Essay on Epic of Gilgamesh

The very first lines of the epic focus on Gilgamesh and the impressiveness of his accomplishments. They stress the wisdom he attained, drawing attention to it right away with the repetition of what he learned;

In this poem, one is able to learn that, all human beings are destined to die. As much as we might strongly desire to live forever, the inevitable truth is that, death in inevitable and all will die. Gilgamesh thought, because he was half man and half god that he is immortal, but to his surprise, only gods are immortal, but all human beings are destined to die someday. If human beings were given a choice to become immortal, everyone would go for it, just as Gilgamesh feared death and wished that he were immortal. Gilgamesh embarked on a journey in search for eternal life, only to come back facing the truth that he will never have eternal life. Siduri tells him that, “You will never find that life for which you are looking. When the gods created man, they allotted him death, but life they

(Gilgamesh 71)” Gilgamesh's grief for his friend was natural, but he shouldn't have abandoned his people and his royal duties. As ruler, his people have to follow his decree, and need his support to thrive. By forcing them to grief, and abandoning his position, he left them in a very vulnerable position. His last and final abandonment of his people began with Gilgamesh's quest for immortality. He was so upset and shocked by what occurred to Enkidu's body after death, that he vowed he would never die. His selfishness has grown so far, that when he finds his cure for mortality, he chooses to let an old man test the plant in case it brings death instead. “I will bring it to Uruk-Haven, and have an old man eat the plant to test it. The plant's name is “The Old Man Becomes a Young Man.” Then I will eat it and return to the condition of my youth. (Gilgamesh 106)” Gilgamesh was a powerful man with a lot of ambition, and potential. It was just ruined by his selfish nature. He was, all-in-all, a famous and great ruler... but not a just one.

The epic of Gilgamesh is the earliest primary document discovered in human history dating back to approximately 2,000 B.C.E. This document tells a story of an ancient King Gilgamesh, ruler of Sumer in 2,700 B.C.E. who is created gloriously by gods as one third man and two third god. In this epic, Gilgamesh begins his kingship as an audacious and immature ruler. Exhausted from complaints, the gods send a wild man named Enkidu to become civilized and assist Gilgamesh to mature into a righteous leader. However, Enkidus death causes Gilgamesh to realize his fear of immortality and search for an escape from death. On his journey, Gilgamesh learns that the gods will not grant his wish and that he must

     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

In The Epic of Gilgamesh, Gilgamesh’s pursuit for immortality is marked by ignorance and selfish desire. Desire and ignorance, as The Buddha-karita of Asvaghosha suggests, pollutes man’s judgment resulting in his inability to break the cycle of birth and death. At the core of Gilgamesh’s desire resides his inability to accept the inevitability of death, making his rationality behind the pursuit of immortality ignorant and selfish. Implicitly, Gilgamesh’s corrupt desire for immortality conveys that Gilgamesh does not mature as a character.

The Epic of Gilgamesh is the greatest surviving epic poem from Ancient Mesopotamia. The original author is unknown, since the epic was passed on orally for many generations during the second millennium B.C.E before being written down in clay tablets. However, the definitive fragmented revision of the epic is accredited to Sin-leqi-unninni, a Babylonian priest and scholar. The Epic of Gilgamesh follows Gilgamesh’s quest for immortality, remarking the question of what it means to be human. The story starts with King Gilgamesh of Uruk in Southern Mesopotamia, an arrogant and oppressive ruler who is two thirds divine and one third human. The citizens of Uruk, tired of Gilgamesh’s behavior, plead the Gods to stop him. In response, the Gods fabricate Enkidu to confront Gilgamesh, but before he does that, he needs to become civilized first. In the act of turning into a civilized man, Enkidu, like all human beings, loses his innocence, as well as his deep connection with nature.

The story about Gilgamesh is one of the earliest pieces of world literature dating back to the second millennium B.C.E. This story has been evolved gradually over a long span of a millennium, and has been enjoyed by many nations. The Epic of Gilgamesh teaches life lessons that apply to the past and present while revolving around the question of what it means to be human, and to experience the phenomenon of friendship, love, and death.

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

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"

There once lived a king, the great king of Uruk in Mesopotamia. This great leader was Gilgamesh. His preserved epic is of great significance to modern day culture. Through Gilgamesh, the fate of mankind is revealed, and the inevitable factor of change is expressed. In the Epic of Gilgamesh, it is a great love, followed by a lingering grief that cause a significant change in the character of Gilgamesh.

He then sent out to find Untapishtim which is where he thought eternal life would be. The first place his journey takes him is the twin peaked mountains called Musha. After rushing through the tunnel to beat the sun he emerges into a beautiful garden by the sea that’s where he meets Siduri. Siduri warns him that immortality is futile and he should be satisfied with his life and what he has. He doesn’t listen to Siduri and insists on moving forward being optimistic about finding eternal life. When Gilgamesh arrives to Untapishtim, he demands that he should be granted with eternal life. Utnapishtim gives him a test, “Prevail against sleep, and perhaps you will prevail against death.” (Mitchell, 191) Gilgamesh accepts this challenge, but fails immediately. Untapishtim orders him to return to Uruk, but he tells Gilgamesh of a spiny plant that grows in the water of the Great Deep. A miraculous plant that would restore youth. Gilgamesh goes and retrieves the plant. He plans to share it with the elders of Uruk, but before he could reach the city a snake steals the plant away. Gilgamesh did not return emptyhanded. He instead came back with the acceptance of mortality and a name for himself.

Gilgamesh ends his journey to see Utanapishtim on a bad note. He finally faces the fact that he cannot live forever. Instead of running from the inevitable like he has been doing, he has to face his fear of death. After all of his attempts, he fails miserably and decides to go back to Uruk. The significance of

In Gilgamesh it 's discovered that he was two thirds god and one-third man, and his knowledge is the significant to his fate. Gilgamesh is a hero that is beautiful, courageous, and daunting to the others around him; they desires to have his attributes, and accomplishments to reflect and exemplify theirs life and destiny. Being mortal means that his fate is to experience his own death and the death of others around him. In fact, without death his life would be meaningless, and the journeys that make up the story would vanish. The immortality of Gilgamesh’s name gives the ability to live forever than to die and be forgotten. This story teaches Gilgamesh what it means to be human; he teaches him the meaning of love and compassion, the