Death and dying are two of the most common fears among people fictitious and non- . People want to make their mark on the world so that their images may live on even after they die. Gilgamesh, from the “Epic of Gilgamesh,” is no different. In this ancient poem, Gilgamesh begins as a ruthless brute who answers to no one until he meets his match, a man named Enkidu. He and Enkidu proceed to take on heroic feats so that Gilgamesh may gain pride, glory, and—ultimately—immortality. Because of these superhuman tasks, the goddess Ishtar becomes enraged and kills Enkidu which sends Gilgamesh into a weeklong depression from which he emerges with a new passion for the pursuit immortality. Gilgamesh’s fear of being forgotten drives him to believe that he may achieve immortality through superhuman acts, but he realizes that he can live on in the hearts and on the tablets of his people. Early in “Gilgamesh,” Gilgamesh and Enkidu slay the Cedar Forest guardian Humbaba, and the Bull of Heaven. According to Gilgamesh, killing these creatures would help him reach his goal of immortality; however, these actions cost the life of Enkidu which instills a new and rawer fear in Gilgamesh. In Jared Christman’s article, “The Gilgamesh Complex: The Quest for Death Transcendence and the Killing of Animals,” he states that the killings of animals sprouts from Gilgamesh’s fear of death and the vitality that he can get from within said animals (Christman 301). In committing “zoocide” Gilgamesh feels that he can defeat death (Christman 298). Christman goes on to say that after Enkidu’s death, Gilgamesh travels to Utnapishtim so that he can learn how to progress in his “quest for death transcendence.” Thinking that he has done greatness, Gilgamesh prattles off ... ... middle of paper ... ...le I do think this, I do understand that death is inevitable. It is best though to chase your dreams while they are still possible. Works Cited Lawall, Sarah N., and Maynard Mack. The Norton Anthology of World Literature. 2nd ed. Vol. A. New York: Norton, 2002. Print. Christman, Jared. "The Gilgamesh Complex: The Quest for Death Transcendence and the Killing of Animals." Society & Animals 16.4 (2008): 297-315. Academic Search Complete. EBSCO. Web. 14 Apr. 2011. Hooke, S. H. "Parallels with the Gilgamesh Story." Folklore 45.3 (1934): 195-211. JSTOR. Web. 14 Apr. 2011. . Wolff, Hope Nash. "Gilgamesh, Enkidu, and the Heroic Life." Journal of the American Oriental Society 89.2 (1969): 392-98. JSTOR. Web. 14 Apr. 2011. .
The Epic of Gilgamesh. Trans. Benjamin R. Foster. Text. Martin Puncher. New York: W.W and Company, 2013.Print.
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.
Enkidu exclaims, “Beloved brother. Last night I had a terrifying dream. I dreamed that we had offended the gods, they met in council and Anu said, ‘They have slaughtered the Bull of Heaven and killed Humbaba, watchman of the Cedar Forest. Therefore one of the two must die.’ Then Enlil said to him, ‘Enkidu, not Gilgamesh, is the one who must die’” (Mitchell 141). Gilgamesh and Enkidu have offended the gods by killing their creation in order to gain glory and resources. At this time in history, the gods were viewed as supreme. They ruled over everything from love, to earth, to weather. They could destroy the human race with ease, and this is why people offered sacrifices. They respected the gods greatly in fear of their power. Because Gilgamesh and Enkidu failed to respect these powers, Enkidu losses his life. This risk was not worth the price as Enkidu had to pay the ultimate price of life, and Gilgamesh is left with a restless heart. Right after Enkidu learns his fate, “his strength began failing. For twelve long days he was deathly sick, he lay in his bed in agony, unable to rest, and every day he grew worse” (Mitchell 149). Eventually Enkidu passes away leaving Gilgamesh without his beloved
After the death of Enkidu, Gilgamesh grieves deeply and is horrified by the prospect of his own death. “Bitterly Gilgamesh wept for his friend Enkidu; he wandered over the wilderness as a hunter, he roamed over the plains; in his bitterness he cried, ‘How can I rest, how can I be at peace? Despair is in my heart” (Gil.
Gardner, John and John Maier. Gilgamesh: Translated from the Sin-leqi-unninni version. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1984.
---. “The Development and Meaning of the Epic of Gilgamesh: An Interpretive Essay.” Journal of the American Oriental Society 121.4 (2001): 614-622. JSTOR. Web. 28 Feb 2014.
This paper will provide a unique, psychological perspective on a timeless story that is alive with mythological and religious splendor. I must state clearly that this is not the first time that Gilgamesh has been viewed in the light of the philosophy of Jung. One of two Jung essays I happened upon while preparing my research was the Psychology of Religion. Although I initially felt that this source would provide little help with my paper, I was very mistaken. On the seventeenth page, I have discovered Jung directly referencing Gilgamesh himself.
Death and Immortality in The Epic of Gilgamesh The search for immortality has been a major concern for many men and women all throughout history. True love and immortality in life would be a dream come true to many. To spend time with a special someone, the person one feels closest to, and never have to say good-bye would greatly appeal to most people. But when death steps into the picture, even with all the pain and devastation, one starts to re-evaluate themselves. In The Epic of Gilgamesh, Gilgamesh explores the possibility of immortality following the saddening death of his friend and brother, Enkidu.
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.
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).
Gilgamesh, The Epic of. Vol. A. The Norton Anthology of World Literature. Ed. Martin Puchner, et al. 3rd ed. New York: W. W. Norton and Company, 2012. 95-150. Print.
Foster, Benjamin R. "The Epic of Gilgamesh." The Norton Anthology of World Literature. Gen. Ed. Martin Puchner. 3rd ed. Vol. A. New York: Norton, 2012. 95-151. Print. 13 March 2014.
The second significant change in Gilgamesh was caused by the loss of his brotherly companion, Enkidu. Gilgamesh couln't bear the loss of a love so powerful. Despite his astonishing power and leadership, something in his life was missing. Moreover, he wept for seven days and nights, thinking his friend would come back because of his weeping. It is in this stage of the epic that one can see the truly sympathetic and compassionate side of Gilgamesh. The grief in his heart had far surpassed the magnificent pride that he had previously displayed so boldly. Enkidu's death left Gilgamesh frightened and confused. However, the despair in his heart was so great that he could not rest; would he ever be at peace? Thus, he became terrified of his own death.
In Gilgamesh’s youth he is proud without fear of death, it is not until he watches his friend die that his own mortality becomes a fear. The story begins showing Gilgamesh as a strong warrior as shown when he first meets Enkidu who wants to stop Gilgamesh from having relations with a woman on her wedding night. “They grappled each other, holding fast like wrestlers, They shattered the doorpost, the wall shook. They grappled each other at the door to the wedding, They fought in the street, the public square. It was Gilgamesh who knelt for the pin, his foot on the ground” (23).
"Epic of Gilgamesh." Academy for Ancient Texts. Ancient Texts Library. Web. 12 Oct. 2011. .