Death In The Epic Of Gilgamesh
Kimberly Clarke
September 26, 2016
HEG 21
The problem of dealing with the reality of death is as old as humanity itself and continues to modern day. This is made apparent in many popular writings such as mythic and religious genres throughout the ages, which all address the issue of trying to evade death. The Epic of Gilgamesh also addresses the meaning of life and the desire to cheat death while also coming to a considerable outcome with Gilgamesh dealing with the reality of his own mortality.
At first Gilgamesh is unstoppable and there was no denying it. He ruled and terrorized over the city of Uruk. He was rude, greedy, and a neglectful king. Gilgamesh never sought out what was the best interests for his subjects instead he only worried …show more content…
Consequently, Gilgamesh decides that the only way to solve his problem is to seek immortality. This motivates him to seek Utnapishtim, a former king who was granted immortality, in effort to learn the secret of immortality. Utnapishtim explains to Gilgamesh that his quest for immortality is fruitless because there would be no way the gods would just simply grant Gilgamesh immortality. However, he does give Gilgamesh an alternative, sending him on another quest for a plant that restores youth. He planned on even sharing some of the plant with the people of Uruk stating, (I will share some of the plant to the elders there, to share among them, telling them its …show more content…
The journey has gone for nothing. For whom has my heart’s blood been spent? For whom? For the serpent who has taken away the plant. I descended into the waters to find the plant and what I found was a sign telling me to abandon the journey and what it is I sought for” (81). This signifies Gilgamesh’s accepting the reality that there is nothing more that he can do besides accepting his fate as a mortal.
In the ending of the epic Gilgamesh repeats the lines that were said in the beginning stating, “Study the brickwork, study the fortification; climb the great ancient staircase to the terrace; study how it is made, from the terrace see the planted and fallow fields, the pond and orchards...Three leagues and the temple precinct of Ishtar measure Uruk the city of Gilgamesh” (pg.81-82).” which expresses how Gilgamesh has accepted mortality instead of struggling against it. He finally made peace with the fact that where there is creation itself, there is also the seed of
September 26, 2016
HEG 21
The problem of dealing with the reality of death is as old as humanity itself and continues to modern day. This is made apparent in many popular writings such as mythic and religious genres throughout the ages, which all address the issue of trying to evade death. The Epic of Gilgamesh also addresses the meaning of life and the desire to cheat death while also coming to a considerable outcome with Gilgamesh dealing with the reality of his own mortality.
At first Gilgamesh is unstoppable and there was no denying it. He ruled and terrorized over the city of Uruk. He was rude, greedy, and a neglectful king. Gilgamesh never sought out what was the best interests for his subjects instead he only worried …show more content…
Consequently, Gilgamesh decides that the only way to solve his problem is to seek immortality. This motivates him to seek Utnapishtim, a former king who was granted immortality, in effort to learn the secret of immortality. Utnapishtim explains to Gilgamesh that his quest for immortality is fruitless because there would be no way the gods would just simply grant Gilgamesh immortality. However, he does give Gilgamesh an alternative, sending him on another quest for a plant that restores youth. He planned on even sharing some of the plant with the people of Uruk stating, (I will share some of the plant to the elders there, to share among them, telling them its …show more content…
The journey has gone for nothing. For whom has my heart’s blood been spent? For whom? For the serpent who has taken away the plant. I descended into the waters to find the plant and what I found was a sign telling me to abandon the journey and what it is I sought for” (81). This signifies Gilgamesh’s accepting the reality that there is nothing more that he can do besides accepting his fate as a mortal.
In the ending of the epic Gilgamesh repeats the lines that were said in the beginning stating, “Study the brickwork, study the fortification; climb the great ancient staircase to the terrace; study how it is made, from the terrace see the planted and fallow fields, the pond and orchards...Three leagues and the temple precinct of Ishtar measure Uruk the city of Gilgamesh” (pg.81-82).” which expresses how Gilgamesh has accepted mortality instead of struggling against it. He finally made peace with the fact that where there is creation itself, there is also the seed of