According to Arthur Brown, it is through stories that we learn to accept our limitations as humans. Whether told by bards, written on clay tablets or performed in theaters, common ideals and virtues expressed the importance of the individual’s role in society and was often expressed in literary works. It is through stories such as, "The Epic of Gilgamesh," a tale that takes a narrative approach to illustrate dramatic principles, and, "Oedipus the King," a complex and tragic play with an emotional catharsis, that the complexities of human nature are portrayed by heroes to illustrate how even great and noble men struggle with limitations and life. Joseph Campbell theorizes that myths share a fundamental structure that he calls monomyths with themes of fate, immortality, free will, hubris and others. There are three phases of transformation that Campbell says a hero must complete: separation, initiation, and return. This is the monomyth theory. In The Epic of Gilgamesh, a tyrant king seeks immortality through a journey that leads to self-discovery and transformation. The themes of this story are Death of Friendship, Nature and Civilization, Power and Violence, Adventure and Homecoming, Love and Sexuality, and Responsibility and Consequences for One’s Actions.  Gilgamesh is two-thirds god and one-third man, and he struggles with the limitations of his humanity, especially his mortality. It is his refusal to accept death and his desire to overcome it which marks the beginning of the separation phase of the monomyth. Nature and Civilization: Gilgamesh learns of a wild man living with animals in the hills where shepherds keep their flocks. They are afraid of this creature, so Gilgamesh sends a temple harlot to civilize him. Shamhat, the harlot, tells Enkidu about Gilgamesh, and he decides to confront the oppressive king. They fight and then concede to the other that they are equal in strength and the two become good friends.  Love and Sexuality: Gilgamesh was a tyrant in Uruk who raped women as he pleased, making him quite uncivilized. Enkidu, however, becomes civilized as a result of sex with Shamhat. After Gilgamesh and Enkidu become friends, they feel a great love for one another, and it is the love Gilgamesh feels for Enkidu that is a motivating factor in his transformation. Their friendship pulls Gilgamesh in a positive direction, making him less self-centered and a better leader. Adventure and Homecoming are central to Arthur Brown’s theory, and the tale of Gilgamesh follows this theme through two great adventures. The first one takes place in the Cedar Forest where Gilgamesh and Enkidu decide to cut down trees for wood to build city walls. They kidnap Humbaba and then decide to murder him for fame and glory. He was a monster, and everyone was afraid of him. The angry gods send the Bull of Heaven down to deal with Gilgamesh and Enkidu,