Struggling with Death in The Epic of Gilgamesh Essay

In The Epic of Gilgamesh the lines that are repeated at the beginning and end of the epic show that only immortality a human can gain lies in creating things that last beyond a person’s lifetime. While at the beginning of the epic Gilgamesh is seeking eternal life, when he concludes his journey he realizes that he has created an enduring legend through the foundation of his city, Uruk. Through this legend, Gilgamesh can live on in the memory of his people, long after he has passed away. The epic is able to convey this message multiple ways. The opening lines immediately introduce and impress upon the audience the importance of Gilgamesh, and the significance of his kingship. The epic continues on to describe the city of Uruk, with special consideration given to the walls surrounding Uruk. 3. Finally, the ending repetition of the lines shows that Gilgamesh has become aware of the legacy he has created in Uruk, and and accepts that in lieu of immortality. okay so these are the three? points you are talking about in your paper? make sure they match up with your paragraphs proving them and are not so vague

The Epic of Gilgamesh is one of the world’s oldest existing stories that were collected in Mesopotamia. It is a story about a heroic king named Gilgamesh, who treated his people in a nasty way. He was a domineering, and cruel leader, feared by many because of his unnatural strength. He forced his people into labor in order to expand his kingdom. The people cried unto the gods and they created Gilgamesh’s equal Enkidu, who they later became friends. Gilgamesh witnessed the death of his close friend Enkidu, and this made him to search for immortality because, he was afraid to die. However, he learnt that, no human was immortal, and that he was destined to die, just like his friend Enkidu.

(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 gives insight to the ways in which ancient Mesopotamians valued life. This becomes most obvious when Enkidu reveals to Gilgamesh his nightmare of the dark and enslaving afterlife as he is dying (The Epic of Gilgamesh, 2). This leaves Gilgamesh with extreme terror of death which provokes his desperate attempts to escape it. Giving death fearful and dark characteristics communicates that the afterlife is a harrowing experience and life is the individual’s harmonious experience. This serves to establish that ancient Mesopotamians sensed that life was something to be cherished and conceived of in a positive light. In addition, Mesopotamian life views are also illustrated when Gilgamesh must accept that he will not receive his requests for immortality from the gods (The Epic of Gilgamesh, 2). This suggests Mesopotamian society believed wise men should be grateful for their destiny and that he or she should not reach beyond what they are given. In doing so, this

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.

“You will never find that life for which you are looking. When the gods created man they allotted him death, but life they retained in their own keeping,” Siduri talking to Gilgamesh. (Gilgamesh 4). The epic of Gilgamesh has an abundance of parallels to the trial and tribulations of any human life. Gilgamesh’s story is humanities story of life, death, and realization. The awaking of Gilgamesh from a childish and secure reality connects my own life experiences to the epic tale.

As the world’s longest enduring hero, Gilgamesh defines the heroic archetype modern readers expect. Though he possesses strength, bravery, and honor, Gilgamesh’s journey to self-awareness clearly defines him as a hero when his other attributes fail to bring him victory. “In addition to being a hero, Gilgamesh is also a man, a king, and a god, and he must come to terms with these several identities” (Abusch 3) throughout the epic tale. Inspired by the wise Utnapishtim, Gilgamesh journeys into the unknown on a quest for “that which restores lost youth to a man.” (Sandars 27). He seeks the unattainable, and eventually finds it, but when a serpent “snatch[es] it away” (Sandars 27) he faces his own mortality. “Thus, Gilgamesh must come to terms with his own nature and learn to die, for he is both a man and a god, and as both he will experience loss and will die.” (Abusch 2). What is braver than facing one’s own mortality? Though the story of The Return in the Epic of Gilgamesh ends with Gilgamesh in tears, he remains a hero because he accepts who he is and continues onward. He says to Urshanabi, “Let us leave the boat on the bank and go,” and the epic continues (Sandars 27). Though a demi-god, Gilgamesh provides an heroic example of verisimilitude in his self-acceptance, and didactically encourages the reader to do the same.

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

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.

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.

Gilgamesh then gave up on his work to try to defeat death and despite his long hard journey, returns to Uruk no closer to immortality than he left. His fear of ending up dead like his friend Enkidu has finally become an inevitable reality and he has the ferrymen

A recurring theme within the Epic of Gilgamesh is the inevitability of death. Gilgamesh, two parts God and one part human, is the king of Uruk. He has a strong desire to be immortal and is seemingly spiteful of the gods’ ability to possess this trait. Later on in the epic when Gilgamesh meets Enkidu who eventually becomes his counterpart and faithful sidekick, Gilgamesh realizes that now they may together have the ability to do an extraordinarily defining deed that will allow them to theoretically live forever. Gilgamesh and Enkidu come to the decision that they must kill Humbaba after they realize that the only way in which they will be able to live on forever is through the fame in which this action will bring.

The Epic of Gilgamesh is one of the most recognized quests in history. It tells the story of a highly looked at character, Gilgamesh, whose only ambition is to gain immortality. He did not care how he reached his goal, which lead to many complications along the journey. At the end of his quest, he comes back a changed man. (Core 1)

Dying helps us appreciate living. We realize we don’t have infinite time and that death is inevitable. If humans were immortal we would not be grateful for the lives we have because we know we're not going to die. Gilgamesh realized death was not to be feared but embraced. He also started to appreciaite the things he took for granted like being a good ruler

In The Epic of Gilgamesh, we’re taught to appreciate life until the end. At the start of the story, Gilgamesh is a powerful, but inconsiderate king. He wants so much, but instead of working for it, he relies on fear to make other people do what he wants “So he made his men to work, the women do his beck and call, they wished that he was gone.” (song, line 11-12) That is, until he meets Enkidu. The two fight, but “They both gave up, the battle ends and they decide to be best friends.” (song, line 29-30) Enkidu loyally accompanies Gilgamesh until he is struck with an illness and dies. After that, Gilgamesh becomes consumed in his task to become immortal. During his journey, Shiduri attempts to tell Gilgamesh that he will never obtain eternal life, but should cherish the life he’s got left and “spend it in happiness, not despair.” (456) because what is the point in living forever if you don’t know happiness? After Gilgamesh loses the plant meant to give him eternal life, he is in a state of complete anguish. He feels like everything he did was in vain. The epic ends with him admiring his magnificent city and appreciating its beauty and the work put into it. In a way, nothing significantly changes, but at the same time, to him, everything does.