Gilgamesh Rhetorical Analysis

In the epic poem Gilgamesh, King Gilgamesh goes on a humbling journey that helps him develop his flawed character. Gilgamesh develops a homosocial relationship as he travels alongside Enkidu. However, after Enkidu’s passing, he grows a fear of death, and goes on another quest seeking the answer to immortality. Gilgamesh’s desire for immortality quickly becomes more of an obsession once he realizes he is still human. Through the use of repetition and imagery, the poem shows that Gilgamesh’s need to be remembered soon becomes less of an obsession, as he begins to accept that he is a mortal but finds a legacy to leave behind through his city, Uruk.

Enkidu’s passing uncovered Gilgamesh’s fear of mortality, and his obsession towards immortality.

Right after Enkidu’s death, Gilgamesh repeatedly asked himself if he “…must… die too? Must [he] be like that?/ Gilgamesh felt…fear…in his belly” every time he thought of death (Gilgamesh 48). Repeatedly questioning whether he will end up like Enkidu, and feeling fear in his belly demonstrate his fear towards death increasing. He constantly worried of what was awaiting him; because he knew death was coming, he became obsessed with the idea of immortality, and leaving behind a legacy. Gilgamesh sat beside Enkidu’s body for “seven days and nights…then [he] saw a worm fall out of [Enkidu’s] nose/…It was then [that he] felt the fear of it in [his] belly” which is why “[he] roams the wilderness…[in]…fear” (56). Gilgamesh admits to being afraid of death, right after seeing a physical appearance of it: the worm falling out of Enkidu’s nose. The image of the worm shows Gilgamesh what death is like, causing him to realize that he is mortal. Once again, he repeats that he feels the fear in his belly because of Enkidu’s death which emphasizes how terrified he is of the afterlife. Enkidu’s death brought realization to Gilgamesh that he is also human, and can also cease to exist.
Once Gilgamesh realizes he can die too, he goes on a menacing quest to find the answer to immortality from Utnapishtim. As he walks around, he continues to ask himself if he “must die too”; so he finally announces that he will “…seek…Utnapishtim…the only one of men by means of whom/ he might find out how death could be avoided” (48). Utnapishtim was the only way that Gilgamesh could think of to find the answer to immortality. Gilgamesh continues to repeatedly ask if he will end up like Enkidu-which continues to demonstrate his fear of death once he acknowledges that he is still human. Once he decides to find Utnapishtim, Gilgamesh states that he will hurry to find him; the dangers that he could possibly face would not hold him back. He walked “…alone, without a companion,/…seeing nothing at all,/…weeping and fearful, struggling to keep breathing…” (52). The repetition and imagery of Gilgamesh’s difficulty to see and breathe in the tunnel demonstrate his determination to get to the other side, and his obsession to find the answer to immortality. Being able to feel and see what Gilgamesh was put up against helps reveal his will to keep going despite of the dangers he faces. His perilous journey demonstrates his inner strength to find what he is searching for.
Finally, after a long, overwhelming journey, Gilgamesh finds Utnapishtim and finds his answer to immortality.

Utnapishtim shares his knowledge about a magical “…plant that grows under the waters,/ thorny to seize…” (79). So Gilgamesh, anxiously tied a couple of rocks to his feet to retrieve “…the thorny plant that cut his hands...” (80). The repetition and image of the thorny plant demonstrate his obsession for immortality; he did not mind the thorns, or that it was underwater, he found a way to get the plant and finally obtain immortality. Since Gilgamesh was a hubris man, it was unexpected when he announces that “he will carry the thorny plant back to [his] city./ [Where he] will give some of the plant to the elders…to share among them…and [then he] will take [his] share of the magic plant/…” (80). Although the image and repetition of the thorny plant continue to show his obsession with immortality, it also shows Gilgamesh’s change in character when instead of keeping the whole plant for himself, like one would have expected at the beginning, he decides to share the plant with the people back in his city. His change in character demonstrates how he went from being a hubris tyrant who only saw himself as a god, to a humble person who wanted to share his gift of immortality with everyone. His visit to Utnapishtim led him to find the magical plant that can make him

eternal.
Unfortunately, the plant is stolen, but Gilgamesh finally accepts who he really is, and sees that there are other ways to leave behind a legacy. Once he discovers that the serpent had taken his plant and finds its shed skin, he weeps about the plant, but comes into realization that “[he] descended into the waters to find the plant/ and what [he] found was a sign telling [him] to/ abandon the journey and what it was [he] sought for/” (81). The serpent’s skin serves as sign that helps Gilgamesh realize that his journey to find the answer to immortality was for nothing, except to find that he is still going to be physical gone one day. He is still part human, but that did not mean he could not leave behind a legacy. So on his way back to Uruk, he told the boatman to “study the brickwork…the fortification/…[and] how [the city] is made…see the planted and fallow fields, the ponds and the orchards/…Three leagues and the temple of Ishtar/ measure Uruk, the city of Gilgamesh” (81-82). Gilgamesh describes his city, as he realizes that the city is his legacy; it is the only way he will continue to be immortal. Although his body will not be roaming around physically, his city, Uruk, will stand there strong, and be a remembrance of who Gilgamesh is.
Gilgamesh, a hubris tyrant, went on a journey after his other half passed away and realized who he really is-a human. His journey caused him to become humble towards his people, and accepting of himself. Gilgamesh recognized that although immortality could not be achieved, he could leave behind his legacy. He found immortality through his city, a city that still stands today.