Death it is something we all must face at one point in our lives. It is either a passing of a friend, family member, companion or colleague. Regardless of what makes us confront the thought of death, it is the means by which we handle this response that certainly matters. The point when Gilgamesh is confronted by this inevitable event with the grisly misfortune of his dear friend and brother, Enkidu is when he begins to starts to fear his own demise. In Gilgamesh's childhood he is oblivious of death, it’s not until he watches his companion’s demise that his mortality turns into a panic.
The story starts by demonstrating Gilgamesh as a solid warrior and verified when he first meets Enkidu who tries to prevent Gilgamesh from having sex with a woman on her wedding night. "They grappled each other, holding fast like wrestlers, They shattered the doorpost, the wall shook…They grappled each other at the door to the wedding, They fought in the street, the public square…It was Gilgamesh who knelt for the pin, his foot on the ground" (23). This confirmed that Gilgamesh was firm and was not hesitant to battle. It’s here that the readers are unable to understand whether he fears dying; however he confronts a trial head on. This shows an absence of fear of the unknown in order to prove himself in a battle.
As the story goes on, Gilgamesh begins to talk about going into to the woods to murder the creature Humbaba. As he and Enkidu are planning for the battle, Enkidu talks about his worries in which Gilgamesh replies with "Here you are, even you, afraid about death… If I fall on the way, I'll establish my name: 'Gilgamesh, who joined fight with fierce Humbaba'"(26) his statements gives the reader the idea that Gilgamesh is now more tolerating...
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...n spite of the fact that Gilgamesh may at present be perplexed about death it is eminent to perceive how the thought of death progressions from ones youth to adulthood. We can additionally see that how one encounters passing can figure out what they will feel about death. We see that throughout his childhood Gilgamesh was cheerful, not hesitant to face challenges that could bring about death. Indeed he reveled in them and mocked the individuals who demonstrated an ounce of trepidation while confronting a fight. As he witnesses his nearby companion kick the bucket he starts to fear his own particular demise. He is perplexed about squandering endlessly and kicking the bucket in cot. At the end he goes to the acknowledgment that regardless of what he did he can't escape demise and perhaps the time it now, time to live rather than stress over death that anticipates him.
The quest for immortality after the death of Enkidu is the first sign that Gilgamesh has changed. Gilgamesh becomes frightened when he realizes that he isn’t immortal. After the death of Enkidu, Gilgamesh tries to find immortality by trying to cross the ocean to find it. He sounds pathetic as he rambles of his reason for trying to find everlasting life. His state of being at this part in the book, which is the end, is completely different from his arrogant beginning of this epic. Gilgamesh has gone from arrogant to scared.
The Epic of Gilgamesh is a historic story of the king of Uruk, Gilgamesh. The story depicts the short lived friendship of Gilgamesh and Enkidu. The story begins as Shamat the harlot seduces Enkidu and convinces him to go to the city of Uruk and meet Gilgamesh. From that moment on, the two were very close. They planned a trip to the forest of cedars to defeat the monster known as Humbaba so that Gilgamesh could show his power to the citizens of Uruk. However, Enkidu tried “vainly to dissuade” (18) Gilgamesh in going to the forest. Despite Enkidu’s plead, the two continued on their voyage to the forest where Humbaba lives. Once they arrived, they found the monster and killed him.
The epic begins with the men of Uruk describing Gilgamesh as an overly aggressive ruler. "'Gilgamesh leaves no son to his father; day and night his outrageousness continues unrestrained; And he is the shepherd of Uruk, the enclosure; He is their shepherd, and yet he oppresses them. Strong, handsome, and wise. . . Gilgamesh leaves no virgin to her lover.'"(p.18, Line 23-27) The citizens respect him, but they resent his sexual and physical aggression, so they plead to the gods to alleviate some of their burden. The gods resolve to create an equal for Gilgamesh to tame him and keep him in line. This equal, Enkidu, has an immediate impact on Gilgamesh. When they first meet, both having never before met a man equal in stature, they brawl. "They grappled with each other, Snorting like bulls; They shattered the doorpost, that the wall shook."(p.32, lines 15-18) In giving Gilgamesh a real battle, Enkidu instantly changes him; having this equal gives Gilgamesh a sense of respect for another man. These two men fighting each other creates a serious mess, but they both end up without animosity toward the other.
He is unable to accept the fact that people die and life is limited, instead of making new relationships and getting the best out of what life has to offer he decides to dwell on the negative. Gilgamesh would also state on (X.210) “I have worn myself out in sleeplessness, my muscles ach of misery.” This shows me the reader that humans are fragile beings that can be worn out through old age, pain and misery which are traits and qualities that makes it seem like being human has many physical downfalls. The epic fails to show the tavern girl or Ur-Shanabi trying to help Gilgamesh cope with his depression and this is another reason why I think humans are depicted has pessimistic beings in this epic. As a reader I am influenced to see life has meaningless through the lens of Gilgamesh. After the snake took away his only chance of becoming immortal, Gilgamesh would be left with nothing to go home to; his mother was a god who was too busy for him and his subjects all hated and feared him. This teaches us the reader that in our life we can loss everything we care about and can be forced to live a pathetic life until we
The second significant change in Gilgamesh was caused by the loss of his brotherly companion, Enkidu. Gilgamesh couln't bear the loss of a love so powerful. Despite his astonishing power and leadership, something in his life was missing. Moreover, he wept for seven days and nights, thinking his friend would come back because of his weeping. It is in this stage of the epic that one can see the truly sympathetic and compassionate side of Gilgamesh. The grief in his heart had far surpassed the magnificent pride that he had previously displayed so boldly. Enkidu's death left Gilgamesh frightened and confused. However, the despair in his heart was so great that he could not rest; would he ever be at peace? Thus, he became terrified of his own death.
He exudes pride in a manner only rivaled by Enkidu, his best friend. Gilgamesh and Enkidu relish in their brotherhood through fighting Humbaba and the Golden Bull. Their shared life is not permanent however. After they defeated the Golden Bull, the gods look down upon Enkidu and Gilgamesh, in which they decide one of them needs to die. As the book carries on, Enkidu is struck with a deathly illness and inevitably passes on. This changes Gilgamesh’s mindset towards death. In Mitchell’s translation, it reads,“If my grief is violent enough, perhaps he will come back to life again.’ For six days and seven nights I mourned him until a maggot fell out of his nose. Then, I was frightened, I was terrified by death” (Mitchell 167). Gilgamesh, who before was enthralled with the idea of dying a hero, suddenly became terrified of death. This growth, albeit not positive growth, was a direct result of the prior circumstances. The heroes’ shared hubris angered the gods who struck Enkidu down, causing Gilgamesh to lose his best friends. This loss causes gilgamesh to grow by fearing
This story teaches that death is an unavoidable and inevitable circumstance of mortal life, which is the most significant precept Gilgamesh learns. Gilgamesh is resentful that only the gods can exist eternally. Gilgamesh is frightened by the idea of his own destiny. Mesopotamian divinity proposes a perception of an afterlife; the deceased spend their period being dead in a netherworld. Death is inevitably entwined within the structure of creation. Life is also entwined, although mortals die, humanity maintains to live. The message that Gilgamesh returns with from his adventure is not primarily about death, but about life. Fragment of a tablet of The Epic of Gilgamesh is figure C down
Gilgamesh is an example of someone who had many flaws and faced many struggles but, in the end, changed his attitude and became a better person. In the beginning of Gilgamesh, he is described as doing whatever he wants and being juvenile in a way. For example, in the text it says, “he was their shepherd, yet powerful, superb, knowledgeable and expert, Gilgamesh would not leave young girls alone, the daughters of warriors, the brides of young men.” With his second half, Enkidu, they entered into the first step in becoming a hero according to Campbell, the separation, by going on an adventure. At this point in the story, Gilgamesh is very arrogant. While traveling to Cedar Forest, Gilgamesh tells Enkidu, “let me go in front of you, and your voice call out: ‘Go close, don’t be afraid!’ If I should fall, I should have won fame. People will say, Gilgamesh grappled in combat with ferocious Humbaba… ensure fame that will last forever.” Next is stage two, the initiation, of the Campbell’s hero journey. Gilgamesh undergoes a trail to begin his transformation, he must fight the Bull of Heaven. Gilgamesh’s supportive side is starting to show when he tells Enkidu that they will win if they fight together. After killing the Bull of Heaven, Gilgamesh’s confident attitude is shown once again. The next trial he faces is the death of Enkidu. He starts to show emotion when he says, “for you Enkidu, I, like your mother, your father, will weep on your plains… I will lay you to rest on a bed of loving care… and I myself will neglect my appearance after your death.” At this point his character has been greedy and then he showed his fear and supportive side. The last stage in the hero’s journey is the return. Enkidu’s death sent Gilgamesh on an adventure to fight death. From this adventure he learned his biggest lesson from Utnapishtim. He learns to appreciate life, and
Gilgamesh, feeling the fear of his own mortality, sets out on a journey to search for a way to preserve himself. Although the journey that he endures is much larger than life, Gilgamesh comes to realize that he can never achieve immortality. Before the creation of Enkidu, Gilgamesh is a man without an equal match. He is an individual with overwhelming power, and it is because of this that makes Gilgamesh a very arrogant person.
Woody Allen once stated, “It’s not that I’m afraid to die. I just don’t want to be there when it happens.” Even the most stout-hearted soul would admit the truth of that statement. Death—like life—is a mystery. It is also a test. Acting as an immutable deadline, death forces us to confront its inevitable reality. But not everyone deals with it in the same way. Those who lack the strength to cope are consigned to a life of unconquerable fear and insecurity and are the stuff of tragedy. Others, however, do succeed in attaining a measure of immortality, though the journey is long and difficult. These are the culture-makers of society: its painters, composers, and poets. Their common link is the warrior spirit, the part of them that struggles, succeeds...and struggles some more. The Epic of Gilgamesh reflects this spirit of the warrior. Although Enkidu’s death indicates that mortals seemingly are at the mercy of the gods and death is inevitable, Gilgamesh nonetheless embarks on a quest for godhood: Enkidu has to die so Gilgamesh can live.
In, Gilgamesh, the quest for immortality is important in order for Gilgamesh to cheat death, after his one and only best friend’s quick fatal fall to illness. Gilgamesh being two-thirds God and one-third human has many great obstacles to overcome, especially with the Gods. The search for immortality and overall self may be a great accomplishment for Gilgamesh to overcome.
Although Gilgamesh states that everyone dies at one point, Gilgamesh does not truly come to terms with mortality until after Enkidu’s death. As a result of the death of Enkidu, someone is viewed as an equal to Gilgamesh, Gilgamesh begins to fear death and realizes the truth of mortality, leading into a state of seemingly endless sorrow and depression. From here Gilgamesh embarks on a journey, in order to bring Enkidu back to life, and to prove that death is not inevitable and that immortality can be achieved by those with mortal blood, and of course, ultimately fails. On Gilgamesh’s journey to see Utnapishtim, Gilgamesh is given a plant that is meant to make Gilgamesh a young man again (Kovacs
The newfound friends gradually weaken and grow lazy living in the city, so Gilgamesh proposes a great adventure that entails cutting down a great cedar forest to build a great monument to the gods. However to accomplish this they must kill the Guardian of the Cedar Forest, the great demon, Humbaba the Terrible. Enkidu, along with the elders of the city, have serious reservations about such an undertaking but in the end Gilgamesh and Enkidu kill the terrible demon.
As he and Enkidu are preparing for the fight, Enkidu speaks of his concerns in which Gilgamesh responds with “Here you are, even you, afraid of death. If I fall on the way, I’ll establish my name: ‘Gilgamesh, who joined battle with fierce Humbaba’”(26). This gives the idea that Gilgamesh is accepting to death at this point.... ... middle of paper ...
One of the main themes in the epic is that death is inevitable, which is shown through Enkidu's death. When Enkidu dies, Gilgamesh becomes very worried, because he realizes for the first time that everyone is going to die at some point in time. The fact that Enkidu is a close friend makes it even more visible to Gilgamesh that everyone is mortal. Then, along with this realization, comes the theme of denial. Gilgamesh does not want to accept the fact that he will die. He denies the truth, because he does not want to think about the truth or cope with the tragedy that has struck him. "And he-he does not lift his head. 'I touched his heart, it does not beat'" (Tablet VIII, Column II, 15-16). "'Me! Will I too not die like Enkidu? Sorrow was come into my belly. I fear death; I roam over the hills. I will seize the road; quickly I will go to the house of Utnapishtim, offspring of Ubaratutu. I approach the entrance of the mountain at night. Lions I see, and I am terrified. I lift my head to pray to the mood god Sin: For...a dream I go to the gods in prayer: ...preserve me!'" (Tablet IX, Column I, 3-12).