The Desire for Everlasting Life and Gilgamesh

1272 Words3 Pages

The desire for everlasting life or immortality has been the first and the oldest quest of mankind. At the beginning of time, man was designed to live forever. When God created Adam, he created him to dwell on the earth and to fill it with his offspring’s. At no time was he told that this was a temporary arrangement. He was to live forever unless he ate from one certain tree. If he ate from that tree, then he would die. We are then left with several questions, if he had not eaten from that tree, would he still be alive? If he was meant to live forever, was that desire instilled in him? And as his descendants, was the desire to live forever instilled in each of us as well?

That desire is in all mankind. From the beginning of time, man has searched for the holy grail of immortality. People have looked for magical potions and searched for countless ways and spent fortunes in order to find the miracle that was to extend their lives, to turn back the clock, to keep them youthful. In this aspect, our hero, Gilgamesh, is no different. Gilgamesh’s life is somewhat similar to that of the Bible’s first man, Adam. He was designed perfectly “towering Gilgamesh is uncanningly perfect.” (pg. 4) He enjoyed paradistic conditions. He enjoys his life, his might and power, and perhaps believes that he will live forever, that he will be youthful forever. He has much to live for, is too vigorous to be truly mortal. He is after all 2/3 part divine and only 1/3 part human. Why would he not want to live forever? Was Gilgamesh, like Adam, at first given the right and desire to live forever and later lost it by an act of disobedience? Gilgamesh, like countless others, begins a quest for immortal life. He wants to make sure that he can li...

... middle of paper ...

...as trying to make him realize that not only are we accountable for our actions, we need to realize that as humans our time is limited and we need to appreciate the things that we have rather than longing for things we may never have. Gilgamesh came to this realization when at the end he looks at the things he has, the city of Uruk and says: “Pace out the walls of Uruk…did not seven masters lay its foundations? One square mile of city, one square mile of gardens, one square mile for clay pits, a half square mile of Ishtar’s dwelling, three and a half square miles is the measure of Uruk!” (pg. 95)

So in the end, Gilgamesh comes to accept his fate. He begins to appreciate what he has, rulership over a beautiful city. He stops worrying about what the future may hold. In the end, none of us can know what the future holds, but we can appreciate and live for the day.

Show More
Related

  • Search for Immortality in the Epic of Gilgamesh

    725 Words  | 2 Pages

    In The Epic of Gilgamesh the main character, Gilgamesh, is searching for immortality. This want is brought about by deep feelings held by Gilgamesh for his dead friend Enkidu. From this, Gilgamesh finds himself being scared of dying. This fear pushes Gilgamesh to search for the power of immortal life, which is believed to be held only by women because of the fact that they can reproduce. This takes him on a long and tiresome journey to a land where no mortal has gone before. The search by Gligamesh is fueled by the desire to play a part in reproduction. His journey begins at Mount Mashu, the mountain which describes a woman in the part that her "paps reach down to the underworld." Referring to two women’s breast’s hanging down. Before he may enter the mountain, he meets two half female, half dragon figures guarding the entrance. They begin asking why he has come; "No man/ born of woman has done what you have/ asked, no mortal man has ever gone into the/ mountain." This mountain is off limits to mortal beings, he should not be there  Gilgamesh is alloud in and goes through twelve leagues of darkness before he reaches the golden garden of the goddesses.

    Read More

  • How Did Gilgamesh Become A Better King

    826 Words  | 2 Pages

    After encountering the death of his friend Enkidu, Gilgamesh realizes that all men will die. Gilgamesh evolves from the beginning of The Epic of Gilgamesh as an unruly king to a realistic king who’s life ends in death. In the end after accepting that he too must die and be subject to fate, Gilgamesh settles back into his city setting, only this time to be a wise king rather than the foolish hero he once was.

    Read More

  • Death and Immortality in The Epic of Gilgamesh

    1379 Words  | 3 Pages

    Gilgamesh, feeling the fear of his own mortality, sets out on a journey to search for a way to preserve himself. Although the journey that he endures is much larger than life, Gilgamesh comes to realize that he can never achieve immortality. Before the creation of Enkidu, Gilgamesh is a man without an equal match. He is an individual with overwhelming power, and it is because of this that makes Gilgamesh a very arrogant person.

    Read More

  • Epic of Gilgamesh Essay - The Ever-Changing Gilgamesh

    547 Words  | 2 Pages

    The quest for immortality after the death of Enkidu is the first sign that Gilgamesh has changed. Gilgamesh becomes frightened when he realizes that he isn’t immortal. After the death of Enkidu, Gilgamesh tries to find immortality by trying to cross the ocean to find it. He sounds pathetic as he rambles of his reason for trying to find everlasting life. His state of being at this part in the book, which is the end, is completely different from his arrogant beginning of this epic. Gilgamesh has gone from arrogant to scared.

    Read More

  • Struggling with Death in The Epic of Gilgamesh

    568 Words  | 2 Pages

    Many people today hold on to the topic of immortality because they find it so difficult to say goodbye to a loved one. Placing flowers on graves is a popular way to remember the deceased. Even years after the person has died, the family members and friends still go to the gravesite to reminisce. People find it difficult to accept the fact that they will never see someone again. They want to believe that the person is still there. Gilgamesh had the same problem. He made the journey looking for his friend. He couldn?t deal with the fact that Enkidu had died. He wanted him to live forever. Gilgamesh even went as far as almost sacrificing his life to find him...

    Read More

  • Gilgamesh and the Quest for Immortality

    1044 Words  | 3 Pages

    The stories of the hunt for immortality gathered in the Epic of Gilgamesh depict the conflict felt in ancient Sumer. As urbanization swept Mesopotamia, the social status shifted from a nomadic hunting society to that of a static agricultural gathering society. In the midst of this ancient "renaissance", man found his relationship with the sacred uncertain and precarious. The Epic portrays the strife created between ontological nostalgia for a simpler time and the dawn of civilization breaking in the Near East. In this Epic, Gilgamesh is seen trying to achieve immortality through the methods of both the old and the new. His journeys through the sacred and the profane in many ways characterize the confusion arising from the unstable social climate. Therefore, the society, by writing the story of Gilgamesh, guarantees not only his immortality, but the immortality of the new order being established.

    Read More

  • The Epic of Gilgamesh

    1053 Words  | 3 Pages

    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.

    Read More

  • Obedience and Arrogance in Epic of Gilgamesh and Book of Genesis of the Holy Bible

    1239 Words  | 3 Pages

    In a way, Gilgamesh did achieve his goal. His aim was to be immortal and in a way he is, witnessed by the fact that we read his story today and will no doubt continue to do so in the future. And as long as Christianity exists in the world, Noah will also be remembered. Gilgamesh gained his notoriety through his arrogance: he ravished women, was desired by a goddess, and rejected his own mortality. Noah achieved fame by being obedient: he was found worthy by God, given an escape route from death, and salvaged the creatures of the earth. Arrogance and obedience may have each achieved the same goal in the end, no one will  forget Gilgamesh, King of Uruk, nor Noah, builder of the ark.

    Read More

  • The Friendship of Gilgamesh and Enkidu

    780 Words  | 2 Pages

    The whole reason Gilgamesh takes this journey to search for eternal life is due to the death of Enkidu, with whom he was close with. Before all of the events occurred, Gilgamesh had never thought about the topic of death. It’s as if it never crossed his mind; as though he would live forever. He went through phases along his journey. The first was not accepting reality, the second was fighting for eternal life, and the last was accepting reality. Now, his aspirations for immortality are no longer apparent as he enters the last stage.

    Read More

  • Death And Afterlife In The Epic Of Gilgamesh

    862 Words  | 2 Pages

    This story teaches that death is an unavoidable and inevitable circumstance of mortal life, which is the most significant precept Gilgamesh learns. Gilgamesh is resentful that only the gods can exist eternally. Gilgamesh is frightened by the idea of his own destiny. Mesopotamian divinity proposes a perception of an afterlife; the deceased spend their period being dead in a netherworld. Death is inevitably entwined within the structure of creation. Life is also entwined, although mortals die, humanity maintains to live. The message that Gilgamesh returns with from his adventure is not primarily about death, but about life. Fragment of a tablet of The Epic of Gilgamesh is figure C down

    Read More

  • The Transformation of Gilgamesh in the Epic of Gilgamesh

    1766 Words  | 4 Pages

    In many literary works we see significant transitions in the hero's character as the story is developed. This is also true in the Epic of Gilgamesh with its hero, Gilgamesh. In this narrative poem, we get glimpses of who Gilgamesh is and what his purposes and goals are. We see Gilgamesh act in many different ways -- as an overbearing ruler resented by his people, a courageous and strong fighter, a deflated, depressed man, and finally as a man who seems content with what he's accomplished. Through all of these transitions, we see Gilgamesh's attitude toward life change. The goals he has for his own life alter dramatically, and it is in these goals that we see Gilgamesh's transition from being a shallow, ruthless ruler to being an introspective, content man.

    Read More

  • Mortality And Humanity In The Epic Of Gilgamesh

    2008 Words  | 5 Pages

    As seen in the journey to the forest of cedars, Gilgamesh takes reprieve during his journey to appeal to his human side which needs rest. This is only because Gilgamesh believes to have triumphed over the human part of himself that he allows himself to drop his guard. Ironically, it is through this action that he loses his immortality: “Gilgamesh saw a pond whose water cool, he went down into it to bathe in the water. A snake caught the scent of the plant, stealthily it came up and carried the plant away, on its way back it shed its skin” (150). This is significant because it shows that Gilgamesh will always be subject to his humanity no matter how hard he tries to deny

    Read More

  • Gilgamesh and Modern Society

    385 Words  | 1 Pages

    The story itself reflects an image of the cultural situation in which it was conceived. One major difference between this ancient society and our own is the way in which we sustain our leaders. Gilgamesh's character, whether based on an actual person or not, is portrayed as a very powerful and proud person. He was created to be better and stronger than common man and he is favored by the gods. This portrayal of a super-human king indicates a deep respect for leadership by those who told this story. Likely, these people lived under the rule of a monarchy in which the King was the all powerful leader and lawmaker. In today's society though, it is not common for one person to have unlimited power. Our governments are designed to divide ruling power between numerous parties; in order to keep any one person from becoming all powerful. Today's society would not tolerate a king who could do as he pleases, even if he were a noble and just man. In the story, Gilgamesh's super-human strength and power are not always convenient to his subjects. "His arrogance has no bounds", and "his lust leaves no virgin to her lover," yet the people respect his authority. The supremacy of Gilgamesh in the story reflects the feelings toward leadership held by that society which created the story. The respect they had for an all powerful monarch is hard for us to understand today. Our society looks down on those who rule as dictators and labels them tyrants and enemies. It is odd to imagine living in a society where a king is to be respected.

    Read More

  • The Journey Of Gilgamesh As A Hero's Journey

    803 Words  | 2 Pages

    In Gilgamesh, he fights Humbaba with Enkidu, his best friend. Humbaba is the guardian of the Cedar Forest who was assigned by the god Enlil. Gilgamesh doesn't fight for the world, but he has his own reasons. In the text, it states, “Even if I fail I will have made a lasting name for myself’’ (181). In other words, Gilgamesh's motivation to slaughter Humbaba is not just to get rid of evil but to let his people remember him. Gilgamesh is being selfish because if he's dead, Uruk won't have a ruler, which means Uruk will be out of control. The choice Gilgamesh makes causes him not to care about Uruk but only himself. However, the encounter of Enkidu's death has turned Gilgamesh into another person. He couldn't confront the truth that Enkidu has died. Enkidu was more than a best friend to him, he was a brother whom he loved. Because of his love for Enkidu, Gilgamesh builds a statue so everyone in Uruk will remember him. This demonstrates Gilgamesh changing from selfish to selfless. This change is part of Gilgamesh's transformations towards becoming a hero. Gilgamesh changes as a result of Enkidu's death. According to the text, it states, “Gilgamesh interferes in the lives of his subjects beyond his right as king”(175). This proves that Gilgamesh was bothering and annoying the people of Uruk. Gilgamesh is going to become king soon and he shouldn’t disregard or interfere with his subject’s private life.

    Read More

  • The Hero Of Gilgamesh And Joseph Campbell's Hero

    1158 Words  | 3 Pages

    Gilgamesh is an example of someone who had many flaws and faced many struggles but, in the end, changed his attitude and became a better person. In the beginning of Gilgamesh, he is described as doing whatever he wants and being juvenile in a way. For example, in the text it says, “he was their shepherd, yet powerful, superb, knowledgeable and expert, Gilgamesh would not leave young girls alone, the daughters of warriors, the brides of young men.” With his second half, Enkidu, they entered into the first step in becoming a hero according to Campbell, the separation, by going on an adventure. At this point in the story, Gilgamesh is very arrogant. While traveling to Cedar Forest, Gilgamesh tells Enkidu, “let me go in front of you, and your voice call out: ‘Go close, don’t be afraid!’ If I should fall, I should have won fame. People will say, Gilgamesh grappled in combat with ferocious Humbaba… ensure fame that will last forever.” Next is stage two, the initiation, of the Campbell’s hero journey. Gilgamesh undergoes a trail to begin his transformation, he must fight the Bull of Heaven. Gilgamesh’s supportive side is starting to show when he tells Enkidu that they will win if they fight together. After killing the Bull of Heaven, Gilgamesh’s confident attitude is shown once again. The next trial he faces is the death of Enkidu. He starts to show emotion when he says, “for you Enkidu, I, like your mother, your father, will weep on your plains… I will lay you to rest on a bed of loving care… and I myself will neglect my appearance after your death.” At this point his character has been greedy and then he showed his fear and supportive side. The last stage in the hero’s journey is the return. Enkidu’s death sent Gilgamesh on an adventure to fight death. From this adventure he learned his biggest lesson from Utnapishtim. He learns to appreciate life, and

    Read More

More about The Desire for Everlasting Life and Gilgamesh

Open Document