Analysis Of Gilgamesh Fear Of Death

However, the prostitute was depicted as a nurturer and a symbol of pleasure. The prostitute seduced Enkidu and taught him how to function properly in human society. The prostitute also played a major role in Enkidu and Gilgamesh becoming friends because she led Enkidu to Uruk, which was the place Gilgamesh ruled. The way the story of “Gilgamesh” ended was a bit strange to me as well because typical heroic narratives end in heroism and triumph. In the story of “Gilgamesh” Gilgamesh doesn’t reach his goal of attaining eternal life at the end, instead he fails miserably and meets the inevitable fate of death. I expected him to overcome the tremendous odds that were stacked against him and victoriously become immortal. Today’s audience is used to the hero overcoming what most consider impossible at the end of a story.

The gods communicated with Gilgamesh on his journeys through his dreams, which play out in reality so he was dreaming of his days to come (tablet 4). In tablet five Ishtar proposes marriage to Gilgamesh and because he declines she rages another war for Gilgamesh against the bull of heaven. So he faces another gods issue and wins as a divine would. Continually the gods faced Gilgamesh with challenges that he would meet and there for giving him high expectations in life and proving that there was nothing that he couldn't do. Although Gilgamesh himself created these issues in his head that there was always something to prove the gods never deterred him. Time and time again they placed a burning inside him to complete another quest and every time the task at hand became harder and harder. He became so addicted to the hunt and kill that he let his friend Enkidu die for his cause (tablet 7). His quest for eternal life after he witnessed the death of a close one showed us that although Gilgamesh wanted eternal life he wasn't capable of protecting the very thing that would provide that to him. He was told by Utanapishtim, the wisest man that ever lived that he himself escaped a massive flood which the god Enki warned him of out of oath was not to tell anyone. Now this flood alone would reference the current day biblical story about the flood. Gilgamesh knew

In the beginning of the poem, Gilgamesh show his nasty manners to the people from the Uruk town. People described him as a terrible king because of how the way he treat others. He act extremely arrogant and careless. Gilgamesh would sleep with every women from

maker of wine, since I have seen your face do not let me see the face

Gilgamesh, on the other hand, is not so lucky. His weakness is something that he cannot escape. Since Gilgamesh is part human, death is an inevitable fact of life. Gilgamesh’s fate is first foreseen when he has a dream about a wild man Enkidu. Gilgamesh tells his mother,” Stars of the sky appeared, and some kind of meteorite of Anu fell next to me. I tried to lift it but it was too mighty for me, I tried to turn it but I could not budge it. – I loved it and embraced it as a wife. I laid it down at your feet, and you made it compete with me. (220-231)” Gilgamesh learns his destiny is to love Enkidu, but the gods create Enkidu to destroy Gilgamesh. When the goddess of love sends the bull of heaven to kill Gilgamesh, Gilgamesh and Enkidu defeat the bull, but the gods are not happy. As punishment, they speak the curse of death upon Enkidu. Heart-broken

     Gilgamesh sets out on his journey for immortality, leaving his kingdom and people behind to fend for themselves. He starts to become self-seeking just as he had before. He spends every waking moment searching for immortality only to benefit himself. The whole purpose of the journey itself is so that Gilgamesh can gain immortality for himself and be remembered forever. He doesn’t realize that his people are off on there own with no king to control the empire. Even when

Because of his pride, he does not listen, which is one of his biggest flaws in the story. Furthermore, you can see Gilgamesh’s perseverance when he finds out that the outcome of his journey is not favorable, but he still continues to go after praying to Shamash (26). This shows that he would always continue with what he started and that he was not one to give up on what he says he is going to do. His loyalty to his friend, Enkidu, is also very obvious, especially after Enkidu passed away, when Gilgamesh “Slaughtered fatted [cattle] and sheep, heaped them high for his friend” (62). This shows that Gilgamesh really enjoyed and appreciated Enkidu as a friend, and even after his death, he did everything possible to make sure that he was recognized and respected. But, after his death, Gilgamesh still showed his flaw of being self-righteous because he felt that he deserved eternal life because he was part god. For instance, he stated, “Enkidu, my friend whom I loved, is turned into clay! Shall I too not lie down like him, and never get up forever and ever?” (78). The idea of death really hit him after Enkidu because he realized that death is inevitable, no matter how prideful you are or how much you achieve, it is still going to happen. Gilgamesh definitely had too many heroic qualities that were

Another interesting point is when Gilgamesh called upon god "O glorious Shamash, I have followed the road you commanded but now if you send no succor how shall I escape?" (p.17 lines 33-34).This exemplifies the fact that Gilgamesh needs divine help, Gilgamesh is not satisfied with his own strength and abilities thus calls upon god in humility. The last occurance that proves Gilgamesh's personality shift is when he decided to bring the plant back to Uruk. He wanted the old men to eat it first so they can be rejuvenated, and then he would take part of it last.

As the epic starts, Gilgamesh is portrayed as a self-centered, self-admiring leader who believes that he is the only individual that can lead the city of Uruk. Gilgamesh believes that he is a god-like figure and often refers to himself as one. He believes that he is above everyone else in the city of Uruk. For example, in the epic there is a scene where Gilgamesh enters the city of Uruk, the epic describes the scene as; “He entered the city of Uruk-the-Town-Square, and a crowd gathered around. He came to a halt in the street of Uruk-the Town-Square, all gathered about, the people discussed him” (15). This quote is a good example of how Gilgamesh expected those around him to respect and look up to him as a god-like figure. He did not lead the city of Uruk humbly; he wasn’t a leader who strived to feel like a normal citizen of the city. Instead, Gilgamesh felt that he was entitled to more privileges than the average person. Early on in the epic, Gilgamesh is described as a “tall, magnificent and terrible, who opened passes in the mountains, who dug wells on the slopes of the uplands, and crosses the ocean, the wide sea to the sunrise” (2). This demonstrates how selfish Gilgamesh truly was, and how all

men, hear me! Hear me, O elders of teeming Uruk, hear me! I shall weep

understanding that his own life must continue if it is to have meaning. Gilgamesh was willing to

In the ?Epic of Gilgamesh,? Gilgamesh deals with an issue that nearly destroyed him. He sought after immortality so much that he put his own life on the edge. Centuries later, this quest unites our high tech, fast paced culture with the remote and different culture of Gilgamesh. Humanity has yet to find the secret of letting go of the idea of everlasting life.

Perhaps one of the main reasons the Epic of Gilgamesh is so popular and has lasted such a long time, is because it offers insight into the human concerns of people four thousand years ago, many of which are still relevant today. Some of these human concerns found in the book that are still applicable today include: the fear and concerns people have in relation to death, overwhelming desires to be immortal, and the impact a friendship has on a person’s life. It does not take a great deal of insight into The Epic of Gilgamesh for a person to locate these themes in the story, and even less introspection to relate to them.

The first major sign we have of Gilgamesh 's fear of dying comes when his friend Enkidu dies. At first Gilgamesh cannot even accept his death, he does not even bury the body until maggots start to appear in Enkidu. Eventually, he realizes that he too must face death one day. This fear is clearly indicated when Gilgamesh states "I am afraid of death"

Gilgamesh was said to have been two-thirds god and one part man and this self-description may have originated from the above mentioned Sumerian desire to deify their kings. Carl Jung seems to describe this as when "the gods first lived in superhuman power and beauty on top of snow-clad mountains or in the darkness of caves, woods, and seas. Later on they drew together into one god, and then god became man" (Jung, p. 102). Gilgamesh's heroic journey has been exalted because it is more than just a great adventure story, it is also an incredible intellectual pursuit (Rosenberg, p. 173). Not only must he have great courage and determination to defeat the obstacles before him, Gilgamesh must also possess undeterred patience, internal fortitude, and willful self-examination (Rosenberg, p. 173). "For at another level, one is to