Value Of Life In Gilgamesh

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The conversations Gilgamesh has with characters prove to be incredibly vital for Gilgamesh’s growth and in understanding the practicality of death and value of human life. On his quest to find Utnapishtim, after grieving over Enkidu’s death, Gilgamesh encounters Siduri, the tavern keeper who lives by the edge of the sea. Siduri’s character plays an important role in reality in the epic, as she is the first to provide a voice of reason to Gilgamesh on his journey to gain immortality. She says, “When the Gods created mankind, they established death for mankind, and withheld eternal life for themselves… As for you, Gilgamesh, let your stomach be full, always be happy…This, then, is the work of mankind.” (X.70-72, 74-75, 82). Siduri emphasizes …show more content…

On Gilgamesh’s walk back to Uruk with Ur-Shanabi, the boatman, Gilgamesh mourns over his hopeless and ineffective efforts to find immortality. When Ur- Shanabi and Gilgamesh arrive at ramparted Uruk, Gilgamesh says, “Go up, Ur-Shanabi, pace out the walls of Uruk. Study the foundation terrace and examine the brickwork. Is not its masonry of kiln-fired brick?”(XI.325-326). When they arrive, Gilgamesh shows the boatman the city walls. He shows him its brickwork, foundation, gardens, and clay pits. Gilgamesh is not only showing the efforts of is work to Ur-Shanabi by pointing out the size of the land, but also the efforts of his people, as he boasts and complements the brickwork, foundation, gardens, and clay pits. This demonstrates Gilgamesh's blossoming in self-realization for not only his work but also the work of his subject, as we come to finally appreciate and show gratitude towards their work, as he shows off too Ur-Shanabi. After having to face the death of Enkidu and disappointment in not gaining immortality, these final lines really show his growth in seeing the value of life. This is the first time we hear Gilgamesh speak kindly of his subjects, and a reason for that being is that he has come to admire the value of life and now does not seek to live longer than his creations, but to die, and let his efforts and victories speak for themselves, as he realizes that what he has worked for and has gained is nothing less than

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