Epic Of Gilgamesh Research Paper

In the Epic of Gilgamesh, we are introduced to a man who is two-thirds god and one-third man, whose name is Gilgamesh and his inseparable companion, his friend, his brother, Enkidu, a ½ human ½ god. Gilgamesh’s main purpose is to cheat death and gain immortality. In the process of trying to gain immortality, Gilgamesh and Enkidu kill two Godly beings. Due to that, the Gods declared that one had to die, therefore they killed Enkidu. It was the first time Gilgamesh has had to face death, and it caused him to fear it even more, making his journey way more important than it was before. Hoping to learn the secret of immortality, he makes a long and difficult journey in search of Utnapishtim, the one human being who has acquired it. Utnapishtim

tells his story-the famous story of the flood. But how does the story of a flood relate to gaining immortality? Well, the story of the flood, is famous, a tale that has lived on and on for centuries and as that story lives on so does Utnapishtim. Coincide? I think not, I think that, fame is the true key to immortality, the idea that your name and your actions will continue to live on and on forever. Examples of this idea is Utnapishtim and Ishtar. Ishtar is a woman who has gained immortality by simply being a person who plays with men and inevitably something bad happens, causing her “tale” to spread around causing her to be famous, making her immortal.