Gilgamesh's Experiences: The Losss And Gains Of Enkidu

1. What are the losses and gains of the civilized life (think about Enkidu)? The losses and gains of this civilized life can be shown in both Enkidu and Gilgamesh’s experiences. Enkidu first loses his own innocence. Shamhat sexual actions towards him take the purity that he once had and soils it. He also loses his own connection with nature and the wildlife. After the interaction with Shamhat Enkidu is shunned by forest creatures and he is not accept back into their group (Jackson Pg. 9). Enkidu losses are small to what he gains. Shamhat teaches him self-awareness, which allows him to formulate some concepts about what it means to be human. Before, he had an invisible barrier that separated him from other human and now he was able interact

In the Tablet VII Gilgamesh loses Enkidu. Gilgamesh learns from this that his own mortality is fragile and sets forth becoming an immortal. Nonetheless his only option for immortally is lost to snake (Jackson Pg. 88). He is then able to gain a new take on life. Gilgamesh recognized that it is not man’s faith to live on forever, but for his own creation to carry his name into generations to come. Gilgamesh and Enkidu learned to respect one another and a friendship grew out of it (Jackson Pg. 22). They grew on each other and through Enkidu, Gilgamesh became a better King and a

Friendship showed the reasons behind why Gilgamesh felt so much grief after Enkidu death and why he did so much to try to get him back. Their friendship was also the main reason that how Gilgamesh went from an evil tyrant to a great hero (Jackson Pg. 18). Their relationship proven when Enkidu goes along with Gilgamesh to kill Humbaba, he vowed that he would be there when Gilgamesh needed his help. It is clear from the reading that their friendship was not falsely created and was not a coincidence. They were indeed destined to become companions. I feel as if Gilgamesh was quite grateful for having even one friend who he trusted more than others. So when he dies Gilgamesh is clearly devastated and protests against the wrongness of it all (Jackson Pg.47). Anybody who has lost a loved one can recognize how unfair and incomprehensible death is, how uncompromising it is. Even in the end, Gilgamesh remains with his deceased brother up until the maggots start appearing from the corpse.

Another vital component that is essential for a good life is having ability to relax and to just enjoy living. After Enkidu death Gilgamesh can’t think of anything but death. In Tablet X Gilgamesh is told that he shouldn’t worry about passing away, but instead he should focus on enjoying himself (Jackson Pg.68). He should go, eat food, spend time with his other love ones, and use his leisure time