The Epic of Gilgamesh & the Evolution of Heroism Our modern-day perception of heroes is that they are "good" — beacons of self-sacrifice and valor. In the Epic of Gilgamesh, however, the hero archetype is portrayed as "getting things done." Based on the events in the story of the Epic of Gilgamesh, how does the epic portray and characterize the archetypal hero? What made Gilgamesh a hero? How does the epic portray evil or wickedness? How are greatness and non-greatness portrayed in Gilgamesh? How does the ancient Mesopotamian notion of heroism differ from the contemporary western? How do they intersect/relate?

It stands to reason that literary archetypes have changed since the Epic of Gilgamesh was written: the epic poem is considered the earliest surviving example of a classic work of literature. Let's go through the three points of this question one at a time.
1. How does the epic poem portray an archetypal hero of the age in which it was written? What makes Gilgamesh a hero?
In many aspects, Gilgamesh fulfills an idea of a hero that's still held today. He is highly intelligent, physically strong, and conventionally beautiful. He is a planner and a doer (as you mentioned, he "gets things done"), building temple towers, a massive wall to surround and protect the city, and planning agricultural infrastructure. He's a king: a classic leader. He fights monsters (see his battle with the demon Humbaba, and later, the Bull of Heaven) and forms alliances with other strong figures (like his friend, Enkidu.)
2. How does the epic portray evil or wickedness, greatness and non-greatness?
The gods in the story serve as illuminating examples. In an important sense, the gods are great (i.e. powerful) but can be wicked and punishing to any humans who dare to disobey them. Humans live in fear of that punishment (note what happens when Gilgamesh rejects Ishtar's sexual advances.)
Gilgamesh, it's important to remember here, is two parts god and one part man. He is neither a god nor a man, and this may account, at least in part, for the sometimes contradictory characteristics that make up his personality. Gilgamesh can be cruel (see #3, below) and also good; he can be an oppressive tyrant, and he can be a loving friend. His greatness is not dependent on perfection. But it is dependent on growth. It's only after Enkidu's death that a grief-stricken Gilgamesh forgets about the pursuit of wealth, power, and earthly desires, instead turning his attention to a quest for immortality. It's then that he becomes great as a king and as a man (or as a part-man, part-god.)
3. How does the ancient Mesopotamian notion of heroism differ from the contemporary western? How do they intersect?
One way to approach this question is to consider the elements of Gilgamesh that do not fit our modern idea of a hero. In the early days of being a king, Gilgamesh raped women right and left, and he forced civilians to be slaves. It's difficult to imagine that a modern "hero" as we think of it could be as cruel as Gilgamesh is at the start of his reign.
The ancient Mesopotamian concept of a hero, then, may include a person who is able not only to overcome challenges in the external world, but also challenges within himself. (Our modern concept of a hero, of course, might have internal battles and struggles. But the greed and cruelty that Gilgamesh displayed was on a whole other level, displaying a weakness of character that we don't currently associate with heroism.)
In modern stories, it's often the hero's love for a woman that motivates him, in addition to his wish to help the human race, of course. In the Epic of Gilgamesh, it's a friendship, a platonic sort of love, that encourages the protagonist to grow and change, and ultimately, to become a hero.