times he pushed his people almost to death with the work of rebuilding the walls of Uruk,………….. ……………They had grown tired of his contradictions and his callous ways. (Mason 15-16). Gilgamesh is described as a tyrant with immorality and callousness. However, later in the text, he meets a man he believes is similar to him, Enkidu. While their first meeting shows Gilgamesh's antagonistic side, "[Gilgamesh] lashed out at Enkidu" (Mason...... center of paper...... seeking a change in character. Gilgamesh becomes an epic hero . Gilgamesh recounts the construction of a legendary hero, in a sense it parallels other epics. Odysseus in the Odyssey was an accomplished warrior, having fought in the Trojan War, however, he also developed character traits of benevolence, attributed to heroes. . Gilgamesh is an evil tyrant and Enkidu, a leader of the animal kingdom, guides him along a path to heroism. Through the passage of the story, Gilgamesh develops vigilance, courage and a sense of good and evil. It is possible that the Epic of Gilgamesh does not end within the limits of Herbert Mason's translation. Gilgamesh may use his heroic characteristics acquired in later stories such as Odysseus.Works CitedMason, Herbert Gilgamesh: A Verse Narrative Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 2003. Print.