Gilgamesh Inevitability Of Death Essay

The theme for Book X of Gilgamesh is the inevitability of death. Throughout the book, Gilgamesh has been apathetic concerning his own fate, viewing fighting a monster as a way “to forget about death” (Gilgamesh 120; V). Gilgamesh will do anything to not reflect on his own mortality. He tries to evade death, incongruous with his method of handling a physical challenge which he faces openly and without fear. He often disregards the inherent danger of his quests, “laugh[ing]” (Gilgamesh 97; III) when the elders warn him about the hazards of the mission. His attitude towards danger can be considered laughing in the face of death. He is flippant about the future and is using jokes as a way to mask his own secret fear of death. He demonstrates this fear when Enkidu dies, and the shock causes him to remember they share the same fate.

Enkidu’s death sends him on an expedition to "overcome death" (Gilgamesh 175; X). He spirals farther from who he once was as the realization that he will die hits him. In the past, he did not care that he would die, but he was afraid that his subjects will forget him. His motivator for killing Humbaba is his want to matter to future generations and create a “lasting name” (Gilgamesh 95; III) for himself. While the poem often states Gilgamesh is “two-thirds divine and one-third human” (Gilgamesh 71; I), he is still destined to die. Even a small slice of humanity dooms him to the same fate as all humans. Death is the equalizer for all humans because death is impartial it takes "all of us, young or old" (Gilgamesh 178; X). Even Enkidu, a "hero" (Gilgamesh 74; I) the goddess Anu creates is susceptible to