Comparing Love And Death In The Epic Of Gilgamesh

Love and Death in The Epic of Gilgamesh

Abstract: The most interesting stories invariably are about love and death. These two themes underlie the Epic of Gilgamesh, a mythic tale of the quest for immortality. Gilgamesh, profoundly affected by the death of his friend Enkidu at the hands of the gods, questions the injustice of life. Finding no answer, he of course tries to change—indeed, eliminate—the question by seeking immortality. The following essay examines Gilgamesh and Enkidu’s relationship, and the effect of Enkidu’s death on Gilgamesh. Gilgamesh’s failure in the end attests the intertwining of love and death in a relationship. Woody Allen once stated, “It’s not that I’m afraid to die. I just don’t want to be there when it

Gilgamesh and Enkidu, however, cannot go this route. They must find another way, and deeds of strength and courage best suit their mesomorphic characters. As Gilgamesh puts it, “Only the gods live forever...but as for us men, our days are numbered, our occupations are a breath of wind” (71). So the two quest for immortality by destroying monsters and achieving fame through their success. But Enkidu’s death shatters the hope Gilgamesh places in fame; the spirit may live on, but the body still lies cold. After Enkidu dies, a result of the gods’ decree, Gilgamesh “[lays] a veil, as one veils a bride, over [Enkidu]” (95), a tribute to their profound friendship. By laying the veil Gilgamesh perhaps vows to expunge the shame Enkidu feels about dying less than a warrior’s death. His quest for godhood, then, would be a conjugal effort because love, not selfishness, guides his

The irony is that the story is about his failure rather than success. His quest started when he realized “[he had] not established [his] name stamped on bricks as...destiny decreed” (70). He presumably thought his story would be one success after another, victories of strength and fury. How ironic that his tale is of the failure to find immortality, a quest prompted by Enkidu’s death. But as irony takes another twist, his failure is also a success. Gilgamesh learns, one presumes, that although death inevitably comes, one must attempt to foil its icy grasp. That is why Enkidu must die for Gilgamesh to live: his death launches Gilgamesh toward a hopeless task, one that results in a valuable lesson set in stone for all to