The Friendship of Gilgamesh and Enkidu

780 Words2 Pages

The Epic of Gilgamesh is a historic story of the king of Uruk, Gilgamesh. The story depicts the short lived friendship of Gilgamesh and Enkidu. The story begins as Shamat the harlot seduces Enkidu and convinces him to go to the city of Uruk and meet Gilgamesh. From that moment on, the two were very close. They planned a trip to the forest of cedars to defeat the monster known as Humbaba so that Gilgamesh could show his power to the citizens of Uruk. However, Enkidu tried “vainly to dissuade” (18) Gilgamesh in going to the forest. Despite Enkidu’s plead, the two continued on their voyage to the forest where Humbaba lives. Once they arrived, they found the monster and killed him. They cut down trees, “then Enkidu builds a gigantic door…as a gift to Enlil.” (44) Upon their arrival to Uruk, Ishtar the goddess of sex, love and warfare wanted to wed Gilgamesh. In spite of this, Gilgamesh did not feel the same and did not wish to marry her. Ishtar was so upset with the decision of Gilgamesh that she sent down the “Bull of Heaven” (50) to kill him. The bull ultimately met its’ demise when Gilgamesh and Enkidu killed it. Of all of the events that occurred, the gods were not pleased. After the bull was killed and the cedar trees were cut, Enkidu had to be seen by the gods in council. Thus, the decision that Enkidu must die because of these acts was established. (53) The death of his friend is unreal to Gilgamesh. Thorkild Jacobsen points out that “…it touches him in all its stark reality, and Gilgamesh refuses to believe it.” (Thorkild Jacobsen, “And Death The Journey’s End,” 191) Gilgamesh goes on to seek eternal life. Death had never been a topic he had to deal with. Jacobsen explains, “death, fear of death, has become an ob... ... middle of paper ... ...ves after him. There is a measure of immortality in achievement, the only immortality man can seek.” (Jacobsen, 196) 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. Works Cited Thorkild Jacobsen, "'And Death the Journey's End': The Gilgamesh Epic" “The Epic of Gilgamesh,” trans. and ed. Benjamin R. Foster, A Norton Critical Edition, New York: W.W. Norton & Company, Inc., 2001

Show More
Related

  • Enkidu's Death In The Epic Of Gilgamesh

    615 Words  | 2 Pages

    As seen after Enkidu tells him of his dream. He calls the place he visited, Irkalla, “... The house from which none who enter ever returns, down the road from which there is no coming back…” He also spoke of a unworldly fiend that was half man-half bird and had a somber vampires face. He said the man bird turned his arms into wings and took him to Irkalla, where he saw people there who were kings,who ruled the earth “realm”, and priest thought to be holy, all were servants now in the darnkess.So after listening to Enkidus dream Gilgamesh says, “... We must treasure the dreamwhatever the terror;for the dream shown that misery comes even to the healthiest man, the end of life is sorrow…” This why Gilgamesh had so much paranoia and grief, because of the horrible fate he knew was awaiting, like when he proclaimed he felt he could not escape death, that it was everywhere, even on the very ground he walk on. Which is the cause of Gilgamesh's quest of the 12 leagues of darkness in which he seeks answers from the only immortal man, Utnapishtim. When he finally gets the secret of immortality and loses it, it’s okay because he subconsciously intakes Utnapishtim’s advice about immortal

    Read More

  • How Did Gilgamesh Influence Enkidu's Journey?

    593 Words  | 2 Pages

    As a result of Enkidu's death, Gilgamesh makes a final journey to find spiritual fulfillment and self- discovery. The following days after Enkidu passed Gilgamesh mourned and cried out, “ Hear me, O young men, listen to me, / Hear me, O elders of Uruk, Listen to me!/ I mourn my friend Enkidu,” (VIII. 36-38) in addition to calling out to Enkidu, “Come back to me! You hear me not.” (VIII. 50) This is the point in the Epic where an affectionate side of Gilgamesh is shown. Although Gilgamesh mourns he also becomes very angry, “Tearing out and hurling away the locks of his hair, / Ripping off and throwing away his fine clothes like something foul.” (VIII. 57-58). This is when Gilgamesh takes out on a journey of his own. He commands a “... blacksmith, lapidary, metal worker, goldsmiths,

    Read More

  • A Comparison Of Gilgamesh Vs. Job

    940 Words  | 2 Pages

    Gilgamesh begins to search for the answer to everlasting life – immortality – in order to escape the fate of his friend Enkidu as evidenced by the line “Because I am afraid of death I will go as best I can to find Utnapishtim who the call the Faraway, for he has entered the assembly of the gods.” (23) One his journey Gilgamesh endured many challenges that would have made an ordinary man turn back such as the scorpions who stand guard at the gate of the great mountain Mashu – “At its gate the Scorpions stand guard, half man and half dragon; their glory is terrifying, their stare strikes death into men, their shimmering halo sweeps the mountains that guard the rising sun.”

    Read More

  • The Search for Destiny in The Epic of Gilgamesh, The Odyssey, and The Aeneid

    995 Words  | 2 Pages

    After his friend Enkidu dies, Gilgamesh realizes that death is also imminent for him since he is part human. Thus, terrified of his future, Gilgamesh journeys into the underworld in search of immortality but instead finds

    Read More

  • Character Transformations In The Epic Of Gilgamesh

    1160 Words  | 3 Pages

    The death of his friend Enkidu plays a big role in this transformation. Gilgamesh goes from independent to having companionship, which he had never had, back to being alone again. This grief would incite in him the fear of his own mortality and drive him to press forward for the answer to immortal life. Pressing forward on this journey would prove to be a daunting task for Gilgamesh. The struggle of losing his friend and the difficult terrain brings him to a low that he had never experienced before. This would become apparent even to the tavern keeper as she tells him of the, “woe in his vitals” that he possesses. The response from the King of Uruk puts things in perspective as he states, “I could find no

    Read More

  • The Existence Of Death In The Death Of Gilgamesh

    841 Words  | 2 Pages

    Death it is something we all must face at one point in our lives. It is either a passing of a friend, family member, companion or colleague. Regardless of what makes us confront the thought of death, it is the means by which we handle this response that certainly matters. The point when Gilgamesh is confronted by this inevitable event with the grisly misfortune of his dear friend and brother, Enkidu is when he begins to starts to fear his own demise. In Gilgamesh's childhood he is oblivious of death, it’s not until he watches his companion’s demise that his mortality turns into a panic.

    Read More

  • Free Epic of Gilgamesh Essays: Themes of Gilgamesh

    451 Words  | 1 Pages

    One of the main themes in the epic is that death is inevitable, which is shown through Enkidu's death. When Enkidu dies, Gilgamesh becomes very worried, because he realizes for the first time that everyone is going to die at some point in time. The fact that Enkidu is a close friend makes it even more visible to Gilgamesh that everyone is mortal. Then, along with this realization, comes the theme of denial. Gilgamesh does not want to accept the fact that he will die.  He denies the truth, because he does not want to think about the truth or cope with the tragedy that has struck him. "And he-he does not lift his head. 'I touched his heart, it does not beat'" (Tablet VIII, Column II, 15-16). "'Me! Will I too not die like Enkidu? Sorrow was come into my belly. I fear death; I roam over the hills. I will seize the road; quickly I will go to the house of Utnapishtim, offspring of Ubaratutu. I approach the entrance of the mountain at night. Lions I see, and I am terrified. I lift my head to pray to the mood god Sin: For...a dream I go to the gods in prayer: ...preserve me!'" (Tablet IX, Column I, 3-12).

    Read More

  • How Does Gilgamesh Search For Immortality

    495 Words  | 1 Pages

    Gilgamesh realizes that if Enkidu, his equal, can die then so can he. For example, when Siduri asks him why he is so depressed, Gilgamesh replies by telling her about the adventures he and Enkidu were involved in, such as the overthrow of Humbaba. And, Gilgamesh also tells her about Enkidu's tragic death, and he says he is “afraid of death.” Enkidu’s death forces Gilgamesh into despair, but it also makes him recognize his own mortality. Gilgamesh acknowledges that he will also face death like Enkidu,his equal, so he wants break this common fate by gaining an everlasting life. Gilgamesh’s denial of Enkidu’s death shows that he doesn’t want to accept his own mortality.

    Read More

  • Epic Of Gilgamesh Analysis

    1229 Words  | 3 Pages

    Along his journey’s Gilgamesh respects the people he meets even as he is inquisitive about the concept of death. He is patient with Utnapishtim, Siduri and Urshanabi. Gilgamesh stands firm on his purpose and is committed to finding the result even if it is not in line with what he desires (George 150). In some instances, he also appears to work past his pride as shown in the way he asks for strength assistance from the sun god, Shamash to kill the Bull of Heaven that was intended to bring seven years of ...

    Read More

  • The Eight Sections In The Epic Of Gilgamesh

    881 Words  | 2 Pages

    They make preparations by getting blessings from the councilors and Gilgamesh’s mother, Ninsun, and make weapons for the journey. They then head to the Cedar Forest where they encounter Humbaba. With the help of Shamash, the sun god, who gave them eight winds, they finally defeat Humbaba and cut off his head. They return to Uruk carrying his head. In the third section, “Ishtar and Gilgamesh, and the Death of Enkidu,” Ishtar asked Gilgamesh to marry her, but Gilgamesh refused. Ishtar grew angry and asked her father, the great god Anu, to give her the Bull of Heaven to destroy Gilgamesh. Anu gave her the Bull of Heaven after being threatened, and Ishtar set it free to cause destruction. Gilgamesh and Enkidu fought and killed the Bull of Heaven. After killing the Bull of Heaven, Enkidu had a dream that the gods said that either Enkidu or Gilgamesh must die. The gods choose Enkidu to die, and Enkidu became very sick. After twelve days of sickness, Enkidu died. Gilgamesh mourned his friends’ death and commissioned a statue be made in his friends likeness. He then left Uruk to seek a way to become

    Read More

  • The Transformation of Gilgamesh in the Epic of Gilgamesh

    1766 Words  | 4 Pages

    The epic begins with the men of Uruk describing Gilgamesh as an overly aggressive ruler. "'Gilgamesh leaves no son to his father; day and night his outrageousness continues unrestrained; And he is the shepherd of Uruk, the enclosure; He is their shepherd, and yet he oppresses them. Strong, handsome, and wise. . . Gilgamesh leaves no virgin to her lover.'"(p.18, Line 23-27) The citizens respect him, but they resent his sexual and physical aggression, so they plead to the gods to alleviate some of their burden. The gods resolve to create an equal for Gilgamesh to tame him and keep him in line. This equal, Enkidu, has an immediate impact on Gilgamesh. When they first meet, both having never before met a man equal in stature, they brawl. "They grappled with each other, Snorting like bulls; They shattered the doorpost, that the wall shook."(p.32, lines 15-18)  In giving Gilgamesh a real battle, Enkidu instantly changes him; having this equal gives Gilgamesh a sense of respect for another man. These two men fighting each other creates a serious mess, but they both end up without animosity toward the other.

    Read More

  • The Epic of Gilgamesh: Overview

    988 Words  | 2 Pages

    ...d many things could upset them very easily which meant that people should be cautious of what they did. Gilgamesh was not cautious at all in the other hand because he ended up killing Humbaba and the Bull of Heaven. Gilgamesh should have seen a consequence coming for his actions. Enkidu dies and Gilgamesh suffers; therefore, the gods accomplished the goal of punishing both for their actions. Enkidu was given death while Gilgamesh had to deal with the loss of his founded new best friend and continue his quest on his own. The gods could have punished Enkidu in another way, but the gods acted a lot on pure instinct and began their revenge some may say very quickly.

    Read More

  • Gilgamesh: From Tyrant to Compassionate Leader

    595 Words  | 2 Pages

    When Enkidu was asked to join in the battle with the king; he was not so sure about that idea because he was afraid something horrible was going to happen to one of them, but at the same time he didn’t want to let his best friend take a battle on his own. The beast of Humbaba resided at the smoky mountain of Humbaba which was a really dangerous place. Gilgamesh killed the cedar forest down, just then Humbaba became very angry with the king and Humbaba sent a long arm of fire. When the two men couldn’t handle the fire flames; Gilgamesh called out to his favorite king, Shamash (the sun of god) to protect: himself, his friend and also his

    Read More

  • A Summary of the Epic of Gilgamesh

    849 Words  | 2 Pages

    After Enkidu's death, Gilgamesh comes to the realization that one day he too will succumb to the same fate as his friend.

    Read More

  • Theme Of Death In Gilgamesh

    953 Words  | 2 Pages

    Enkidu is the representation of the wilder side of life, having lived with animals and nature, "He fed on grass with gazelles, With beasts he jostled at the water hole." (Pg. 102, Lines 102-103) Gilgamesh, on the other hand, was the King of a civilization, known for his greatness and strength. They were two sides of a coin, and one could relate to the other. After Gilgamesh insults the princess Ishtar, she pleads with her father, Anu, to send the Bull of Heaven to attack Gilgamesh for revenge. Enkidu and Gilgamesh battle the bull, and win, but Enkidu had been injured, and ends up dying. This forced Gilgamesh's eyes open to the reality that everyone can die. Until then, he had thought nothing much about it, being a Demigod and the best at everything, he could afford to be brave. However, Enkidu, who was the only person in the world to be considered equal to him, was taken down, and the implications of that struck Gilgamesh hard, making him realize that he's not immortal. This causes him to become emaciated, and obsessed with the idea of finding immortality. He wanders aimlessly for a while, before remembering Utanapishtim, a man who was granted immortality by the

    Read More

More about The Friendship of Gilgamesh and Enkidu

Open Document