Immortal Life vs. Immortal Name: Gilgamesh and Beowulf Essay

Beowulf, now an old man, says in his final boast, “I’ve never known fear, as a youth I fought in endless battles. I am old, now, but I will fight again” (lines 607-609). Beowulf realizes the dangers of going into battle as an old man, and despite still knowing that his strength and fighting skills were not what they used to be still goes into battle against the ferocious dragon in order to protect his homeland from the villain. Unfortunately, as Beowulf was fighting saw that “for a time (the shield) held, protected Beowulf as he’d planned; then it began to melt, and for the first time in his life that famous prince fought with fate against him, with glory denied him. He knew it, but he raised his sword and struck at the dragon’s scaly hide/And the Geats’ ring-giver did not boast of glorious victories in other wars” (lines 666-671/678). As Beowulf fights the dragon, he comes to realize that he is not going to win and is going to meet his fate. All the battles he had previously fought had him fighting alongside fate, not against it, but now he realized that this is the battle he would not win. Still, Beowulf fights on knowing he would die. He, as stated in the quote, does not seek any pride nor has he in any of his battles and would valiantly fight until his death. These actions Beowulf has portrayed ultimately

(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.

Finally, after many years, Beowulf goes on to face his final opponent; the Dragon. After the Dragon has been set on a rampage against the Geats, Beowulf declares in his last boast that, selfishly, he will defeat the Dragon alone, “Beowulf spoke, made a formal boast for the last time: I risked my life often when I was young. Now I am old, but as king of the people I shall pursue this fight for the glory of winning” (2510-14). Beowulf’s emphasis in his formal boast is about “the glory of winning” instead of expressing concern for his people. Beowulf, this entire time, has not been fighting monsters for the Geats or to help others. In this formal boast he directly reveals his true intentions of gaining glory. He even states right afterwards that if he were stronger he would fight the dragon without a weapon, just as he did Grendel, “I would rather not use a weapon if I knew any other way” (2518-19), but alas he has grown old and realizes he needs the help of a blade to slay the Dragon. Then he speaks to his comrades about the battle, stating that he alone will fight the Dragon and must either win the fight with courage or

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

In contrast, Beowulf and Gilgamesh had different endings to their lives. Beowulf died after his battle with the dragon. “That final day was the first time when Beowulf fought and fate had denied him glory in battle.” (from Beowulf Part two translated by Seamus Heaney pg 45 lines 723-725) Gilgamesh’s life went a bit different. He eventually died, but in the story, he went on a journey to find the secret to everlasting life. "Seven days and nights I sat beside the body,

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

Beowulf’s virtues of courage and strength appear throughout the poem during his life as a warrior and as a king. He begins the story with courage and “the strength of thirty / in the grip of each hand” (380-381), which are vital to his accomplishments as a warrior. His courage and strength are apparent when he fights Grendel without the use of weapons. Both virtues are crucial to his success in that battle and lead him to become a leader of wisdom and stature. As king of Heorot he uses his courage and strength in the battle against the dragon. Before the fight he has a feeling of uncertainty and it is stated “He was sad at heart / unsettled yet ready, sensing his death. / His fate hovered near, unknowing but certain: / It would soon claim his coffered soul.” (2419-2424). His sense of forthcoming death may illustrates a lack of confidence in his ability to slay the dragon; however, it also shows tremendous courage by involving himself in an unevenly matched fight. Although his physical strength may have abandoned him in his last fight against the dragon, his courage and wisdom intensified his glory beyond his death.

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.

Beowulf also appears to be very religious and, unlike other proud warriors, he always puts his faith in God and gives Him the credit of his victories. Before facing Grendel, Beowulf exclaims to the others in the hall, "... Let God in his wisdom/ Extend his hand where he wills, reward/ Whom he chooses" (lines 685-687). In addition, after his fight with Grendel's mother, Beowulf returns and tells Hrothgar that he would have died if God had not helped him, "...I'd have been dead at once/ And the fight finished, the she-devil victorious,/ If our Father in Heaven had not helped me" (lines 1656-1658). Even at the very end of his life, Beowulf proclaims to Wiglaf that everything he had acquired had been through the will of God, "For this, this gold, these jewels, I thank/ Our Father in Heaven, Ruler of the Earth--/ For all of this, that His grace has given me..." (lines 2794-2796). Up until the end, Beowulf demonstrates

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

In this argument essay, it consists of three texts: The Epic of Gilgamesh, The Odyssey, and Beowulf. During each of the characters ' journey, they face challenges such as fighting with monsters and with that they either develop a greater sense of mortality or a greater sense of identity. Mortality and identity are common themes in an epic that portrays the importance of character development from the effects of their heroic actions. Some epics result in mortality which means they know that they live to die, while others result in identity which is when they live to discover their own identity. Mortality is developed more effectively in The Epic of Gilgamesh and Beowulf, and identity is shown in The Odyssey. Monsters in these epics that

“The Epic of Gilgamesh” deals with human mortality and the quest for immortality. Gilgamesh is extremely prideful, thinking he and his friend, Enkidu, can do and have whatever and whoever they want because they are big, strong men. Thanks to their arrogance and wrongdoings the gods decide one of them must die. Enkidu gets sick and dies, which is, in his eyes, a shameful way to die. These men want to die in battle with honor and be remembered forever. After the loss of his friend Gilgamesh fears death. He tries to avoid it, and goes on a grand quest, but of course he can't avoid death.

In the tenth book of Gilgamesh, Gilgamesh’s characterization develops a theme centered on the innate death that lies with seeking immortality. Gilgamesh desires to be immortal because he does not wish to “lie down in the dirt like [Enkidu]” (Gilgamesh 168; X), whom Gilgamesh has recently lost to the grappling reality of human mortality. The death of Enkidu frightens Gilgamesh; he dislikes knowing that one day, he too will be lost in mankind’s interminable future. Furthermore, his appearance is near-deathlike, as “[his cheeks [are] hollow” (Gilgamesh 166; X), and his face looks “ravaged, frost-chilled, and burnt by the desert sun” (Gilgamesh 167; X). This worn look foreshadows Gilgamesh’s approaching death. Since he does not wish to end up like Enkidu, the fact that death is becoming increasingly closer gives him a reason to want to avoid it. His

The Mesopotamian understanding of death is uniquely different from modern understandings in that the Mesopotamians lacked a belief in their own free will. The Mesopotamian epic poem, The Epic of Gilgamesh, can, as a result of both the theology and cosmogony of the civilization, be viewed as the first literary meditation on death and the human condition. The hero of the epic, Gilgamesh, through a metaphorical self-death, via the death of his only equal, Enkidu, can begin to comprehend the idea of death. The Epic of Gilgamesh, above all else, is a reflection on mortality and the human place in the cosmos.

Beowulf is an epic hero who enjoyed challenges and feeling adrenaline while fighting battles. He was not afraid of death so risk taking was no problem for him. Like he said “and if death does take me, send the hammered/ Mail of my armor to Higlac, return/ the inherence I had from Hrethel and he/ from Wayland. Fate will unwind as it must!” (Pg.414. line186-189) Beowulf wouldn’t care to die in a battle because he wanted to be remembered as a legacy in his town. He was aware that the fall out of his battle was not in his hands, which drove him to be fearless. Beowulf’s heroic vision never failed to motivate him even if many believed he wouldn’t succeed fighting alone without any armor. Beowulf was victor against his battle with Grendel. After this event